Food Service Lead

Salary: $25.53 - $28.20 Hourly
Location : Kenai, AK
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: 55313
Department: Corrections
Division: Institutions
Opening Date: 09/22/2026
Closing Date: 10/6/2026 5:00 PM Alaska
Division: Institutions
Position Open To: Alaska Residents Only
Bargaining Unit: Labor, Trades and Craft
Range: 56


Job Description
The Department of Corrections, Division of Institutions, is recruiting for a Food Service Lead positions at the Wildwood Correctional Center (WCC) located in Kenai, Alaska.

Watch Alaska DOC's video here:

What You Will Be Doing:

• Lead prisoner kitchen teams in preparing and producing meals for approximately 500 individuals per meal at Wildwood Correctional Complex (WCC), including both the main and satellite kitchens.
• Maintain security and control of prisoners while ensuring all safety protocols and institutional policies are followed
• Ensure all special diets are accurately prepared for each meal, including vegetarian, diabetic, allergy-sensitive, religious, and medically prescribed diets.
• Oversee the production and preparation of all bakery items served at WCC.
• Verify that food items pulled match planned menu and supervise the reparation and serving process.

Our Mission, Values, and Culture:

The mission of Wildwood Correctional Center is to provide a secure environment for staff and offenders that promotes public safety and provides an opportunity for staff development, and reformative offender programming to ensure safety and efficient resources management. At Wildwood we strive to provide a positive environment for all staff and offenders leading to a cohesive and productive place to work.
Benefits of Joining Our Team:

• An opportunity to make a difference in people's lives
• Career development and training
• Excellent benefits
• Being part of a team consisting of a rewarding group of professionals

The Working Environment You Can Expect:

Wildwood Correctional Center is a state adult correctional institution housing inmate of all custody levels. This position works in the kitchens and will interact with inmates daily.
Who We Are Looking For:

We are interested in candidates who possess some or all of the following position specific competencies:

• Accountability: Holds self and others accountable for measurable high-quality, timely, and cost-effective results. Determines objectives, sets priorities, and delegates work. Accepts responsibility for own actions and decisions. Complies with established control systems and rules.
• Food Service: Knowledge of preparing and serving food for consumption.
• Adaptability: Adjusts planned work by gathering relevant information and applying critical thinking to address multiple demands and competing priorities in a changing environment.

Minimum Qualifications
Any combination of training and/or progressively responsible experience that provides the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform journey-level work in planning, preparing, and serving food and drink as well as directing and reviewing the tasks assigned to lower-level food service staff.
Essential Core Competencies:

Knowledge of food terminology, measuring devices, kitchen equipment, and serving information;? and personal hygiene, general sanitation, and safe work standards to safely use and clean kitchen, food service equipment, and dining area.?
Applicable skill in weighing, measuring, and assembling ingredients to prepare beverages and foods for cooking or serving;? and serving beverages and foods in the proper portions, manner and sequence, and with proper table setting techniques.
The ability to communicate effectively with staff and customers, which may include the requirement to read, speak, write, and understand English;? keep records and complete forms following procedures;? recognize produce and food products which do or do not meet quality standards;? meet quality/quantity control, safety, and sanitation standards;? perform tasks in logical sequence;? select guidelines, standards, or procedures appropriate to the task;? do simple arithmetic calculations and record appropriately;? assist in preparing foodstuffs which meet the standards of taste, temperature, appearance, texture, and diet requirements, if applicable to the work assignment;? demonstrate a customer service orientation, and display sensitivity and interest in customer concerns, needs, and limitations;? and adapt to changing conditions, schedules, or meal requirements on short notice.
Position-Specific Competencies:

The lead worker will be required to assign, monitor, train, and evaluate daily tasks;?make decisions and set and balance priorities; coordinate tasks of others and work efficiently;?ensure adherence to work schedules, quality standards, safety and security rules;?give clear instructions;?recommend appropriate solutions to difficult situations;?and motivate others.?
Additionally:

Applicable skill in preparing and modifying menus and recipes according to volume and dietary needs, or special requirements of emergency crews; and researching recipes and preparing complex foods and yeast pastries such baking and decorating layer cakes and preparing ethnic specialties for special occasions.?
Ability to assign, monitor, train, and/or evaluate daily tasks of kitchen help which may include institutional residents and inmates or emergency fire fighter crew.?
Other Information

