Culinary Specialist

CULINARY SPECIALIST

Job Summary: To provide residents well prepared nutritious meals served with individual thoughtfulness.

Job Relationships:

• Reports to: Dietary Director
• Interrelationships with: Dietary team, Nursing, Activities, Business Office, Social Services, Maintenance, Laundry, Residents and Resident's families, Volunteers, Venders
• External Contacts: Visitors, delivery persons

Hours of Work: Part-time evening shifts.

Dress Code: Per Dietary Policy and Procedure

Essential Requirements of Work:

• Experience
  • Previous food service experience desirable
  • Previous long-term care experience desirable
• Personal
  • Must be able to read English
  • Write and perform mathematical formulations
  • Must be willing to learn
  • Must be able to follow directions and perform assigned tasks, be self-motivated
  • Must be in good physical and mental health
  • Must be able to work cooperatively with others in a proximity and teamwork capability
  • Must have efficient time management skills
  • Ability to complete assigned duties in required time
• Job Knowledge
  • Knowledge and ability to operate and maintain upkeep of large and small equipment
  • Understanding of daily menu requirements and personal diet requirements
  • Understanding of sanitation and safety requirements

Knowledge, Skills and Ability for Full Performance:

• Plan work schedule for the day based upon the menu and cleaning schedule.
• Meet meal time schedules
• Must be able to work with and secure the cooperation of fellow dietary employees in order to implement the meal
• Must work with geriatric residents showing care and empathy
• Must be self motivated in the absence of the dietary manager
• Must be knowledgeable in weights and measures
• Must be knowledgeable in the storage of food products
• Must be knowledgeable in therapeutic diets
• Must be understanding of sanitation and safety measures to meet state and federal regulations
• High level of proficiency and time management to meet meal regulations time
• Must have the capacity to operate commercial equipment
• Must be in good physical and mental health

Physical Demands of the Job:

• Occasionally lifting to 50 pounds
• Exposed to temperature extremes in kitchen and storage areas
• Will receive education regarding safe work habits due to exposure to cuts, burns, falls, and lifting
• Stand, stoop, bend, and walk during all of scheduled shift
• Ability to work with detergents, chemicals and ware washing assignments

Mental Demands of the Job:

• Understanding of therapeutic diets and the special needs of residents
• Maintain mental alertness in order to accurately follow dietary menus and resident therapeutic diets and textures, and requests while managing time regulations

Quality Performance Results In:

• Meeting the mission statement of the Dietary Department, which is serving residents nutritious meals that have a nice appearance and prepared with individual thoughtfulness
• Residents are well nourished, happy and healthy
• Meeting or exceeding all state and federal requirements

Effect of Error:

• If resident receive incorrect food according to the menu and diet card this could result in:
  • Choking
  • Illness
  • Diabetic reaction
  • Allergic reaction
  • Insufficient nutrition
  • Improper hydration
• Poor work habits can cause injury to employee or resident
• Poor food and sanitation practices could cause food borne illnesses
• If quality of prepared food is poor, income goes down due to decline in customers
• Nutritional needs of the vulnerable are not met
• Dissatisfaction among residents and families

Principle Job Responsibilities:

Responsibility: Ensure proper sanitation and safety measures are followed at all times.

• Follows sanitation and safety techniques in operation and cleaning of all equipment.
• Uses proper sanitation and safety procedures during workday.

Responsibility: Participate positively and with a smile in the timely and accurate and attractive service of meals to residents and other customers.

• Dish up salads, desserts, beverages, bread and condiments
• Assist in dining room service of setup and serving resident's meals, recording intake of residents and cleaning up.
• Prepare between meal nourishments and supplements, Delivers and cleans up snack carts
• May assist in receiving and storage of food supplies
• Participates positively in effective communication with nursing and family in regards to special needs of the resident
• Records and carries out any resident dietary changes

Responsibility: Wash dishes on a timely basis meeting or exceeding all state and federal requirements.

• Washes dishes following meals
• Washes pots and pans during shift
• Monitor dishwasher temperatures, procedures and performance

Responsibility: Miscellaneous

• Complies with all facility policies
• Follows through on resident's rights
• Attends in-service and all necessary training
• Works to meet the goals of the facility with enthusiasm and spirit of cooperation and integrity
• Other jobs as assigned by Supervisor