Head Cook

Head Cook

Under the supervision of the Food Services Director, this position assists in preparing nutritious and attractive meals for students and staff while maintaining a clean kitchen and cafeteria and observing all Health Department regulations to create a safe and healthy work environment. The Head Cook directs the kitchen staff and is the liaison to the Food Services Director.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Employees in this position perform some or all of the following tasks. Other related duties as assigned.

1. Demonstrate regular and acceptable attendance and punctuality, as set forth in Board policy.
2. Be familiar with and adhere to all relevant Board policies, administrative regulations, and building rules.
3. Interact thoughtfully and courteously with students, staff, parents, and community members and resolve conflict in a professional manner.
4. Work independently and cooperatively in teams with other staff members and students.
5. Prepare some menu items.
6. Assist in setup and serving of meals.
7. Assist in cleaning and storing equipment and materials.
8. Perform cleaning and/or washing of dishes, pans, equipment, and other related materials.
9. Attend staff meetings, as required.
10. Attend in-service and workshop trainings; applying training to responsibilities.
11. Maintains appropriate certifications and training hours, as required.
12. Serves student meals according to directions given as to prescribed portions.
13. Prepares food for the following day, as necessary.
14. Assists in the maintenance of quality and portion control of all food served.
15. Ensures a safe and clean work area.
16. Shuts off, breaks down, and sanitizes designated areas and items.
17. Knows and follows all safety and sanitary rules and regulations related to food handling.
18. Sets up, cleans, and stores equipment used to serve food.
19. Operates kitchen equipment including dishwasher, slicer, mixer, etc. while maintaining sanitary specifications.
20. Report safety, sanitary, and fire hazards immediately to the Food Services Director or Head Custodian.
21. Maintains a high standard of personal cleanliness and proper grooming as per sanitation code.
22. Complies with applicable District, state, local, and federal laws, rules, and regulations.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

1. Assist in ordering the menu and other related items.
2. Assist in maintaining reports and records.
3. Operate equipment, as appropriate.
4. Follow the District daily menu plan, order and prepare food and serve to students and adults.
5. Keep all documents (labels, reports, records) as directed by the Food Services Director.
6. Help arrange schedules and work routines of kitchen staff members.
7. Supervising cleaning of dishes and equipment.
8. Arrange for proper food storage and assist in receiving supply deliveries.
9. Checks food temperatures to ensure proper standards are being maintained before serving.
10. Checks freezers, refrigerators, and dishwashers ensuring prospering operating temperature is maintained and sanitation standards upheld.
11. Train new kitchen staff members.
12. Responsible for end of day reconciliation and depositing money.

SUPERVISION

All school employees have some responsibility for supervising students and assisting in maintaining a safe environment.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Education and/or Experience: High school diploma or General Education Diploma (GED) and at least three months related experience and/or training or equivalent combination of education and experience. Prior experience working in a food services position strongly preferred.
• Interpersonal Skills: Works well with others from diverse backgrounds. Ability to successfully and appropriately work with students, staff, parents, and community members.
• Language Skills: Ability to communicate fluently, verbally, and in writing in English. Ability to read, comprehend, and interpret simple instructions, safety rules, and operating instructions. Ability to verbally respond to common inquiries from students and staff.
• Mathematical Skills: Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, decimals, and volume. Ability to perform basic math skills involving monetary units.
• Reasoning Ability: Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, schedule, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.
• Computer Skills: General knowledge of computer usage and ability to use, e-mail, internet software, and word processing software.
• Other Skills and Abilities: Ability to appropriately communicate with students, teachers, parents, and members of the community. Ability to exercise good judgment and work in a dynamic environment.
• Certificates, Licenses, Registrations: Certificates as determined by the District. Ability to obtain a valid CPR/First Aid card and Oregon Food Handler card prior to work. Bloodborne pathogen training, and blood spill training to be provided at the start of each school year.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

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

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear and occasionally taste or smell. The employee is frequently required, to walk, stand, sit, use hands for fine manipulation, handle or feel and reach with hands and arms, occasionally above the shoulders. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, crouch, bend, and twist. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 40 pounds and occasionally up to 50 pounds. The employee may also climb ladders. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, ability to adjust focus and peripheral vision.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment is in a standard kitchen/cafeteria setting. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to high depending upon the time of day and student population. The employee may be exposed to a variety of conditions including: wet or humid, work near moving parts, toxic chemicals or fumes (cleaning supplies), airborne chemicals, extreme cold and extreme heat (freezers, ovens, dishwasher). The employee may be exposed to bloodborne pathogens.

OTHER

Note: This is not necessarily an exhaustive or all-inclusive list of responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, functions, or working conditions associated with the job. This job description is not a contract of employment or a promise of guarantee of any specific terms or conditions of employment. The school district may add to, modify, or delete any aspect of this job (or the position itself) at any time as it deems advisable.

Junction City School District is committed to building a diverse staff that is fully representative of our students and community. We strongly encourage applications from candidates of color and multilingual candidates.