Special Note:

Vacancies in this job class are filled through Union referral prior to posting on Workplace Alaska, except for promotions, demotions, transfers, and emergency appointments.
Some positions may be required to obtain or possess a Driver License, a background investigation and employment check, or other.
"Essential Core Competencies" are a common or typical set of knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors that reflect successful performance of all levels of the career area. These are included in the position description and performance evaluation review process.
"Position-Specific Competencies" are a common or typical set of knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors that reflect successful performance of the skill level and primary duties of the specific job.
"Training" and "education" in this guidance are synonyms for the process of acquiring knowledge and skills through instruction. It includes instruction through formal and informal methods (such as classroom, on-line, self-study, on-the-job, and military training), from accredited and unaccredited sources, and long-duration (such as a post-secondary degree, apprenticeships, and trade or vocational schools) and short-duration (such as a seminar, professional development, and mircocredentials, i.e., computer science, human resources, project management) programs.
"Progressively responsible" means indicating growth and/or advancement in complexity, difficulty, or level of responsibility.
Additional Required Information
RECRUITMENT DIFFICULTIES

Starting salary may be approved up to Step D - $28.20, if criteria are met.
LEGAL EMPLOYMENT

The State's online recruitment system, Workplace Alaska, requires applicants to certify that they have a legal right to accept employment in the United States. It is the responsibility of the employee to maintain the appropriate documentation to accept or continue legal employment. The State of Alaska does not function in the role as an employer sponsor.
EDUCATION

If post-secondary education is required to meet the minimum qualifications, you must fill in the Education section of the application. If you have not obtained a degree, please indicate the number of units completed. Copies of transcripts are required to verify educational credentials if used to meet the minimum qualifications for a position. Transcripts can be attached at the time of application or provided at the time of interview.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOREIGN EDUCATION

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the minimum qualifications listed above. If utilizing this education, you must show that the education credentials have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and that such education has been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs; or an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution reports the other institution as one whose transcript is given full value, or full value is given in subject areas applicable to the curricula at the post-secondary institution. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.
WORK EXPERIENCE

If using work experience not already documented in your application, also provide the employer name, your job title, dates of employment, and whether full-or part-time. Applications will be reviewed to determine if the responses are supported and minimum qualifications are clearly met. If they are not, the applicant may not advance to the interview and selection phase of the recruitment.
PREA NOTIFICATION

The Department of Corrections follows and maintains federal and state requirements standards including, but not limited to, Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) standards which apply to all public and private institutions that house adult or juvenile offenders. PREA standards preclude the department from hiring or promoting anyone who has engaged in, or been convicted of any conduct which would violate PREA standards related to sexual assault including:

• Sexual abuse in a prison, jail, lockup, community confinement facility, juvenile facility, or other institution;
• Convicted of engaging or attempting to engage in sexual activity in the community facilitated by force, overt or implied threats of force, or coercion, or if the victim did not consent or was unable to consent or refuse; or,
• Has been civilly or administratively adjudicated to have engaged in the activity described above.

CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECKS/APSIN/ACOMS

Please be aware - this position requires the use of the Alaska Public Safety Information Network (APSIN). A security clearance issued by the Department of Public Safety (DPS) is necessary to use APSIN. DPS will deny security clearance for any applicant who has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor in this state or another jurisdiction, or who may be a fugitive from justice. Additionally, security clearance will be withdrawn if DPS discovers that material information was falsified or omitted at the time of the initial application for security clearance.
FINGERPRINT NOTICE

All Department of Corrections employees are required to be fingerprinted. The successful candidate must pass a criminal history check.
MULTIPLE VACANCIES

This recruitment may be used for more than one (1) vacancy. The applicant pool acquired during this recruitment may be used for future vacancies for up to ninety (90) days after this recruitment closes. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply to each recruitment notice to ensure consideration for all vacancies.
EEO STATEMENT

The State of Alaska complies with Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Individuals with disabilities, who require accommodation, auxiliary aides or services, or alternative communication formats, please call View phone number on click.appcast.io or 465-4095 in Juneau or View phone number on click.appcast.io (TTY) or correspond with the Division of Personnel & Labor Relations at: P.O. Box 110201, Juneau, AK 99811-0201. The State of Alaska is an equal-opportunity employer.
WORKPLACE ALASKA APPLICATION QUESTIONS & ASSISTANCE

