Looking to broaden your horizons? Want to work with a team that values your input and will support you? Local Ocean is hiring!

Now’s the time to get your foot in the door at the Oregon Coast’s premiere seafood destination. Join a fast-paced and fun team environment, working side-by-side with professionals at every level.

We are a multicultural workplace that honors diversity, equity, and inclusion. We operate with transparency to our employees and hold everyone accountable to our high standards. In short, we are a great place to work- for everybody.

We are owned by our purpose and operated for the benefit of our employees. What does that mean for you? It means the potential to earn profit sharing within your first year. It means frequent opportunities for professional and personal growth, as well as ways to influence positive change in our processes and culture.

We offer competitive wages and flexible food & beverage meal credit for all positions, as well as health & paid time off benefits for full-time employees.

Position Summary: Culinary Prep Lead
The Culinary Prep Lead oversees and leads food preparation at Local Ocean, ensuring the kitchen is well-stocked and maintaining high food safety and cleanliness standards. This role requires excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, efficiency under pressure, a passion for culinary arts, strong leadership, and a commitment to outstanding food quality.

Essential Functions
Has primary responsibility for the following:
• Kitchen Operations Support (reports to Kitchen Manager)
 Culinary Team Leadership
• Leads the culinary prep team in planning and executing food preparation for the restaurant, fish market grab & go, e-commerce, and catering needs
• Assists the Kitchen Manager in assessing scheduling needs to fulfill the duties of the prep department
• Trains and mentors new prep cooks, providing guidance on proper techniques and best practices
• Conducts regular inspections of kitchen equipment, reporting maintenance or repair needs to the Executive Chef
• Ensures compliance with health and safety regulations, including proper food handling and storage
• Collaborates with the Executive Chef and culinary team to develop and test new recipes and menu items
• Participates in quality control checks for new and existing ingredients, recipes, and menu items as requested by the Executive Chef
• Participates in daily kitchen briefings (“good-to-go’s”), updating the team on relevant news, updates, or points of interest
• Works with culinary team management to maintain a workplace culture that exemplifies safety, equity, inclusion, and quality of product and service
• Assists the Executive Chef and Kitchen Manager to evaluate the job performance of prep cooks in advance of quarterly check-ins and annual performance reviews
• Performance Standard – All new prep cooks are trained using a comprehensive checklist
 Product Ordering & Spatial Management
• Identifies product ordering needs in collaboration with the Kitchen Manager, covering specialty foods, chemicals, packaging, retail goods, and disposables
• Advises the KM & Chef on product quality & recommendations based on the feedback and needs of the prep team
• Responsible for ensuring proper product receiving, organization, and rotation
• Responsible for setting regular cleaning standards for the prep room, dry storage, walk-in, and freezer spaces, and verifying that staff is maintaining sanitation levels
• Performance Standard – Maintains standards of organization & cleanliness in the expo station, dry storage, walk-in, freezers, and general storage areas of Local Ocean facilities Measurement -- Quarterly Facility Walkthru scores of 90% or higher in inward-facing kitchen areas
• Performance Standard – Works with the Executive Chef & Kitchen Manager to ensure waste log use. Assists in performing spot checks of waste & recycling areas
Measurement – Monthly Waste Logs show accurate & reliable use
• Performance Standard – Performs and records portion control checks regularly. Measurement – Portion control spot checks are performed weekly

• General Operations Support
 Grab & Go Support (reports to Kitchen Manager)
• Assists the retail team in keeping retail grab & go case stocked with product, assigning prep team members as necessary
 DockBox Operations Support (Reports to Kitchen Manager)
• As requested, assists in overseeing or assisting DockBox portioning shifts (to cover for sickness, vacations, etc.)

Expectations:
• Effective communication with English- and Spanish-speaking coworkers
• Strong knowledge of food safety and sanitation standards
• Efficiency in a fast-paced environment and multitasking ability
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail
• Proven experience as a prep cook or similar role in a high-volume restaurant setting
• Current Food Handler’s card
• Reliable transportation
• Ability to lift and move heavy objects up to 75 lb. Prolonged standing, walking, bending, and lifting objects at a variety of levels

Benefits:
• Full-time, permanent position at Local Ocean Seafoods
• Pay: Hourly, From $20 - $23, DOE
• Overtime (at 1.5x hourly rate) when approved during the high seasons or for special projects
• Participation in tip pool
• Profit sharing (when applicable) in December yearly
• Access to health benefits including health insurance, vision, dental, and life insurance for full-time year-round employees
• Ability to convert sick leave time to flexible paid time off after one year of employment
• Flexible employee meal credit, for use restaurant-wide
• Discounts on Fish Market, DockBox, restaurant food, and retail merchandise
• Opportunities for growth, personal & professional development

Local Ocean Seafoods

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Culinary Prep Lead