Job Description

Hilton Des Moines Downtown is looking for their next Lead Cook!

Join our team at a hotel connected directly to the Des Moines Skywalk system and the Iowa Events Center, less than a mile from the Historic East Village and Simon Estes Riverfront Amphitheater, with a free shuttle covering the six-mile ride to the airport for easy commuting — all at a property featuring an indoor pool and al fresco courtyard with fireplace seating, right in the heart of downtown Des Moines.

***Our ideal candidate is a culinary school graduate with 3-4 years of high-volume scratch kitchen experience. They possess strong communication skills and are eager to learn and grow within the culinary field.

Shift Pattern: Mornings, 5am - 1:30pm. Open availability required. 7 days a week, including weekends and holidays

Exceptional Hospitality Starts with You

Picture yourself brightening someone’s day. When you join our Hotels team, that’s exactly what you’ll do every time you come to work! As a Lead Cook, you’re not just preparing great tasting food items – you’re spreading the light and warmth of hospitality by delivering memorable experiences that make the stay for every guest.

Here's what you'll do during a typical day:

• Prepare high-quality dishes: Prepare menu items according to designated recipes and quality standards
• Delight our guests: Manage guest orders efficiently while ensuring a positive dining experience
• Execute complex recipes: Maintain a strong knowledge of menu offerings, handle complex recipes, and oversee stations, execution, quality control and inventory checks
• Inspect and finalize plates: Inspect all preparations and dishes ahead of serving to ensure they meet quality and presentation standards
• Maintain a clean and organized workspace: Keep food service stations stocked and sanitary while following proper food handling, storage, and safety protocols
• Manage product and operational needs: Coordinate timing and plating, manage/direct cooks during shifts, assist with inventory checks, ordering, shift briefings and some special features
• Comply with regulatory standards: Maintain compliance with health, safety, sanitation, and alcohol awareness regulations, ensuring the highest standards of guest and team member well-being

What It Takes to Make the Stay

At Hilton, our core values define what it takes to succeed here and guide the qualities we look for in every team member:

A passion for spreading the light and warmth of Hospitality. Acting with Integrity and always doing the right thing. Inspiring others through Leadership. A belief that Teamwork drives the best outcomes. A sense of Ownership and accountability. And a focus on the Now, bringing urgency and discipline to every moment, knowing it can make a lasting impact.

Join an Award-Winning Workplace Culture

At Hilton, we don’t just deliver exceptional experiences for our guests—we build an exceptional workplace for the Team Members who make it all possible. As a global leader in hospitality, we’ve welcomed more than 3 billion guests worldwide, all while staying true to our founding vision: to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality.

Our award-winning culture has earned us repeated recognition on the World’s Best Workplaces list by Great Place to Work and Fortune. With our suite of world-class brands, and a company-wide commitment to providing the best stay for every guest, we’re setting new standards for the future of travel.

Whether you’re starting your career or exploring something new, Hilton supports your journey every step of the way. Come for the job, stay for the career—and help us make every stay a little more magical.

Curious about life at Hilton? Explore our Careers Blog to see why we’re more than a great place to stay—we’re a great place to work.