Position Summary: Prepares, cooks and delivers quality meals per facility-approved menu. Maintains kitchen work standards created and put into place by the Director of Food and Nutrition Services including the strict use of approved recipes. Delivers a quality and creative restaurant-style dining experience to all residents and guests.

Essential Functions

• Follows proper work standards for food handling, processing and preparation, cooking, thawing, cooling, reheating, and sanitation.
• Follows best practices for tracking temperatures of food during preparation and delivery, refrigeration and freezing.
• Performs shift cooking and serving duties while delegating work to kitchen assistant(s).
• Cooks main course dishes, e.g., meat, fish, poultry for current meal and future shift inventory.
• Prepares sauces and soups; sides dishes, pastries, appetizers, snacks, and desserts for current meal and inventory for next shift(s).
• Ensures that assistants are adequately and timely prepping and/or cooking food for current meal and inventory for next shift.
• Responsible for shift management of Food and Nutrition Services Assistant(s) and Maitre D’.
• Effectively delegates tasks to department staff.
• Ensures that foods are prepared per schedules, approved menus, and standardized recipes.
• Adheres to food storage and rotation program to prevent spoilage.
• Tracks current inventories of food and supplies and reports same to Director of Food and Nutrition Services to avoid any shortages or system failures.
• Advises Director of Food and Nutrition Services of any problems with utensils or cooking or storage equipment.
• At shift’s end, sees to the proper cleaning and sanitizing of all equipment, utensils, appliances, surfaces, containers, floors and disposal of trash.

Benefits Offered:

• A Complete Insurance Package
• 401K with Employer Match
• Paid Sick Leave
• Paid Vacation Time
• Quick Access to Unpaid Wages
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Competitive Wages

Qualifications

• Lead Cook experience in restaurant environment.
• Currently recognized as ServSafe Certified by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)- Conference for Food Protection (CFP).
• Must have food handler certification or ability to complete when hired.
• Excellent skills in all types of cooking including stove-top, baking, grilling, boiling, poaching and frying.
• Competency in cooking a multitude of dishes from main course to soups and sauces to desserts and side dishes, etc.
• Experienced in hands-on food preparation activities for current meal and building inventory for next shift(s).
• Proven track record of cooking multiple foods in a cooperative kitchen team environment.
• Ability to ensure on-demand meal delivery in a restaurant environment.
• Skilled at delegating preparation and stocking work among kitchen workers.
• Ability to observe work habits of shift staff and provide necessary correction and training regarding food processing and storage, personal safety, personal hygiene, and the sanitary handling of food, equipment and overall kitchen and dining premises.
• Must be known for displaying a commitment to excellence in food preparation and delivery.