Find & Apply For Chef Jobs in Red Oak, Texas

Head Chef -

Ovilla Christian School Location:

Ovilla, TX Company:

Crave-It Nutrition Schedule:

Monday-Friday | Approximately 6:00/7:00 AM-2:00 PM, with additional planning and administrative work as needed About the Role Crave-It Nutrition is seeking an experienced, talented, and mission-driven Head Chef to lead culinary production at Ovilla Christian School in Ovilla, TX. This is a highly visible, hands-on culinary leadership position for a chef who takes pride in preparing fresh, high-quality food for students every day. The Head Chef will be responsible for the execution, consistency, presentation, and overall culinary quality of the food produced at St. Rita. This is not a traditional Kitchen Manager position where the primary responsibility is administrative oversight . We are looking for a true culinary professional who wants to cook, create, lead from the line, develop food, and set the standard for quality every day. The ideal candidate is a chef who leads with humility, organization, consistency, and service and understands that feeding children well requires the same attention to detail and culinary pride as any high-quality food service operation. Primary Responsibilities Culinary Leadership & Food Production Lead all daily culinary production for St Rita School and the secondary school delivery location. Work hands-on alongside the culinary team every day preparing, cooking, finishing, and presenting meals. Execute fresh, high-quality meals with an emphasis on scratch cooking and thoughtfully prepared ingredients. Ensure recipes are followed consistently and that flavor, portion size, appearance, texture, and quality meet Crave-It Nutrition standards. Establish proper preparation and production timelines so all food is ready for service and delivery on time. Oversee batch cooking to ensure food remains fresh and maintains the highest possible quality throughout lunch service. Taste and evaluate food before it leaves the kitchen or reaches the serving line. Train culinary staff on proper recipes, cooking techniques, portioning, presentation, and food handling. Establish a culture where consistency and attention to detail are expected every day. Lead by example and be willing to work every station when necessary. Menu Development & Culinary Creativity Collaborate with Crave-It Nutrition leadership on the development and execution of rotating school menus. Bring culinary creativity and professional expertise to menu development while maintaining strong student appeal. Help develop meals that balance familiar student favorites with fresh, wholesome, chef-inspired offerings. Develop and test recipes that can be consistently reproduced in a school food service environment. Evaluate recipes based on flavor, presentation, labor requirements, food cost, student participation, and production efficiency. Identify opportunities to improve existing menu items, recipes, cooking methods, and presentation. Support specialty menus, themed lunches, school events, and promotional meals throughout the year. Remain aware of current food trends and find appropriate ways to introduce students to new flavors and dishes. Production & Secondary School Delivery Because the Saint Rita kitchen will also function as a production kitchen for another school location, organization is one of the most important responsibilities of this position.

The Head Chef will:

Review daily production numbers for both Saint Rita and the secondary school before production begins. Clearly separate production quantities by school to prevent shortages or overproduction. Ensure food intended for the secondary school is properly portioned, packaged, labeled, and organized before departure. Coordinate production so delivered food maintains appropriate temperature, quality, and presentation. Ensure all components, sides, sauces, condiments, serving utensils, beverages, and specialty items required by the secondary location are accounted for. Establish organized staging areas for school deliveries. Conduct a final check before food leaves the kitchen to ensure the secondary school receives everything required for service. Communicate immediately with the Crave-It Nutrition operations team if production counts, delivery requirements, or meal needs change. The expectation is that both locations receive the same level of culinary quality and attention to detail regardless of whether the meal is served directly from the Saint Rita kitchen or transported to another campus. Quality & Consistency Maintain extremely high standards for food quality, flavor, freshness, and presentation. Ensure proteins are properly cooked, vegetables are prepared correctly, sides are appropriately seasoned, and meals are presented in an appealing way. Monitor portion sizes to maintain consistency and food cost expectations. Ensure fried, baked, roasted, grilled, and prepared items are cooked as close to service time as operationally possible. Identify quality issues before food reaches students and immediately correct them. Continuously evaluate the lunch program and look for opportunities to make the food better. Treat every meal as a reflection of Crave-It Nutrition and Saint Rita School. Kitchen Organization & Leadership Establish an organized daily workflow for culinary staff. Provide clear direction regarding prep lists, production priorities, cooking assignments, and deadlines. Lead and work alongside a small kitchen team of cooks and food service employees. Ensure employees understand their responsibilities before production begins. Maintain a calm, professional, productive kitchen environment even during high-volume production periods. Hold team members accountable for quality, cleanliness, punctuality, food safety, and performance. Coach and train employees instead of simply directing them. Communicate staffing or performance concerns to Crave-It Nutrition leadership when appropriate. Maintain a kitchen culture built around teamwork, accountability, respect, urgency, and pride in the food being served. Inventory, Ordering & Food Cost While this is first and foremost a culinary role, the Head Chef must understand that an organized chef is also responsible for protecting food cost and maintaining proper inventory.

