Culinary Program Supervisor

Job Title: Culinary Program Supervisor
Department: At-Camp Team
Reports to: Assistant Camp Director
Dates: March 1 – November 14, 2025
Salary Range: $28,000-$32,000 plus room and board from May through October. See total
projected pay for this role based on part-time status in Spring and Fall.
Location: Remote in March, April and November/Groveland May through October

About Tawonga

Tawonga’s mission is to provide educational and recreational programs for children, adults and families that foster self-esteem, lifelong friendships and community, connections with nature, commitment to justice, and positive Jewish identity and spirituality. We run programs at our residential campsite next to Yosemite National Park and in the Bay Area, serving over 5,000 people a year.

About Camp Tawonga’s Culture

At Camp Tawonga, we are a caring, collaborative, joyous group of professionals who take great pride in fulfilling our mission and having fun while doing it. We have deep respect for our community, the children and the families who participate in our programs; for nature and the physical world; and for Jewish value of “tikkun olam” – repairing the world. Our team has taken many different paths to arrive at Tawonga, from growing up as campers at Camp to others who have never before been involved with a summer camp. We are a Jewish organization, and we welcome and are inclusive of all staff and community members, Jewish and non-Jewish alike. We are committed to JEDI (justice, equity, diversity and inclusion) and the ongoing reflection, learning and action required to be aligned with these values and create and sustain an equity culture.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Camp Tawonga is an Equal Opportunity Employer, values diversity and is committed to being an inclusive environment for all employees. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills, and to hiring people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals and women. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and organizational need.

Job Purpose and Description

The Culinary Program Supervisor will oversee Tawonga’s brand new Garden Kitchen, where they will facilitate a farm-to-table cooking experience for participants that meets Tawonga’s mission. The Culinary Program Supervisor will develop and implement the curriculum with an emphasis on culinary skills, sustainability and cultural learning for groups of 12-24 children and adults. They will also supervise one Culinary Program Assistant, providing professional mentorship and management. As previously noted, this role is hybrid, and will be partly remote, and partly based in-person at Camp Tawonga in Groveland. See below for details on the role and responsibilities.

Supervisory Responsibilities

  • Develop training plans and materials to train Culinary Program Assistant 
  • Supervise the Culinary Program Assistant; provide training, observations, coaching, feedback, and written evaluations
  • Develop safety guidelines and protocols for the cooking program and train staff and campers to ensure a safe experience, aligned with the Tuolumne County Health Inspector’s requirements.
  • Approach challenges with solution-oriented problem-solving
  • Oversee Culinary Program department and ensure programs run smoothly, including ordering and maintaining kitchen supplies
  • Serve as a part of the Management Team at Camp including shared duties such as supervising camper mealtimes, overseeing cabins at night, supervising campers on buses, and being a role model for other staff at all times
  • Orient counselors and other staff to the Garden Kitchen
  • Create weekly schedule for Culinary Programs; manage time off and schedules for Culinary Program Assistant and yourself

Program Development and Teaching Responsibilities

  • Select, develop and test recipes (keeping in mind cultural richness and the diversity of our community) to be used in programming with children and adults
  • Set up brand new Garden Kitchen and create an effective culinary education space
  • Create a department manual and recipe book that can be used by future Culinary Program Supervisors
  • Develop and offer a variety of cooking classes for adults and children at different Tawonga programs (weekend family camps, weekend adult-only camp, kid-only summer camp)
  • Incorporate Tawonga’s mission into culinary program offerings
  • During summer, lead cooking and baking classes for 12-24 children, 4-5 times daily; during spring/fall weekend programs, lead 2-3 culinary classes for adults and children daily
  • Coordinate with guest culinary educators when applicable during programs
  • Support weekend programs through helping with set up, clean up, and supervision of children

