Head Cook

Head Cook

The Head Cook is responsible for planning, preparing, and serving nutritious meals and snacks in accordance with USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) guidelines and program performance standards. The Head Cook will supervise kitchen staff and manage kitchen operations, ensure food safety, and maintain cleanliness, contributing to the overall health and well-being of children enrolled in the program.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Manage and supervise kitchen staff, interns, and volunteers.
• Overseeing food preparation, including cooking, garnishing, and monitor the preparation steps completed by the cook staff.
• Leads self and others by demonstrating the ability to pivot and respond to unpredictable, disruptive, and ambiguous situations.
• Coach, mentor, and develop a team of kitchen staff and volunteers, fostering a positive work environment and promoting professional growth.
• Develop menus that meet nutritional requirements and accommodate children's dietary needs, including allergies and cultural preferences.
• Prepare daily meals and snacks in a timely manner accordance with menu for the number of meals to be served to children and food substitution for children with special dietary needs.
• Maintain portion control and minimize food waste.
• Oversee daily kitchen operations, including food inventory, ordering, and storage. Use First-In, First-Out (FIFO) method is a stock rotation system that ensures items are used in the order they were received.
• Place orders weekly (Food, Milk, Bread and/or Fruit) with current vendors used by the agency.
• Prepare preliminary cooking steps for following day's meal production. Including monitoring the logs of food temperatures and prepare any food restricted items for children. Also, the head cook will assist with kitchen staff with breakfast, lunch and snack preparation as needed.
• Keep accurate records of meals served, inventory, and food expenses for CACFP reporting.
• Assist with the delivery of food carts to and from classrooms as needed.
• Document special dietary needs and meal modifications.
• Ensure proper food handling and sanitation practices in compliance with local, state, and federal regulations.
• Maintain kitchen equipment and report maintenance issues.
• Monitor the cleaning and sanitizing process of the kitchen in accordance with the responsibilities of the kitchen staff to ensure:
• The cooking, Prep Cook areas, the coolers, and freezers are neat and organized.
• Clean walk-in shelves using the checklist weekly.
• Maintain the work area including the cleaning and sanitizing of slicer, counters, shelves, spice rack, quick chiller, stoves ovens, ( convection oven per rotation), dice machine, mixer-brazier, sinks, etc.
• Daily clean and sanitize 1/3 hot holding cabinet .
• Clean knife rack weekly. Perform duties on Sanitation Checklist.
• Cleaning of pots and pans and dishwashing.
• Supervise the kitchen and monitor the schedules to ensure the operations are not interrupted.
• Create and monitor the labels and ingredients of the products purchase from the vendors. Also, keeping the information in the binder, the menus and the substitution form to reflect changes in the food items for the week.
• Conduct regular safety and cleanliness checks in the kitchen.
• Follow allergy protocols and emergency procedures.
• Train kitchen staff, interns, and volunteers.
• Promote a positive and collaborative working environment.

Job Requirements

Experience/Education

• Requires a high school diploma or equivalent. Some college credits or associate degree preferred.
• Current license/certificate ( SerSave ; Food Handler Certification; Food Service Sanitation ; CACFP trainings ).
• Minimum of three years specialized cooking, training or a minimum of three years in increasingly responsible cooking position in institutional food service/daycare/nursing home.

Qualifications

• Able to measure/weigh and calculate adjustments for recipes and cooking times.
• Demonstrates effective interpersonal skills to establish and maintain rapport and professional relationships with co-workers and team members.
• Demonstrates effective interpersonal and conflict-resolution skills.
• Manage crisis situations in a calm and effective manner.
• Demonstrates initiative, consistent follow-through, and the ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrates proficient computer skills, including Microsoft Office Suite, Outlook, videoconference software, and electronic data systems.
• Complete monthly, quarterly, and annual reports and other essential documents and correspondence as required by funding sources and Marillac St. Vincent Family Services.

Language

Ability to read and speak English proficiently. Bilingual (Spanish) is preferred.

Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.
• The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, sit; use hands to feel; reach with hand and arms; and stoop, kneel, or crouch.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Specific visions requirements include the ability to see at close range.
• Fine hand manipulation (keyboarding).

Work Environment

• Will work near moving or mechanical parts.
• May work in extreme heat (non-weather).
• Noise level is low to moderate.
• May work in normal office conditions at times.

Screenings

• The applicant must submit to a criminal background check and adult abuse and neglect screening and maintain a cleared status throughout employment.
• The applicant must submit MMR, Tdap and pass a TB and immunization health screen upon hire and update TB/physicals as required by the licensing standards.

Additional Requirements

• Extended work hours beyond 40 hours/week when necessary, including evenings, weekends and for special events.
• Flexibility with schedule as requested.
• Overnight trips may be required periodically.