Cook/Jr. Transform Chef

Reports to: Transform Department Lead Payroll Type: Full Time/Hourly

Location: La Soupe, 915 E McMillian St, Cincinnati, OH 45206 Posted Date: 12/2025


Days/Hours

  • Available through hours possible  Monday-Thursday (8 am-6:30 pm), Friday (8 am-4 pm), possible Saturday 8-4 pm.

  • 35-40+ hours per week (hourly wage, non-exempt)

About La Soupe
Founded in 2015 by Chef Suzy DeYoung, La Soupe is a nonprofit with a mission to reduce food waste and food insecurity across the Greater Cincinnati Region. La Soupe's chefs and volunteers use rescued food to create delicious, healthy meals to share with partner agencies who distribute those meals to clients facing food insecurity. With the support of dedicated volunteers, La Soupe has rescued over 4 million pounds of food and shared over 2.5 million restaurant-quality servings since its inception.

Job Summary

Support La Soupe’s mission of feeding the food insecure by using rescued food to create meals while ensuring the quality of all food production, maintaining sanitation, and guiding volunteers in food prep/tasks.  

Core Responsibilities:

  • Create prepared food using available resources to fulfill production needs

  • Demonstrate safe food handling and cooking procedures and maintain ServSafe Certification

  • Understand the flow of how food is rescued, transformed, and shared, and is familiar with all supporting organization departments

  • Develop high-quality relationships with volunteers and coworkers

  • Engage with  guests and represent La Soupe in an informed manner 

  • Innovate new ideas for efficiency, food utilization and meal creation

  • Keep refrigerators, freezers, and all kitchen areas clean and organized

  • Complete other responsibilities, possibly including  creating  specials, caterings, and other projects

  • Respect all La Soupe employees, volunteers, and property

  • Excels in teamwork

  • This position may often be lead on tasks for volunteers in late afternoon, working in conjunction with volunteer coordinators and kitchen. 

  • Level 2 ServSafe Certification (Person In Charge) current or willing to have within 3 months. 

Job Duties: 

  • Fulfill daily production requirements in a timely manner as instructed by Leads

  • Sort through available food product to determine both quality and safety, help set utilization priorities

  • Offer feedback to leads regarding production issues and opportunities

  • Recognize and communicate what tasks need to be completed by staff/volunteers with collaboration of chefs and volunteer coordinators (sandwich making, using bread slicer, preparing recipes, chopping, portioning, etc)

  • Direct and ensure safety and sanitation procedures of volunteers in food preparation

  • Quality check prepared food by sharing with others and collaborating in preparation  

  • Maintain sanitation and safety standards in work area and communicate needs as necessary

  • Assist other areas as needed and time allows

  • Assist with recycling/compost/animal feed  program

  • Assist with inventory processes  

  • Follow closing checklist including daily cleaning

  • Check/respond to work emails as needed

  • Participate in occasional off-site/off-hours catering events with a professional appearance and demeanor

  • Read, understand and follow guidelines as established in the Employee Handbook

  • La Soupe Ambassador: Attends events on time, professional appearance, Informed about La Soupes mission, operations, and projects. 

Ideal Characteristics:

  • Self motivator, self manages, keeps busy, sees big picture, can recognize priorities of tasks

  • Lead and educate small groups of volunteers 

  • Warm and friendly, highly flexible

  • Creative problem solver

  • Food enthusiast

  • Desire to help others   

  • Advanced kitchen experience, large batch cooking and catering know-how a plus!

Compensation: Pay $20+ depending on experience

BENEFITS

  • 11+ Paid Holidays, Free Lunch, Free parking

  • Health Insurance with company contribution. Family health insurance, and employee vision, and dental are provided at employee cost.

  • 401(k)plan - no match,  life insurance, and AD&D

  • PTO after 90 days of employment, Sick Days available immediately 

  • Get to work with the best crew in the city while helping communities

La Soupe is committed to work-life balance and will consider candidates interested in FT reduction (32 hours), hybrid, and other flexible arrangements that meet the needs of both the agency and the candidate.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT 

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; sort, and lift. The employee frequently is required to climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee is occasionally required to sit. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. The employee should possess stamina for physical work. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to wet and/or humid conditions; moving mechanical parts; fumes or airborne particles; outside weather conditions; extreme cold and extreme heat. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud.

Equal opportunity: La Soupe, Inc. values a diverse and inclusive work environment where every team member matters. All qualified applicants for this position will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

If interested, please send resume to Chief Culinary and Operations Officer Miranda at miranda@lasoupe.org