Careers
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La Cocina graduates and program participants

At La Cocina, our mission is rooted in a commitment to combat the racial and gender wealth gap by resourcing and uplifting aspiring food entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds.

We believe food entrepreneurship is a catalyst and force for women, immigrants and people of color to build assets for themselves and their families, shape local economies, transform inequitable industry practices, and create communities that are joyful, connected, and nourished.

Led by our values, we strive to do our work with hospitality, for our community, and in the service of opportunity and inclusivity.

Open Positions

Director of Development

Communications Manager

Catering and Event Sales Coordinator

Food & Beverage Retail Sales Coordinator

Our Hiring Process

We review applications on a rolling basis and aim to follow up within two weeks with candidates moving forward in the recruitment process. While we may not always be able to respond individually to every applicant, we appreciate your interest in our work.

We strive to create an inclusive and thoughtful hiring process – one that gives us a chance to get to know you and gives you a chance to learn more about us. The full process may take approximately 6–8 weeks from application submission to final decision, though timelines can vary depending on the role and the number of applications received.

Our typical hiring process may include some or all of the following steps:

Initial application screening by our Director of People & Culture
Phone or video interview with the hiring manager
Panel interview with 3–5 staff members
Role-specific exercises or requests (e.g., writing samples for communications roles)
Conversations with external collaborators or consultants, if relevant
Reference checks
Final 1-on-1 conversations with the selected candidate to confirm alignment before an offer is extended

We’re grateful for the time and care candidates invest in this process.

Our Values

Hospitality

We are passionate, genuine, and we take care of ourselves and the people around us, allowing us to provide warm, accepting, and welcoming spaces for family, guests, and visitors.

Inclusivity

We start with accepting ourselves and being firm in our power; modeling and amplifying the fact that we all belong and deserve to be represented and celebrated.

Community

We intentionally build towards collective power by valuing everyone in ways that honor reciprocity, trust and transparency with a goal of shared joy and a deep sense of abundance.

Opportunity

We expand access and build skills to formalize businesses in ways that center the many strengths of our community so we can all thrive, contribute to each other's success, and shape the food landscape.

What It's Like Working at La Cocina

Benefits and Perks

We provide a highly competitive and inclusive benefits package that supports overall employee health and attracts the best talent from diverse backgrounds.

$0-deductible Kaiser medical plan; dental with orthodontia, vision, and life insurance coverage
Coverage effective 1st of the month following date of hire
100% of employee premiums and 50% of dependent premiums paid by La Cocina
401(k) retirement savings plan with a 4% employer match
Unlimited paid time off with manager approval
All federal holidays observed; summer closure the week of July 4
Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave, medical leave, and mental health leave
Hybrid remote / in-person work policy (at least 3 days in person each week); up to 4 consecutive weeks of fully remote work a year
Pre-tax commuter benefits
Monthly mobile phone and Internet stipend
Professional development funds, which staff have used to get language lessons, travel to conferences or receive mentoring and training within their expertise.

Our Work Culture

La Cocina is an in-person organization, and currently requires its employees to come to one of our two incubator kitchen locations (Mission District and Tenderloin) for at least three days a week. Being an in-person-focused organization enables us to leverage the energy and collaboration made possible from us being in the same place. We have a no-meeting policy every Thursday.

We enjoy coming together for a staff breakfast catered by a La Cocina entrepreneur every first Wednesday of the month. Our drop-in market events enable staff to meet prospective applicants, sample food, and provide feedback. And twice yearly, we host a community gathering with La Cocina entrepreneurs and their families, staff, and board members. Throughout the year, there are many opportunities to support events hosted by La Cocina or entrepreneurs – from pop-up dinners to restaurant launches.

Since our core work is mentorship, everyone's job description considers the best way the person in that role can dedicate time to directly working with and supporting entrepreneurs.

Employee Testimonials

“La Cocina is an organization that takes building community seriously. At organizations I've worked at before it's often been hard to find connection amongst coworkers particularly in a post-Covid world. But at La Cocina, I can confidently say I know everyone and I've shared a meal with them. My colleagues are warm with a breadth of experience in various fields. They are passionate about the community we serve. And we all have a deep love for food.”

Karen Garcia, Incubator Program Coordinator

I love working for La Cocina. There is such a strong sense of community between the staff and our talented clients. Being a part of the entrepreneurs' success is an incredible feeling. I have never experienced the level of satisfaction at a job that I do at La Cocina.

Walter Miros, Culinary Program & Facilities Manager

“Each day at La Cocina is an opportunity to tackle some of the most important challenges in our world today. My colleagues are incredibly talented, determined, patient, and adaptable. We’re not strangers to uncertainty and getting messy because we each have an entrepreneurial mindset and have experienced firsthand our collective power to creatively figure it out and forge ahead.”

Michelle Magat, Director of Communications + Innovation

Creating and maintaining a good work culture is a real task; it will not just happen successfully on its own. The professional growth and happiness of employees matters to the leadership team. We create multiple outlets for receiving regular and open feedback about our organization, so individuals feel heard and empowered. We continue to find ways to let them know their value and the impact of their work — from regular check-ins with HR to providing opportunities for professional development.”

Sarah Lau, Director of People + Culture

My favorite part of La Cocina is working side by side with such a talented community of entrepreneurs from all over the world. Every day, I learn about them through their food, their stories, and the shared laughs in the kitchen or hustling together at events. It’s a work environment like no other and one that bring me so much joy.

Arielle Helffrich, Catering Sales and Event Coordinator

“Food people are the best people, and we are all drawn to this organization because of our deep commitment to making the world around us more delicious and more just. The connections that I have forged with entrepreneurs, staff, and their families have woven a richly textured web of support around me as a Bay Area transplant. I love working around people whose languages, spices, and traditions have pushed me to understand perspectives and experiences very different from my own.”

Leticia Landa, Executive Director

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We know it’s important that our staff have deep connections and experience with the diversity of people, organizations, and movements our work supports. As such, we seek creative problem solvers from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds who roll up their sleeves, put their heart into what they do, and can enrich our ability to deliver human-centered solutions for the communities we serve.

Equal Opportunity Employer

La Cocina is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace that reflects the communities we serve. We believe that diversity enriches our organization and enhances the quality of our work. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status.