Job Description:

Position Title: 2026 Culinary Intern: Summer

Position Type: Part-Time

Classification: Non-Exempt

Department: Hospitality

Reports to: Associate Director of Culinary Operations

Position Summary:

The Culinary Intern position at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is designed to provide the intern with an understanding of all aspect’s culinary management. The intern will gain an understanding of how to manage a restaurant and assist in the creation of various protocols and procedures.

Note: Interns that do not submit a resume AND cover letter will not be considered for this opportunity. Please answer the following questions in your cover letter when submitting your application.

This internship involves learning everything from menu development to workflow analysis to sustainability. Which area are you most excited to explore, and why?

What experiences, whether professional, academic, or personal, have shaped your interest in culinary arts, food systems, or hospitality?

This internship includes working with a wide range of people, chefs, vendors, clients, and internal teams. How would you describe your communication and collaboration style in a busy, team-centered environment?

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Learn the layouts for Eleven restaurants, Tower Bar and all additional internal and external event spaces at Crystal Bridges and the Momentary
• Assist with building a menu and assessing cost
• Learn how to manage a budget
• Learn and analyze employee workflow and kitchen systems
• Learn and assist in the management of inventory
• Learn, analyze overproduction and food waste
• Provide options of sustainability initiatives Crystal Bridges can adopt
• Assist with creation and development of
• Participate in all meetings with clients, vendors and associates
• Interns will be assigned a project by the Executive Chef during their time at Crystal Bridges

Qualifications:

• Applicants must show basic knife control and/or have a willingness to learn
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills
• Ability to work in high energy environments
• Creative Mind preferred
• Ability and willingness to work a flexible schedule
• Weeknights and weekend availability
• A background check is required
• Must maintain confidentiality of all information
• Current enrollment in Brightwater culinary program highly preferred

Timeline:

Intern selected by: March 1st

Schedule:

• Start Date: June 1, 2026
• End Date: July 24, 2026
• Weekly schedule to be arranged with direct supervisor. Interns are permitted to work up to 40 hours a week.
• To qualify for bachelor’s or master’s hours, you must be enrolled in an accredited program or have graduated from an accredited program within the last three years. Students will be required to submit a current schedule or official transcript.

Compensation:

• High School Interns: $12.00
• Undergraduate Interns: $13.00

To qualify for bachelor’s compensation, you must be enrolled in an accredited program or have graduated from an accredited program within the last three years. Students will be required to submit a current schedule or official transcript.

Housing

Housing for internship positions is contingent upon available funding and is not guaranteed. If housing is included for a specific internship, it will be clearly stated in the position description. Any housing or relocation assistance provided is considered taxable income and will appear on the intern’s Form W-2.

When housing is available, priority is given to students whose permanent residence is located outside a three-hour radius (approximately 150 miles) of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art or the Momentary.

The applicant selected for this position will receive an $800 relocation allowance, issued 3–5 business days after completing the first week of the internship program. All relocation assistance and housing support are considered taxable income and will be reflected on the following year’s W-2.

Application Materials: Applicants that do not submit a resume AND cover letter will not be considered for this opportunity. Please answer the following questions in your cover letter when submitting your application.

This internship involves learning everything from menu development to workflow analysis to sustainability. Which area are you most excited to explore, and why?

What experiences, whether professional, academic, or personal, have shaped your interest in culinary arts, food systems, or hospitality?

This internship includes working with a wide range of people, chefs, vendors, clients, and internal teams. How would you describe your communication and collaboration style in a busy, team-centered environment?

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an intern to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Physical demands: In the work environment described below, position requires work at a desk, utilizing a computer and a telephone for prolonged periods of time, good eye/hand coordination, bending and stretching for filing, and physical stamina to lift a minimum of 25 pounds to a height of at least three feet for file and materials storage as appropriate for the demands of the office. Visual acuity to review written materials is required for this job.

• Work environment: Work will be performed in an office environment and museum spaces. The noise level in the museum work environment is usually low to moderate.

If the intern’s personal equipment is used, the museum accepts no liability for any damage caused to said equipment while being used for museum purposes, nor loss or corruption of electronic files on devices.

All offers of employment are contingent on your successful completion (where permitted by state law) of a confidentiality agreement and background check. In addition, you will need to provide proper identification verifying your eligibility to work in the United States.