Questions regarding application submission or system operation errors should be directed to the Workplace Alaska hotline at View phone number on click.appcast.io (toll-free) or View phone number on click.appcast.io if you are in the Juneau area. Requests for information may also be emailed to
For applicant password assistance, please visit:

Contact Information

Kelly Hanke, Jonathan Barcus
Administrative Officer 2, Superintendent 1
View phone number on click.appcast.io
View email address on click.appcast.io
Careers with the State of Alaska offer MANY benefits

The following information describes typical benefits available to employees of the State of Alaska. Actual benefits received may differ by bargaining unit or branch of government, position type, or be prorated for other than full time work.

For a quick breakdown of the insurance, health, and retirement benefits available for State Employees you can view an (Please note this video is specifically designed for new State Employees.)

Insurance Benefits

• Health insurance, which includes employer contributions toward medical/vision/dental
  • The following employee groups are under AlaskaCare Benefits administered by the State: See for additional information.
    • AVTEC
    • Confidential
    • Correctional Officers
    • Marine Engineers
    • Mt. Edgecumbe Teachers
    • Supervisory
    • Unlicensed Vessel Personnel/Inland Boatman's Union
    • Exempt employees (not covered by collective bargaining)
  • The following employee groups are covered by Union health trusts. Contact the appropriate Union for additional information.
    • General Government
    • Labor, Trades and Crafts
    • Public Safety Employees Association
    • Masters, Mates & Pilots
• Employer paid Basic Life insurance with additional coverage available (amount depends on Bargaining Unit)

Optional Insurance Benefits

• Group-based insurance premiums for
  • Term life (employee, spouse or qualified same sex partner, and dependents)
  • Long-term and short-term disability
  • Accidental Death and Dismemberment
  • Long-term care (self and eligible family members)
  • Supplemental Survivor Benefits
• Employee-funded flexible spending accounts for tax savings on eligible health care or dependent care expenses

Retirement Benefits

• Membership in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)/Teachers' Retirement System (TRS)
• Matching employer contribution into a defined contribution program (new employees)
• Employer contribution into a defined benefit or defined contribution program (current employees)
• Contributions to the Alaska Supplemental Annuity Plan in lieu of contributions to Social Security
• Option to enroll in the Alaska Deferred Compensation Program
• Note: The Defined Contribution Plan, Supplemental Annuity Plan and Deferred Compensation Program offer a variety of investment options

See for additional information


Paid Leave & Other Benefits

• Personal leave with an accrual rate increase based on time served
• Twelve (12) paid holidays a year

01


Do you have any periods of employment in a 24-hour institutional setting where you were responsible for the care and custody of others that are not already included in your job application (such as correctional facilities, juvenile facilities, or residential treatment centers)? If so, provide the name of each institution, your job title(s), and dates of employment in the space below.
02


Have you ever initiated or engaged in a sexual assault and/or sexual abuse in prison, jail, lockup, community confinement facility, juvenile facility or other institutions?

• Yes
• No

03


Have you ever been the subject of an investigation for engaging, or attempting to engage in sexual activity in the community facilitated by force, overt or implied threats of force, or coercion, or if the victim did not consent or was unable to consent or refuse?

• Yes
• No

04


Have you ever been civilly or administratively adjudicated to have engaged in the activity described in the prior questions above related to sexual abuse or sexual activity?

• Yes
• No

05


Have you ever been disciplined, terminated, or resigned in lieu of an employment action surrounding allegations of sexual harassment, sexual abuse, or assault?

• Yes
• No

06


If you responded "Yes" to the any of the four preceding questions, please describe each incident, including dates and locations, in the text box below.
07


Are you able to make decisions and set and balance priorities?

• Yes
• No

08


Have you supervised other staff in a large kitchen setting?

• Yes
• No

09


Can you prepare several items from a menu simultaneously, which may include both hot and cold items?

• Yes
• No

10


Do you understand the importance of proper food handling, storage, and rotation techniques to avoid cross contamination?

• Yes
• No

11


Do you understand how to calculate quantities of ingredients that would be required to be pulled for preparation of a future meal?

• Yes
• No

Required Question