Job Description

JOB TITLE:

Senior Cook

GRADE/FLSA STATUS:

H12-Non-Exempt

BADGE TYPE/COLOR:

Key-Blue

DIVISION:

Food & Beverage

DEPARTMENTS:

Employee Cafeteria, Room Service, Room Service Cherokee Tower, Banquet, Selu Garden Café, The Smokehouse Coop, Gordon Ramsay, Noodle Bar, Lobby Café, Guy Fieri, Pool Bar, Food Market, Brew Brothers, Amici Italia, Truffles Pub

REPORTS TO:

Sous Chef

WE ARE CAESARS

At Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos, our Mission, Vision & Values reflect our unique purpose, providing people with possibilities and places to have fun. Our Mission, Vision & Values represent a unifying and inspiring way forward, and all Team Members are expected to uphold them.

• Our Mission: “Create the Extraordinary.”
• Our Vision: “We create spectacular worlds that immerse, inspire, and connect you. We don’t perform magic; we create it with excellence.”
• Our Values: “Blaze the Trail, Together We Win, All-In on Service.”

Our corporate social responsibility framework, People Planet Play, represents our continuous dedication to enhancing economic development, uplifting the well-being of our Team Members and their families, and making positive contributions to the communities in which we operate.

JOB SUMMARY

The Senior Cook is a skilled culinary professional responsible for preparing high‑quality food in accordance with established recipes, standards, and production requirements. This role serves as a lead cook in the assigned kitchen, capable of working any station and directing daily food production both on the line and in the back kitchen. In the absence of a chef or Sous Chef, the Senior Cook provides functional leadership by guiding cooks, maintaining proper production levels, ensuring food quality and presentation, and supporting safe, sanitary, and efficient kitchen operations. The position upholds all regulatory, departmental, and company standards while fostering teamwork, maintaining food and labor controls, and delivering exceptional service to guests and associates.

HOW YOU WILL CREATE THE EXTRAORDINARY

Living Our Values

• Demonstrate the organization’s mission, values, ethics, and service culture through daily work and interactions.
• Support departmental initiatives by following established plans, procedures, and improvement efforts.
• Identify basic process issues or service gaps and share observations with leadership to support continuous improvement.

Operational Support

• Carry out daily operational tasks accurately and efficiently to support smooth departmental functioning.
• Assist with scheduling, task coordination, and workflow organization as directed by supervisory staff.
• Maintain compliance with policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements, reporting concerns promptly.

Quality & Performance

• Monitor and manage routine resource use, supplies, and documentation to support cost‑effective operations.
• Track and report basic performance data, trends, or issues to supervisors for review.
• Assist in implementing process updates or operational changes that improve efficiency and service quality.

Guest Experience & Brand Excellence

• Provide friendly, professional, and responsive service that reflects the organization’s brand and service standards.
• Support issue resolution by gathering information, assisting guests or internal partners, and escalating concerns appropriately.
• Observe service conditions and share feedback that may help improve the overall guest or stakeholder experience.

Teamwork & Growth

• Support Team Members by providing clear communication, cooperation, and a positive, respectful work environment.
• Assist with training activities, onboarding tasks, or skill‑building efforts as directed by supervisors.
• Demonstrate reliability, accountability, and professionalism that contribute to a strong team culture.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

• Must be 21 years of age or older.
• High School diploma or GED required.
• Completion of Level I and II Cook or 2 years of cooking in a high-volume, quality establishment with culinary experience in a comparable kitchen is required.
• One year of Culinary Arts education, trade certifications, or training is preferred.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Strong guest service, communication, decision‑making, and teamwork skills; able to multitask, prioritize, and work closely with others while remaining adaptable, eager to learn, and receptive to direction.
• Professional appearance with high personal hygiene standards; proficient with Microsoft applications, including Excel; extremely detail‑oriented with a strong work ethic and desire for continued growth.
• Able to remain mobile throughout the casino, stand for extended periods, perform frequent physical movements, lift up to 50 pounds and push and pull up to 300 pounds in a cart, tolerate extreme heat or cold temperatures, have the dexterity to use knives and other hand-held instruments, as well as food preparation equipment, and respond to visual and auditory cues.
• Effective in fast‑paced, high‑pressure environments; able to communicate clearly in English and follow instructions accurately.
• Comfortable working amid varying noise, temperature, lighting, crowds, and air quality (including secondhand smoke), with flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holidays.

TOGETHER WE WIN

We believe in delivering family-style service—an approach that fosters warmth, connection, and a genuine sense of belonging. Our team treats every guest and colleague with the same care and hospitality we would extend to family, creating a welcoming environment built on respect, teamwork, and personalized attention. Whether assisting guests or collaborating with coworkers, we prioritize service that is thoughtful, supportive, and rooted in genuine relationships.

DISCLAIMER

This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the current job or to require that other or different tasks be performed when circumstances change, (e.g. emergencies, changes in personnel, workload, rush jobs or technical developments).

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos is an enterprise of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

5.20.26