SENIOR COOK

Senior Cook

The Los Angeles County Probation Department is recruiting highly motivated and career-minded individuals to fill the position of Senior Cook.

Essential Job Functions

• Supervises and instructs food service staff including subordinate Food Service Workers and Cooks in standard preparation and cooking techniques utilized in the preparation of a variety of food items, proper use of various kitchen utensils and equipment, portioning and serving of food items, preparation and set up of meal facilities, and proper cleaning of dishes, pots, pans, equipment, kitchen work areas, and food storage areas.
• Creates work assignments and inspects the work of food service staff and/or inmate workers while in progress, and upon completion, to ensure that the quality of food prepared is acceptable and meets established dietary guidelines.
• Instructs food services staff and/or inmate workers in health and safety regulations and monitors compliance with those regulations.
• Inspects food supplies received, rejects those supplies of poor or unacceptable quality, oversees the proper storage of supplies accepted and monitors the rotation of supplies to prevent spoilage.
• Coordinates workstation cooking activities with those of other kitchen units, ensuring that food items are prepared on time and that food to be served is maintained at proper temperatures.
• Supervises the setup of meal facilities and oversees the serving of food in compliance with department policy and procedures and health and safety regulations.
• Ensures that utensils and work areas are clean and ready for the next shift.
• Submits requisitions for food supplies based on daily/weekly menu plans by utilizing computer software applications, as needed.
• Modifies recipes using computer software applications to meet changes in the number of servings and the substitution of recipe ingredients when other ingredients are unavailable.
• Performs baking duties or work in the butcher shop, as needed.
• Oversees the activities of a shift, as needed.
• Acts as a lead person, supervising and/or instructing youth in a County-sponsored program, as needed.

Requirements

Requirements to qualify:

Option I: Completion of a certificate program* accredited by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation Accrediting Commission (ACFEFAC) with at least 48 semester or 72 quarter units in Culinary Arts from an accredited college AND two (2) years' experience in quantity food preparation and cooking of complete meals in an institutional, commercial, military, or similar establishment.

Option II: Two (2) years' journey level** experience in quantity food preparation and cooking of complete meals in an institutional, commercial, military, or similar establishment.

License: A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out essential functions. Physical Class 3 – Moderate: This class requires that the incumbent stand or walk most of the time with bending, stooping, squatting, twisting, reaching, working on irregular surfaces, occasional lifting of objects weighing over 25 pounds, and frequent lifting of 10-25 pounds.

Veterans Credit: If you are a veteran, you may be eligible for veteran's credit, which is an additional 10% of the total points added to a passing score. We will need a copy of your form DD214 to review, so please include that with your application or email it to the exam analyst at View email address on click.appcast.io as soon as possible so, if you are eligible for veteran's credit, we can include it before the list is available.

Special Requirement Information: To receive credit for your certificate/education, include a legible copy of your official certificate/diploma, official transcript, or letter/certificate from an accredited institution within seven (7) days of filing your application. The document should show the date the degree was conferred and be in English. If not in English, then translation is required. International degrees must be evaluated for equivalency to U.S. standards if not listed in the International Handbook of Universities or World Higher Education Database. For more information on our standards for educational documents, please visit: (Download PDF reader).

We do not accept password-protected documents. Ensure documents are unlocked before attaching to your application or sending to the exam analyst.

Journey-level experience is defined as possessing the required knowledge, skills, and training to perform a full-range and diversity of work independently and reliably. Positions at this level operate with significant freedom from day-to-day supervision and need little or no guidance on such matters as selecting appropriate problem-solving methods and techniques, locating appropriate regulation, or applying proper procedures to carry out work.

Experience in fast food service is not considered as qualifying for this position. Quantity food preparation and cooking of complete meals refer to experience preparing and cooking a variety of food items including soups, meats, vegetables, and other foods. NO WITHHOLD OR OUT-OF-CLASS EXPERIENCE WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR THIS EXAMINATION.

Desirable Qualifications: Additional points will be given to qualified applicants beyond meeting the requirements and who possess the following desirable qualifications:

• Experience in safe food handling and kitchen/equipment sanitation to ensure prevention of food borne illness in accordance with health and safety food regulations.
• Experience in utilizing software application systems such as, Outlook, Excel, etc., to track supplies and generate reports using specific commands (e.g., Excel- menu commands, setting up simple arithmetic formulas, etc.) and to maintain records of kitchen supplies and equipment.
• Graduation from an accredited high school -OR- A California High School Proficiency Certificate awarded by the California State Board of Education or higher education****.

***In order to receive credit for high school diploma/GED/ California High School Proficiency Certificate or higher education, you must indicate on the job application and attach a legible copy of the official diploma or official transcripts, or official letter from the accredited institution which shows the area of specialization and degree awarded with Registrar's signature and/or school seal with your application at the time of filing in NEOGOV or within 7 calendar days of online application submission or credit may not be awarded. We do not accept password-protected documents. Ensure documents are unlocked before attaching to your application or sending to the exam analyst. You may email required documents to View email address on click.appcast.io A California High School Proficiency Certificate is awarded by passing the General Educational Development Test (GED) or the California High School Proficiency Examination (CHSPE) tests. In accordance with the provisions of California Government Code Section 1031(e), accredited high schools are those accredited by certifying organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and include accredited public and non-public high schools in the United States and accredited United States Department of Defense high schools.