Head Chef

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan

Schedule: Monday–Friday during the University of Michigan academic year

Compensation: $900 per week

Employment: At-will

Start Date: As soon as available

Phi Alpha Kappa is seeking a reliable and independent Head Chef to prepare meals for approximately 30 residents at our fraternity house in Ann Arbor.

This position is ideal for someone who enjoys cooking for groups but is looking for a more relaxed and predictable environment than a traditional restaurant kitchen. The Head Chef will have significant freedom in planning menus, structuring their workday, and managing the kitchen.

Our priority is consistency. We are looking for someone who can reliably prepare good, crowd-friendly meals, work within an established grocery budget, communicate well with house leadership, and maintain a clean and organized cooking environment.

The Head Chef will be responsible for providing:

• Light breakfast: approximately 9:00 AM, Monday–Friday
• Lunch: approximately 12:00 PM, Monday–Friday
• Dinner: approximately 6:00 PM, Monday–Friday
• Sunday dinner: A meal prepared in advance for house members to serve on Sunday

The chef's hours are intentionally flexible. There is no requirement to remain at the house continuously throughout the day. As long as meals are prepared and available at the expected times and other responsibilities are completed, the chef may structure their daily schedule as they see fit.

There are currently no recurring dietary restrictions that need to be accommodated.

The Head Chef will have substantial independence over the menu.

We are not looking for fine dining. We are looking for good, varied, satisfying meals that can realistically be prepared for approximately 30 people.

The chef will be trusted to select meals that:

• Work well when prepared in large quantities
• Provide reasonable variety throughout the week
• Stay within the house's food budget
• Can be consistently prepared and served on schedule
• Appeal to a group of college-aged residents

The Head Chef will be responsible for:

• Planning weekly breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus
• Preparing meals for approximately 30 people
• Purchasing groceries and necessary kitchen supplies
• Traveling to stores such as Sam's Club, Costco, or other suppliers as needed
• Staying within the established kitchen and grocery budget
• Using the provided house credit card for food and kitchen purchases
• Monitoring food inventory and identifying needed groceries and supplies
• Receiving or overseeing food deliveries when applicable
• Maintaining reasonable organization of food, pantry, refrigerator, and freezer inventory
• Keeping food-preparation areas clean and sanitary
• Cleaning pots, pans, cooking surfaces, and equipment used during food preparation
• Communicating grocery, equipment, or kitchen needs to house leadership
• Maintaining consistent meal timing and dependable attendance

House members are assigned kitchen jobs and are expected to assist with maintaining the kitchen and dining areas.

Additionally, designated house members called waiters assist during meals. Waiters are responsible for setting tables, putting out toppings and serving items, and assisting with meal service.

The Head Chef is not responsible for post-meal teardown, dining-room cleanup, or washing dishes generated by residents after meals.

This position generally follows the University of Michigan academic calendar.

The Head Chef will:

• Work during the fall and winter academic semesters
• Have summers off
• Have University winter break off
• Have University spring break off
• Have most weekends and evenings free
• Receive full weekly pay during Thanksgiving week even though only part of that week requires work

There are a few parties, events, and Alumni Day that require food.

• $900 per week
• Consistent weekly compensation
• Predictable Monday–Friday schedule
• Significant flexibility in daily working hours
• University winter and spring breaks off
• Thanksgiving week fully paid
• Meals available while working
• Paid personal/sick days
• Christmas bonus
• Limited night and weekend responsibilities

Candidates should:

• Be based in or within commuting distance of Ann Arbor
• Have reliable transportation to and from work
• Be able and willing to travel locally to Sam's Club, Costco, grocery stores, and other suppliers
• Be physically capable of carrying groceries and safely lifting and handling pots, pans, food, and normal commercial-kitchen equipment
• Have prior experience working in a commercial kitchen or regularly preparing meals for groups of 25 or more people
• Have experience planning meals appropriate for medium-to-large groups
• Be dependable, punctual, honest, and efficient
• Be able to consistently meet established meal times
• Communicate effectively with house leadership and residents
• Be comfortable working independently
• Be comfortable working in a fraternity-house environment
• Have flexibility when occasional scheduling adjustments are necessary
• Be able to satisfy any background-screening requirements consistent with applicable law

Preference may be given to candidates with:

• Previous experience cooking for a fraternity, sorority, residence hall, camp, catering operation, institution, or other large group
• Experience independently planning menus and purchasing groceries
• Experience managing a kitchen or food budget
• Experience preparing high-volume meals efficiently
• Experience managing food inventory, deliveries, and kitchen organization

Interested candidates should send a resume or a brief note expressing interest by email to:

steward@phialphakappa

business@phialphakappa