Lead Cook

Position Type:
Child Nutrition Services/Cook

Date Posted:
10/20/2026

Location:
Junction City High School

Date Available:
When Filled


Closing Date:
When Filled
Geary County USD 475

Job Description

TITLE : Lead Cook

CLASSIFICATION : Child Nutrition Services


REPORTS TO : Kitchen Manager

SUMMARY: The Lead Cook will help each cooking kitchen ensure that safety protocols, food standards, and records are being done to all state and federal standards. The Lead Cook will also work with employees in the kitchen to ensure efficient and effective operations. The Lead Cook will report to the Kitchen Manager any employee issues or safety issues.

QUALIFICATIONS : High School Diploma or equivalent and the ability to pass the USD 475 Math test.

Experience in large scale cooking

Successful completion of the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE)

Food Safety Basics class within 6 months of hire date.


PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

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.

The employee performing the duties of this position is frequently required to walk, sit, talk, hear, bend, stoop, and reach. The employee may be occasionally required to manually lift, move, or carry up to 50 pounds. The employee is required to interact with staff and meet the demands of several different people. The employee is responsible for the work output of others. The employee occasionally works extended hours. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

CRITICAL SKILLS:

1. Ability to maintain regular and good work attendance and come to work on time.
2. Ability to work constructively and cooperatively with others.
3. Ability to respond to information requests in a courteous, timely and helpful manner.
4. Ability to manage job responsibilities while meeting established deadlines.
5. Ability to access, input, and retrieves information from a computer.
6. Ability to maintain confidentiality of student and staff information.

PERFORMANCE RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Ensure that food quality is up to standards
2. Ensure that food safety procedures are being followed by fellow employees
3. Ensure that safety in general is being practiced by all employees.
4. Ensure that records needed at the school are completed: Plate counts, Temperature Logs, etc.
   1. Fill out Transport Sheets properly with Times and Temperatures as per Health Department regulations for Time as Temperature.
5. Practice good personal hygiene and safety procedures.
6. Prepare entrees, vegetables, and other foods in accordance with schedules and quality.
7. Use standardized recipes to prepare food items.
8. Assist with service as needed, using established portion control standards.
9. Work with cooks and/or other employees in coordinating and directing activities to promote a smooth kitchen operation.
10. Work with Kitchen Managers on employee attendance, items needed - food and supplies, work order requests for problem equipment, and any problems that should arise.
11. Organize work to accomplish responsibilities in an efficient and effective manner, maintaining health, safety, and sanitary standards in preparation, serving, and cleanup activities.
12. Monitor operation of equipment, reporting apparent unsafe or unsanitary conditions to the cafeteria manager immediately.
13. Assist in training fellow cafeteria staff in food preparation and efficient and safe use of equipment.
14. Must dress appropriately for safety and sanitation - Long pants, closed toed shoes, shirts with sleeves, no dangling jewelry or rings with stones, no long fingernails, or fake or polish, and hairnets need worn.
15. Attend in-service meetings.
16. Perform other job-related duties as directed.

SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE/ABILITIES:

• Ability to pre-plan, set priorities, and manage time to meet production timelines.
• Physical ability to lift and carry 50 pounds, push food carts, bend, and reach, as well as stand for extended periods, 4 hours at a time possibly.
• English proficiency to be able to read, understand, adjust recipes, and communicate with coworkers and cafeteria manager.
• Knowledge and practice of health and safety standards.
• Ability to safely operate and clean commercial ovens, mixers, stoves, can openers, and food warmers.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

The working environment is in the cafeteria kitchen and dining room that includes exposure

to noise and vibrations from kitchen equipment and students in the cafeteria, fumes and odors from grease traps, and heat from stoves and ovens and cold from walk-in refrigerators and freezers.


TERM OF EMPLOYMENT: 9 months

EVALUATION FREQUENCY: Job performance will be evaluated a minimum of 1 time per year.

SALARY: Level 4 +.25

Updated 11/16/16

Notice of Nondiscrimination

Geary County USD #475 does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and/or activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. For questions or complaints based on race, color, national origin, sex or age, please contact the USD 475 Director of Human Resources, 123 N. Eisenhower, Junction City, KS 66441. Telephone: View phone number on click.appcast.io. For questions or complaints based on disability, please contact the USD 475 Director of Exceptional Student Services, 123 N. Eisenhower, Junction City, KS 66441. Telephone: View phone number on click.appcast.io