Responsibilities include:

Assist with and oversee food ordering for the location. Maintain appropriate inventory levels without unnecessary over-ordering. Monitor ingredient usage and identify excessive waste. Properly rotate inventory using FIFO procedures. Maintain organized walk-in coolers, freezers, dry storage, and production areas. Review upcoming menus to ensure ingredients are available before they are needed. Communicate shortages or vendor issues proactively. Accurately project production based on student participation and historical meal counts. Work within established food cost expectations while never sacrificing the quality standards of the program. Food Safety & Sanitation Maintain an exceptionally clean and organized kitchen at all times. Ensure proper food handling, cooling, reheating, holding, and storage procedures are followed. Monitor and document required food temperatures. Maintain food safety and sanitation logs. Ensure employees follow proper handwashing, glove use, cross-contamination prevention, and cleaning procedures. Maintain appropriate allergen protocols and understand the seriousness of student food allergies. Ensure all food prepared for transportation is packaged and held at safe temperatures. Maintain compliance with Dallas-area health regulations, Crave-It Nutrition standards, and applicable school requirements. School & Community Partnership Although this position's primary responsibility is culinary leadership, the Head Chef will be an important representative of Crave-It Nutrition within the Saint Rita community.

The Head Chef will:

Build a positive relationship with Saint Rita administration, faculty, and staff. Interact professionally and warmly with students. Be receptive to feedback regarding meals and use constructive feedback to improve the program. Work with Crave-It Nutrition leadership when questions arise regarding ingredients, preparation methods, allergies, or food quality. Understand that Saint Rita families may care deeply about ingredient quality and nutrition and take pride in the standards behind the food being served. Represent Crave-It Nutrition professionally at all times. Qualifications & Requirements Required Minimum 7 years of professional culinary experience in a restaurant, catering, hotel, institutional, school food service, or comparable high-volume kitchen environment. Significant hands-on cooking experience. Strong knowledge of professional cooking techniques, recipe execution, batch production, and food presentation. Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality food consistently for large groups. Experience leading and training culinary employees. Strong production planning and organizational skills. Ability to manage simultaneous production for multiple service locations. Experience with food ordering, inventory management, portion control, and food cost awareness. Strong understanding of food safety and sanitation. Excellent reliability and punctuality. Consistent attendance is essential in a school food service environment. Ability to remain calm and organized in a fast-paced kitchen. Strong communication and interpersonal skills. Servant-leader mentality with a willingness to work beside the team. Ability to pass a comprehensive criminal background check. Willingness to complete Safe Environment Training as required by the Diocese. Current Food Manager's Certificate , or ability to obtain one prior to the start date. Ability to stand for extended periods and safely lift up to 50 lbs. Preferred Culinary degree or formal professional culinary training. Previous experience as a Head Chef, Sous Chef, Executive Chef, Chef de Cuisine, or senior culinary leader. Experience in school food service, institutional dining, catering, or high-volume scratch cooking. Experience producing food for satellite or off-site locations. Knowledge of common childhood food allergies and allergen-safe cooking procedures. Experience with menu development and recipe standardization. Experience managing food costs and recipe costing. Bilingual in English and Spanish. Schedule Expectations The primary school-day schedule will generally be Monday through Friday, approximately 6:00/7:00 AM-2:00 PM . However, this is a professional Head Chef position, and some responsibilities will occasionally need to be completed outside of normal kitchen production hours.

These may include:

Menu planning Recipe development Inventory Ordering Production planning Staff planning Special events Meetings Training The successful candidate understands that the goal is not simply to complete a shift—it is to ensure the culinary program is prepared and operating at a high level each day. Who You Are You are a chef first . You care about how food tastes, how it looks, how it is prepared, and whether you would be proud to serve it to your own family. You understand that feeding hundreds of children requires exceptional organization without sacrificing culinary quality. You walk into a kitchen and immediately notice the details: the seasoning, the presentation, the organization of the walk-in, the accuracy of the prep list, the cleanliness of the station, and whether tomorrow's production is actually ready. You lead from the front. If your team is behind, you put on gloves and cook. If a recipe isn't right, you fix it. If a process isn't working, you develop a better one. You hold high standards without creating a negative kitchen culture. You understand that great food service is built through consistency. Students and families should be able to trust that the meal they loved last week will be just as good the next time it is served. Most importantly, you recognize that serving children is meaningful work. For many students, lunch is one of the best parts of their school day, and you take pride in making that experience something they look forward to. Compensation & Benefits Competitive salary based on culinary experience and qualifications Monday-Friday school schedule School holidays and breaks based on the operating calendar Potential summer opportunities Paid training and onboarding through Crave-It Nutrition Support from Crave-It Nutrition's regional and corporate leadership teams Established menus, operational systems, recipes, and company resources Opportunity to contribute creatively to menu and recipe development Growth opportunities with a Texas-based food service company serving 65+ locations How to Apply Candidates should submit a resume detailing their culinary experience along with a brief description of their approach to food quality, kitchen leadership, and high-volume production. We are especially interested in hearing from chefs who enjoy scratch cooking, leading from the kitchen, developing great food, and creating meals that children are genuinely excited to eat. Please email your resume to amber@craveitnutrition.com or apply through Indeed! Average schedule is 6/7am to 2pm Monday through Friday during the school year