Logistics/Maintenance Responsibilities

  • Collaborate and maintain open communication with multiple departments 
  • Operate and care for kitchen equipment
  • Facilitate smooth interdepartmental communication with the Main Kitchen and Farm and Garden:
    • Collaborate with the Farm and Garden Supervisor to plan for what produce can be utilized each week from the garden
    • Collaborate with Director of Kitchen & At-Camp Operations to order food and supplies as needed
  • Maintain a clean, safe and hygienic environment in the Garden Kitchen, including daily cleaning and laundry and taking precautions to prevent cross-contamination of allergens
  • Communicate with Buildings and Grounds Manager to arrange repairs and maintenance for equipment as needed
  • Manage the budget responsibly, adhering to Camp Tawonga’s fiscal practices

Training, Experience, Skills, and Qualities

Required

  • Love of and experience with cooking and baking
  • Experience teaching
  • Proven ability to work with youth 
  • Must be able to live and work at Camp Tawonga from May through October 
  • Ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with other adults
  • Required certifications or must be willing to acquire these certifications upon hire:
    • ServSafe
    • CPR/First Aid

Preferred

  • Experience developing curriculum and educational materials 
  • Experience teaching cooking to children
  • Experience with risk management and enforcing safety protocols
  • Experience managing a large budget
  • Excellent supervisor/manager
  • Experience teaching cooking to adults
  • Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
  • Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines
  • Ability to take and implement feedback
  • Ability to work independently and make appropriate decisions in routine situations

Supervision

  • This position reports directly to the Assistant Camp Director

Physical Demands

The physical demands listed below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential function of this job. Reasonable accommodations will be made that enable people with disabilities to perform the essential functions:

  • Writing, reading, hearing, seeing and speaking
  • Use of hands and fingers to operate kitchen equipment
  • Standing, walking, kneeling, and sitting with some lifting up to 30 pounds
  • Living and working at Camp requires walking several miles per day on uneven terrain, working long hours, and being willing to live communally

Worksite

  • This role is a hybrid position. 
  • This position is expected to relocate to Camp Tawonga’s secondary location in Groveland, CA to work on-site from May 1-October 29. This position is expected to work remotely in March, April and November. 
  • Camp Tawonga will provide a company laptop, mouse, keyboard, and reasonable accommodations as needed to ensure the employee can work from home during the off season
  • When this role requires living at Camp, Tawonga will provide housing and meals (fully prepared meals during programs, and staple ingredients in between programs)

Work Environment

  • Noise level is moderate if working at camp property in Groveland, CA
  • Camp Tawonga is rustic and remote, surrounded by the Stanislaus National Forest

Special Requirements

  • Must be able to relocate to Groveland site May 1 – October 29
  • Willingness to work on evenings, weekends and holidays as needed

Normal Working Hours

  • When programs are not in session, hours are flexible while completing tasks associated with job description, and while meeting deadlines; normal office hours are 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. 
  • During the program season, the camp programmatic day runs from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m., and sometimes longer.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties and/or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Job duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice based on the needs of Camp Tawonga.

Status and Benefits

This is a temporary, exempt, non-benefited position.

Salary Range and Projected Pay

The salary range for the Culinary Program Supervisor position is $69,731.80 to $79,693.49 annually, based on full-time equivalent (FTE) employment.

This position, however, is structured to work part-time and full-time during certain times of the year:

  • 50% FTE during March, April and some of May (20 hrs per week),
  • 100% FTE during the Summer, late May through early August (40 hrs per week)
  • 80% FTE during the Fall Program Season, August through October (32 hrs per week) and
  • 50% FTE in November (20 hrs per week).

As a result, the total projected pay for this position over the duration of the assignment is estimated to range from $28,000 to $32,000, based on a total of 1,044 scheduled hours and the final agreed-upon salary within the stated range. This figure also includes deductions for room and board while living and working at camp during the Summer and Fall Program seasons.

To Apply

To ensure consideration, please submit a resume and cover letter explaining your qualifications for and interest in the position. Send applications to aviva@tawonga.org with Culinary Program Supervisor in the subject line. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, and Tawonga is seeking to hire for this position as soon as possible.

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