How to hire a kitchen lead

How to hire a kitchen lead, step by step

Here's a step-by-step kitchen lead hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a kitchen lead job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new kitchen lead
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a kitchen lead do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a kitchen lead, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect kitchen lead also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of kitchen leads and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Kitchen Lead	Description	Hourly rate
   Kitchen Lead		$12-21
   Cook Supervisor	Cook supervisors are responsible for coordinating the kitchen members and ensure that all orders are prepared on time and according to customer specifications. They must be skilled in the culinary department, knowledgeable of the food safety regulations, and lead a team of cooks, washers, and helpers to achieve an organized kitchen... Show more	$12-29
   Catering Coordinator	A catering coordinator's role is to oversee and manage food services in gatherings for special events, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction. Their responsibilities revolve around planning and meeting with clients to learn their preferences, liaising with suppliers, managing schedules and inventory, and providing cost estimates... Show more	$12-20

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Culinary
   • Food Products
   • Food Service
   • Food Safety
   • Quality Food
   • Cleanliness
   • Safety Standards
   • Product Quality
   • Food Handling
   • Kitchen Equipment
   • BOH
   • House Training
   • Inventory Management

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage grill area and demonstrate leadership.
   • Can work without supervision in BOH, prepping and organizing.
   • Filter all fryers, change oil, and run dishwashers.
   • Involve in revamping standardize recipes, and teaching staff consistent culinary techniques.
   • Assign and check completion of side and/or cleaning tasks throughout BOH positions.
   • Start as p.m. dishwasher, and with no prior culinary experience work to kitchen lead.

   More kitchen lead duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your kitchen lead job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A kitchen lead can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, kitchen leads' average salary in louisiana is 39% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level kitchen leads 40% less than senior-level kitchen leads.
   • Certifications. A kitchen lead with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a kitchen lead's salary.

   Average kitchen lead salary

   $35,678yearly

   $17.15 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level kitchen lead salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average kitchen lead salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$45,903	$22
   2	Massachusetts	$44,810	$22
   3	Oregon	$42,489	$20
   4	Colorado	$41,026	$20
   5	North Dakota	$39,312	$19
   6	New York	$39,092	$19
   7	California	$37,917	$18
   8	Minnesota	$37,584	$18
   9	Hawaii	$36,783	$18
   10	Arizona	$36,104	$17
   11	Iowa	$35,719	$17
   12	Virginia	$34,873	$17
   13	Indiana	$34,487	$17
   14	Illinois	$33,684	$16
   15	Florida	$33,371	$16
   16	Tennessee	$31,958	$15
   17	Texas	$30,991	$15
   18	North Carolina	$30,966	$15
   19	Georgia	$30,060	$14
   20	Missouri	$29,607	$14

   Average kitchen lead salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Zoës Kitchen	$40,273	$19.36
   2	Foster Farms	$40,134	$19.30
   3	Maple Street Biscuit	$39,308	$18.90	3
   4	ECI Communications	$38,801	$18.65
   5	General Mills	$38,656	$18.58
   6	PeaceHealth	$38,644	$18.58	2
   7	Texas Roadhouse	$38,174	$18.35	358
   8	SpaceX	$37,972	$18.26	3
   9	Buca di Beppo	$37,671	$18.11
   10	Catholic Community Services of Lane County	$37,216	$17.89
   11	Teasdale Foods	$36,910	$17.75
   12	Hyatt Hotels	$36,747	$17.67	15
   13	Ascend Wellness	$36,656	$17.62
   14	Boulder Valley School District	$36,527	$17.56	3
   15	CAPITAL PREP HARBOR SCHOOL	$36,402	$17.50	3
   16	Amazon	$36,183	$17.40	7
   17	Big River Enterprises	$35,955	$17.29
   18	Perkins Restaurant & Bakery	$35,808	$17.22	124
   19	Earth Fare	$35,777	$17.20	1
   20	Seasoned	$35,713	$17.17

