Founding Chef & Culinary Lead – Steadfast HARVEST
Bethlehem,
CT,
United States
About Steadfast HARVEST
Steadfast HARVEST (Hands-on Resiliency Vehicle for Education, Sampling & Training) is our mobile food and education platform and a key part of Steadfast Farms’ next phase of growth.
It serves as:
- A farm-to-plate revenue channel
- A USDA-inspected mobile kitchen for Ready-to-Eat (RTE) and Ready-to-Cook (RTC) foods
- A product development platform for new prepared food offerings
- A public-facing ambassador for Steadfast Farms and regional food system leadership
This is not a typical food trailer. It is a living extension of our farm, processing facility, and mission.
Position Overview
The Founding Chef & Culinary Lead – Steadfast HARVEST is a hands-on, builder-level role responsible for launching and leading our USDA-inspected mobile food operation and prepared foods program.
This position combines culinary leadership, food safety and regulatory compliance, operational execution, and financial accountability. The Founding Chef will cook on and manage the trailer, contribute to menu and product development alongside ownership, and help establish the systems that will allow this program to scale sustainably.
This role is ideal for a chef-operator who thrives in regulated environments, understands food costs and margins, and is motivated by the opportunity to build something meaningful from the ground up.
Core Responsibilities
Culinary Leadership & Menu Development
- Lead all cooking and food preparation on the Steadfast HARVEST trailer
- Develop daily and event-based menus using Steadfast Farms products (poultry, eggs, value-added items)
- Contribute to menu writing and recipe development (final approval by ownership)
- Design offerings that balance culinary quality, throughput, food safety, and profitability
Collaborate with ownership on new product development for:
Hot-to-eat direct-to-consumer offerings
Ready-to-Cook (RTC) USDA-inspected products
Ready-to-Eat (RTE) USDA-inspected products
USDA Compliance & Food Safety
- Operate fully within USDA inspection requirements for mobile food operations
- Ensure compliance with HACCP plans, SSOPs, GMPs, and all required recordkeeping
- Maintain food safety, temperature control, sanitation, and traceability at all times
- Work directly with inspectors as required during production and events
- Support continuous improvement of food safety systems in collaboration with farm and facility leadership
Trailer Operations & Event Execution
- Manage day-to-day operations of the Steadfast HARVEST trailer at markets, events, and activations
- Oversee setup, breakdown, equipment readiness, and cleaning
- Plan prep schedules aligned with event calendars and product availability
- Coordinate logistics with farm, processing, and sales teams
- Serve as a professional, knowledgeable, and welcoming representative of Steadfast Farms
Financial Ownership & Performance
• Manage food trailer performance with attention to:
Food cost control
Labor efficiency
Waste reduction
Contribution margins
- Support pricing decisions that align with market realities and profitability goals
- Track sales performance by item and event
- Share performance insights and improvement opportunities with ownership
Training, Collaboration & Growth
Assist in training additional support staff as the program grows
Help establish SOPs for trailer operations and food preparation
Collaborate across departments, including farm operations, processing, and DTC sales
Participate in Steadfast Farms’ broader education, sampling, and outreach initiatives
Results & Performance Expectations
- Great team of smart people, in a friendly and open culture
- No dumb managers, no stupid tools to use, no rigid working hours
- No waste of time in enterprise processes, real responsibilities and autonomy
- Expand your knowledge of various business industries
- Create content that will help our users on a daily basis
- Real responsibilities and challenges in a fast evolving company
Qualifications & Experience
- 5+ years of professional cooking experience, including lead or head chef responsibilities
- Experience with RTE and/or RTC food production
- Strong understanding of food cost control, menu pricing, and basic P&L concepts
- Experience operating under USDA or similar regulatory oversight strongly preferred
- Comfort working in mobile kitchens, food trailers, or non-traditional environments
- Hands-on, adaptable, and solutions-oriented leadership style
- Strong communication and organizational skills
- Alignment with Steadfast Farms’ mission and values
Work Environment & Schedule
- Combination of farm-based prep, trailer-based cooking, and event work
- Outdoor and mobile environments; weather-dependent operations
- Irregular hours during peak market and event seasons
- Physically demanding work requiring standing, lifting, and active service
Compensation & Growth
This is a founding, build-phase role within a new business line.
Compensation is structured to reflect the launch stage of Steadfast HARVEST, with:
- A competitive founding-phase base salary based on experience
- Eligibility for performance-based incentives tied to trailer success
- A clearly defined path to increased compensation and expanded leadership as the program reaches operational and revenue milestones
Details of the compensation growth plan will be discussed transparently during interviews.
Why This Role Matters