Lead Cook - Full Time - Day

Overview

Our team members are the heart of what makes us better.

At Hackensack Meridian Health we help our patients live better, healthier lives — and we help one another to succeed. With a culture rooted in connection and collaboration, our employees are team members. Here, competitive benefits are just the beginning. It’s also about how we support one another and how we show up for our community.

Together, we keep getting better - advancing our mission to transform healthcare and serve as a leader of positive change.

Lead Cooks are responsible to coordinate patient meal service and special requests and needs for the Patient Dining Program. Ensure that Patient Dining Associates and Culinary Team Associates are adequately trained and that units are properly staffed to provide service. Oversee systems and processes to ensure that the strategic and operational objectives of the Patient Dining Program are accomplished. They are a huge part of creating a culture of comfort and compassion in the healthcare environment, taking care of patients' special requests and nutritional needs

Responsibilities

A day in the life of a Lead Cook at Hackensack Meridian Health includes:

• Lead operations and ensure they provide services that include helping patients make menu selections, assemble, deliver, and, pick-up their meal trays.
• Lead culinary associates to ensure following menu guidelines, provide alternate menu selections as allowed on prescribed diet in accordance with food allergies and sensitivities, cultural, ethnic, and religious preferences, when patient inquires or needs additional selections.
• Performs all food preparation & cooking functions, maintaining all quality standard under minimal supervision.
• Prepares food accurately following production sheets and using standardized recipes or other instructions as provided.
• Controls & adheres to all established procedures & State requirements regarding safe food handling, storage & service:
• Strict sanitation standards used at all times; hand washing practices, proper use of gloves, continuous sanitizing practices used on food contact surfaces, utensils, equipment, work station.
• Strictly monitor & maintain food temperatures at all times.
• Wrap, Date & label all food items in storage.
• Adheres FIFO.
• Operates cooking equipment following established procedures & safety precautions.
• Monitors & controls quantities of foods prepared. Record leftovers and waste.
• Manage tray tickets and assemble meals according to each patient's menu selection in a timely and accurate manner.
• Retrieve trays from patient rooms at assigned times.
• Assist dietitians, such as helping monitor patients who cannot eat food through their mouth, are on liquid diets or have a specific calorie count to manage.
• Conduct daily associate team meetings following HMHN guidelines and template.
• Associates will be asked to occasionally assist with breaking down, loading, or washing small wares and/or dishes between meal services.
• Patient Safety: Our policies reflect our absolute commitment to putting the needs of the patient first. HMHN Associates are expected to maintain and support our safety standards, including:
• Wear name tag identification and adhere to hospital uniform policy, always maintaining a professional appearance.
• Sets up & breaks down the food serving lines efficiently & timely.
• Maintains and record HACCP logs.
• Maintain HACCP standard and procedure, safety storage compliant and food safety regulation standard.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.
• Assists in the opening and closing of the operation on a daily basis.
• Actively participates in cleaning assignments, overall sanitation, & housekeeping duties in the production areas with emphasis on individual work stations.
• Completes all assignments on daily production sheets & willingly assists co-workers as unscheduled production needs arise.
• Actively participates in hospital & departmental programs for Staff Development & quality improvement.
• Performs work mostly alone, but also as part of a team. Establishes & maintains efficient & effective relationships with all co-workers in the department & hospital.
• Readily performs & offers cooperation as other tasks or duties may be assigned.
• Adheres to HMH Organizational competencies and standards of behavior.

Qualifications

Education, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:

• High School diploma, general equivalency diploma (GED), and/or GED equivalent programs.
• Minimum of 1 or more years of hotel and/or restaurant cooking experience.
• Observed good cooking techniques.
• Team player.
• Excellent verbal and written English communication skills.
• Ability to work under minimal supervision

Education, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Preferred:

• Associates degree in Culinary Arts.
• Health facilities cooking experience or health care nutrition knowledge.

Licenses and Certifications Required:

• Food Service Safety and Sanitation Certification such as ServSafe or Prometric upon hire or within one year of hire.

Starting Minimum Rate

Minimum rate of $25.77 Hourly

Job Posting Disclosure

HMH is committed to pay equity and transparency for our team members. The posted rate of pay in this job posting is a reasonable good faith estimate of the minimum base pay for this role at the time of posting in accordance with the New Jersey Pay Transparency Act and does not reflect the full value of our market-competitive total rewards package. The starting rate of pay is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guarantee of a specific offer. Posted hourly rates may be stated as an annual salary in the offer and posted annual salaries may be stated as an hourly rate in the offer, depending on the level and nature of the job duties and credentials of the candidate. The base compensation determined at the time of the offer may be different than the posted rate of pay based on a number of non-discriminatory factors, including but not limited to: Labor Market Data: Compensation is benchmarked against market data to ensure competitiveness. Experience: Years of relevant work experience. Education and Certifications: Level of education attained, including specialized certifications, credentials, completed apprenticeship programs or advanced training. Skills: Demonstrated proficiency in relevant skills and competencies. Geographic Location: Cost of living and market rates for the specific location. Internal Equity: Compensation is determined in a manner consistent with compensation ranges for similar roles within the organization. Budget and Grant Funding: Departmental budgets and any grant funding associated with the job position may impact the pay that can be offered. Some jobs may also be eligible for performance-based incentives, bonuses, or commissions not reflected in the starting rate. Certain positions may also be eligible for shift differentials for work performed on evening, night, or weekend shifts.

In addition to our compensation for full‑time and part‑time (20+ hours/week) job positions, HMH offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• health
• dental
• vision
• paid leave
• tuition reimbursement
• retirement benefits