4. Writing a kitchen lead job description

   A kitchen lead job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a kitchen lead job description:

   Kitchen lead job description example

   The Kitchen Lead is the go-to person in the BWW Kitchen. The Kitchen Lead is expected to supervise and lead the kitchen team in a way that creates a positive atmosphere and a smooth operation. Ultimately, an exceptional Kitchen Lead should be able to work in a fast-paced environment and demonstrate excellent organizational, communication, and time management skills
   General Lead Responsibilities • Retrieve prep list from Manager on Duty (MOD) and help delegate prep items to the Heart of House team • Assist in preparing ingredients needed for daily operation • Track all waste on Waste Sheet per Company Standard Procedures] • Notify MOD of any equipment that is not working properly or not being held to proper temperatures • Supervise the work of the kitchen team to ensure that all stations (chip, shake, grill, southwest, and expo) are completed in the proper manner • Ensure that all cooking stations are adequately stocked with the necessary ingredients and cooking equipment. • Ensure that all cooking stations and kitchen surfaces are cleaned and disinfected before and after each shift • Maintain standard food rotation practices to reduce food wastage and minimize the risk of contamination • Assess the quality of delivered food supplies to ensure that it meets restaurant standards. • Assist in management of food waste control • Assist in ordering and tracking of inventory • Provide a welcoming and positive work environment for the Heart of House team
   As a Kitchen Lead, you will also be expected to lend hand in the following workstations throughout your shift:
   Chip Station • Responsible for all preparation of fried chips, wedges and onion rings prepared in the kitchen of the restaurant. Ensure all chip coolers are clean and free of extra debris • The Chip position portions and prepares food items prior to cooking in accordance with the Chip Packaging Chart. • Other duties include maintaining the fryers and quality of the shortening/oil as outlined in the Fryer Rotation Chart and Shortening Management Reference Guide. Job Title Kitchen Lead Department Heart of House Reports To Kitchen Manager Position Level Management
   Grill Station • Prepares all grilled items such as chicken breast, and burger patties • The Grill person portions and prepares food items prior to cooking in accordance with the Prep Sheets and Grill Station Chart. • Other duties include maintaining the grill and quality of the products outlined in the Prep Sheets and Grill Station Guide.
   Shake Station • Ensure all sauce pumps are cleaned, filled and in working order • Ensure all sauce and seasoning buckets have been washed and dried • Ensure all seasoning shakers are clean, filled no more than ¾ full • Ensure hot wing holding drawers are turned on, are at 180°F with the vents open • Weigh wings to determine cooking time
   Southwest Station • Responsible for all preparation of wraps, salads, flatbreads, etc. • Responsible for maintaining cold rail and making sure food is properly stocked
   Expo Station • Act as the communication link between and among the kitchen line and the front of the house to ensure the coordination and smooth flow of quality products being produced and served to customers. • Control food presentation, quality assurance and timeliness of food delivery.
   
   REQUIREMENTS
   High school diploma or GED. At least 1 year experience in a similar lead position Sound knowledge of food health and safety regulations Excellent communication and leadership skills. Exceptional organizational, time management, and problem-solving skills. The physical demands for this position require the individual to sit, stand, bend, lift up to 30 pounds, and move intermittently during working hours. These physical requirements may be accomplished with or without reasonable accommodations. The duties of this position may change from time to time. Buffalo Wild Wings reserves the right to add or delete duties and responsibilities at the discretion of Buffalo Wild Wings or its managers. This job description is intended to describe the general level of work being performed. It is not intended to be all-inclusive
   
   ABOUT THE COMPANY
   [INSERT COMPANY INFO]

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right kitchen lead for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your kitchen lead job on Zippia to find and recruit kitchen lead candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit kitchen leads, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new kitchen lead

   Once you have selected a candidate for the kitchen lead position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new kitchen lead. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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