Assistant Professor of Practice Chef/Restaurant Operations - Flagstaff, United States - Northern Arizona University

Description

Job Title
Assistant Professor of Practice Chef/Restaurant Operations
Job ID
607614
Location
School of Hotel Restaurant Mgt
Full/Part Time
Full-Time

Regular/Temporary
Regular
Workplace Culture

NAU aims to be the nation's preeminent engine of opportunity, vehicle of economic mobility, and driver of social impact by delivering equitable postsecondary value in Arizona and beyond.

NAU Elevating Excellence Academic Excellence | Student Success | Commitment to Indigenous People | Impactful Scholarship | Mission-driven Faculty and Staff | Community Engagement | Sustainable Stewardship of Resources

About NAU

Northern Arizona University serves almost 30,000 students. We are a vibrant community, with 21,000 students in Flagstaff—the home of our largest campus—and the remainder online or at our 20+ statewide locations. Our institution has carefully integrated on-campus education with distance learning, forming seamless avenues for students to earn degrees.

Committed to an inclusive university environment, NAU has all the benefits of a large institution with a personal touch. We carefully balance teaching, scholarship, and service for faculty members. Supporting our core value of student-centrism, NAU's faculty members promote learning and help students reach academic milestones.

Flagstaff is an outdoorsy mountain town with four seasons and a thriving cultural scene. Located at 7,000 feet, Flagstaff houses 70,000 people and sits at the base of the sacred San Francisco Peaks.

For more about inclusive excellence at NAU, visit the Center for Inclusive Excellence and Access.

About the Department/College

Northern Arizona University's (NAU) ACPHA accredited and ranked School of Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM) is situated within the AACSB accredited W.A. Franke College of Business (FCB). Launched in 1986, the HRM program was intentionally designed to provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities for emerging hospitality professionals to be an engine of economic opportunity for the growing hospitality industry in Arizona and the surrounding areas. That work continues today. With over 5,000 graduates, HRM is committed to the success of our students, alumni, team, program, and hospitality industry community. We do this by providing continuously adapting curriculum, by investing in vibrant and experienced team members, by designing spaces where students can learn experientially, and by committing to the success of our alumni and hospitality community. Our diverse, 35+ member team supports the work of serving 400 current students of hosting two major fundraising events (Casino Night and Golf Tournament) and two major Career Fairs (40+ employers), as well as of providing ongoing support for alumni. Our multi-million-dollar culinary lab is designed with modern equipment to prepare students to meet tomorrow's challenges. Lastly, our study abroad programs offer opportunities for travel and learning around the world. We are passionate about our program, and we are excited to welcome the right person to help us continue our growth and impact.

About the Position

The HRM Chef is a crucial position for the program and serves as the lead expert in culinary and restaurant operations. For many properties, the kitchen is the heart of the house and HRM is seeking someone who can lead with heart our culinary and restaurant curriculum, courses, and events.

The Assistant Professor of Practice will work collaboratively with the HRM team to curate successful culinary and restaurant experiences that reflect excellence in the hospitality industry. This will be accomplished through innovative and impactful teaching approaches, through real-world and hands-on opportunities, blurring the lines of the classroom by inviting the community into the classroom, and by sending students out into the community to practice culinary skills. This position will also, teach courses that are dynamic, current, engaging, and intentionally designed to foster a sense of curiosity, purpose, and value.

Responsibilities Include:

This position will teach up to twelve credit hours of courses in each of the fall and spring semesters. Opportunities are possible to teach both in winter and summer semesters for additional income. In general, this position will be teaching culinary, food and beverage, and restaurant operations courses including labs.
This position will lead the HRM culinary and restaurant operations curriculum by working closely with industry and advisory board members by inviting hospitality professionals as guest speakers in classes, and engaging in local, regional, and national community outreach.
The position will be able to teach a variety of HRM courses related to food and beverage topics, as well as one of the following FCB vertical areas: Restaurant Design, Gastronomy, Culture and Cuisine, or Restaurant Operations.
This position will oversee and grow the culinary lab space and assist with the safety and sanitation of the beverage lab and HRM café spaces in accordance with Coconino County health and safety standards.
Other duties as assigned by the HRM Executive Director.
*** This is a 9 month non-tenure track position***

***This position is an on-site position which requires the incumbent to complete their work primarily at an NAU site, campus, or facility with or without accommodation. Opportunities for remote work are rare.***

Minimum Qualifications

Earned bachelor's degree in culinary, hospitality, or related field from an accredited institution.
Earned culinary arts degree from an accredited institution.
ServSafe Food Manager certification.
Minimum 5 years' experience as Executive Chef.
Demonstrate commitment to student success through effectiveness in teaching and other student-related responsibilities or show promise of such effectiveness if the candidate has no prior teaching experience.

Preferred Qualifications

Three or more years as culinary educator in accredited culinary or hospitality program.
ServSafe instructor and proctor certifications.
Demonstrated ability to lead profitable culinary operations as owner or Executive Chef.
Certified Executive Chef from the American Culinary Institute.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

Knowledge

Proficiency in culinary techniques and cuisines.
Mastery of food preparation, cooking, and presentation.
Expertise in culinary trends, ingredients, and equipment.
Knowledge of food safety and sanitation procedures.
Fair and consistent grading and evaluation of assignments and hands-on work.
Use of assessment data to improve teaching and curriculum.
Knowledge of kitchen and restaurant management and organization.
Engagement with industry professionals and associations.
Awareness of current culinary and restaurant job market trends.
Connection with local restaurants, catering companies, and other culinary establishments for student internships and program partnerships.
Respect for and understanding of diverse cultural cuisines and traditions.
Familiarity with culinary software and tools for recipe management, nutritional analysis, and kitchen/restaurant operations.
Use of multimedia and online resources in teaching.
Training students in safe kitchen/restaurant operations.
Skills

Effective communication skills to clearly convey culinary concepts.
Skill in providing constructive feedback to students.
Interpersonal skills for working with students, colleagues, and industry professionals.
Experience with menu planning and food preparation schedules.
Leadership skills to oversee teaching assistants and students.
A commitment to staying current with culinary and restaurant innovations and research.
Collaborate with Executive Director on University, local, and statewide events.
Commitment to upholding exacting standards of food safety and kitchen sanitation.
Proactive approach to continuous learning and professional development.
Strong commitment to ethical standards and responsible practices within the hospitality industry.
Abilities

Ability to create and adapt recipes.
Ability to plan and deliver engaging demonstrations and lectures.
Adaptability in teaching methods to accommodate various learning styles.
Capability to design culinary and restaurant operations curriculum, courses, and lesson plans.
Ability to align program learning outcomes with course materials.
Maintain currency of information through updated course materials.
Attendance at culinary/restaurant workshops, seminars, and conferences in collaboration with the Executive Director.
Ability to develop assessment methods to measure students' progress and skill development.
Ability to manage inventory, order supplies, and control costs.
Capacity to conduct culinary/restaurant research and contribute to the hospitality knowledge base.
Ability to teach and celebrate the multicultural aspects of culinary arts.
Attendance at school, college, and university meetings and trainings.

Compensation & Benefits

Commensurate with candidate's qualifications and related experience.