Overview
Position: Head Cook
Location: Algonquin Wildlife Research Station, Algonquin Provincial Park
Contract: Late April–Mid October
Salary: $18.50 per hour, 40 hours per week (accommodation and meals provided)
Deadline for application: March 28th; applications will be considered as they are received
Always dreamed of waking up in a quaint cabin on a quiet lake to the majestic call of a loon, or going to bed to the sound of wolves howling in the distance? Here is your opportunity to do so. The historic Algonquin Wildlife Research Station (AWRS), located within Algonquin Provincial Park is looking to hire a Head Cook for the 2025 field season. The terms of employment will be approximately April 21st to October 10th, 2025. All meals and accommodation (semi-private lakeside cabin) will be provided. The AWRS is a charitable organization that supports wildlife research, student training in the environmental and natural sciences, and outdoor education.
Responsibilities of the Head Cook include, but are not limited to:
- Planning menus and preparing nutritionally balanced meals (including omnivore, vegetarian and allergy-restricted) for 15 – 40+ people.
- Placing wholesale orders and managing a budget.
- Advising Assistant Cook and volunteers on daily routines.
- Proper storage and rotation of food kept on-site.
- Cleaning, disinfecting, and maintaining Cookhouse facilities in accordance with Safe Food Handling protocols.
- Ensuring that food is properly stored.
- Working with the Manager and other staff to ensure efficient and safe operation of the Cookhouse.
- Assisting with opening/closing seasonal kitchen facilities.
The AWRS Cookhouse provides 3 meals per day, 7 days per week. Meals are prepared from scratch in a fully outfitted kitchen and served buffet-style in a communal dining area. Cook staff includes a Head Cook and an Assistant Cook, each of whom will work 5 days per week, 3 days together and 2 days independently. Therefore strong organizational skills and a strong work ethic are crucial attributes of the successful applicant. The applicant should also savor life in a beautifully secluded forest setting while being comfortable in a communal living environment. An interest in biological research and/or appreciation for the outdoors is also a benefit.
Preferred qualifications include:
- A current Safe Food Handling Certificate is required.
- Experience with food handling and preparation.
- Knowledge of cooking “from scratch” with bulk ingredients.
- Culinary experience and knowledge of products.
- Knowledge of food safety guidelines.
- Strong interpersonal skills.
- Experience in large quantity cooking is considered an asset.
- Current First Aid and CPR certificates are considered assets.
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to live and work at a well-known research station in a renowned provincial park. Spare time can be spent volunteering with researchers, paddling nearby lakes or hiking the multitude of park trails.
We pay our respects to the traditional stewards of the land on which the AWRS exists and of Algonquin Park in its whole. The Station and much of Algonquin Park are located within unceded Algonquin territory. Algonquin Park as a whole also contains territory of the Anishinaabeg, specifically the Chippewa, Ojibwa and Nippissing, and lands under the Robinson-Huron Treaty of 1850 and the Williams Treaties of 1923. This land has also been used by Metis and other Indigenous people as it includes major travel routes on its rivers and waterways. We are always open to learning and discussion.
Applicants should be eligible for Canada Summer Jobs funding (between 15-30 years of age at the beginning of the term and a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person who has been granted refugee status in Canada).
Applicants must send an email with a cover letter outlining qualifications, a resume, and contact information for two references to:
AWRS Station Manager
algonquinwildliferesearch@gmail.com
We thank all applicants for their interest but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
