Senior Cook in Post Falls, ID 83854

Senior Cook

The Senior Cook is responsible for preparing high-quality meals, including entrees, vegetables, breads, special diets, and catered meals. This person will also help coordinate kitchen activities, guide food-service staff, support meal service, and assist with food-service operations such as inventory, receiving, menu support, and food safety.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare entrees, vegetables, breads, and other menu items for daily meals.
• Prepare therapeutic and special diets in accordance with menu requirements, resident preferences, and the Diet Manual.
• Taste food for quality and flavor and verify safe food temperatures.
• Prepare meals for special events and catered functions.
• Plan ahead for future meals, including food preparation and thawing frozen items.
• Coordinate daily kitchen activities and assist with arranging coverage when needed.
• Delegate food-preparation and cleaning responsibilities to food-service workers and kitchen helpers.
• Monitor food handling, sanitation, and production standards.
• Assist with training new staff on job duties, safety procedures, fire safety, and chemical hazards.
• Support tray-line service and ensure special-diet requirements are followed.
• Assist with cycle-menu planning, food purchasing, inventory control, food receiving, labeling, dating, and stock rotation.
• Make menu substitutions as needed and attend required nutrition and food-service meetings.

Candidate Requirements

• Prior experience as a cook in a commercial kitchen, healthcare facility, long-term care setting, school, hospitality, or institutional food-service environment.
• Experience preparing meals for special, modified, or therapeutic diets is strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of food safety, sanitation, safe food temperatures, and proper food handling.
• Ability to lead or coordinate kitchen staff and support training activities.
• Strong organization, teamwork, communication, and time-management skills.
• Comfortable working around kitchen equipment, hot surfaces, cleaning chemicals, odors, and wet floors.
• Ability to stand, walk, bend, stoop, kneel, reach, and perform repetitive hand movements throughout the shift.
• Ability to frequently move items up to 25 lbs.; occasionally up to 50 lbs.; and rarely up to 75 lbs.