Cook

TSA The Salvation Army TSA; Newmarket; On-site; CAD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

The Salvation Army in York Region is hiring a full-time cook to plan menus, prepare meals, and ensure quality and hygiene standards for residents and events. This role requires coordinating kitchen staff, managing food provisions, and contributing to dietary requirements.

Shifts are 7am–7pm on a rotational schedule, totaling 42 hours weekly. Ideal candidates have at least 1–3 years of institutional cooking experience, good teamwork, and strong communication skills.

Qualifications

• HS diploma with at least one year of specialized culinary training.
• 1–3 years of related experience, including institutional cooking.
• Experience working with homeless populations is an asset.
• Knowledge of women's issues and mental health/addictions is valued.
• Commitment to anti-racism, equity, and confidentiality is essential.
• Problem solving and strong communication are required.

Responsibilities

• Develop menus in line with policy, budget, and client feedback.
• Prepare and cook meals with various equipment while ensuring quality and hygiene.
• Manage food provisions, storage and waste; supervise kitchen staff.
• Maintain records and support dietary staff and committees.

Skills

Communication skills

Teamwork

Time management

Interpersonal skills

Problem solving

Education

High School + specialized training

1–3 years institutional cooking experience

Experience with homelessness

Knowledge of women's issues

Mental Health/Addictions knowledge

Anti-racism / equity awareness

Job description

Who We Are

For more than 130 years, The Salvation Army has served people in need in communities across Canada and Bermuda. Building on our roots as a world-wide Christian church, each year we help more than 2 million people, providing necessities such as food, clothing and shelter. In addition, we support people experiencing unemployment, addiction and family challenges. We continually adapt and innovate to meet emerging needs and live out our mission, vision and values of hope, service, dignity and stewardship. As a faith- and values-based organization, we hire and serve people of all backgrounds and walks of life - there is a place for everyone to belong here.

Mission Statement

The Salvation Army exists to share the love of Jesus Christ, meet human needs and be a transforming influence in the communities of our world.

Job Description

This is a regular full-time position (42 hours weekly), 7am - 7pm rotational shifts. This job posting will run concurrently for internal and external applicants. However, for the first ten (10) calendar days, current employees of York Housing & Support Services that are members of UFCW Local 175 will receive hiring preference.

In this role you will be planning menus and meals according to budget, season, and client feedback. Preparing and cooking food using various equipment and techniques. Ensuring food quality, presentation, and hygiene standards. Managing food provisions, storage, and waste. Overseeing and coordination kitchen staff, training, and aiding.

Responsibilities

• Develop menus in accordance with policy and procedure and core standards.
• Keep records of all food services related data such as food, freezer and refrigerator temperatures
• Ensure the proper maintenance and usage of a computer system, and proper record keeping of the same in accordance with the Territorial Computer Usage Policy.
• Serve on committees as appropriate

Service

• Prepares, portions, and presents meals and snacks to be served to residents, visitors, and at special events. Adapts standardized recipes and ensures appropriate amounts of food are prepared to meet menu requirements.
• Prepares special food for therapeutic, texture modification (pureed, minced, or dental soft), and special preference diets.
• Portions food to be distributed to dining areas on residential floors, and any special catering functions.
• Wash and sanitize dishes and cookware after each meal.
• Organizes food preparation schedules to meet meal deadlines.
• Labels, dates, stores, and utilizes leftover food. Disposes of all unusable food.
• Checks and records the temperatures of a walk-in and a reach-in refrigerator and a freezer twice daily.
• Turns on equipment, such as steamers, ovens, fans in the morning. Turns off and checks the condition of same at night.
• Bakes desserts, snacks and items for special functions, as assigned.
• Prepares production estimations and quantity requirements, such as defrosting meat, and requisitions for supplies from the storeroom according to menu requirements.
• Ensures that work area is maintained in a clean and orderly state. Changes oil and filters for the fryers as required. Sanitizes and stores knives.
• Receives calls and takes messages for the Business Manager in their absence. Passes information on to appropriate staff, as required, and acts on emergency therapeutic dietary requests.
• Participates in dietary staff and special committee meetings, such as quality assurance, fire safety.
• Also participates in In-Service training sessions.
• Responsible to maintain kitchen facility to York Region Public Health Standards and York Region licensing compliance.
• Ensures compliance with internal audits or inspections to ensure quality, as assigned.
• Good understanding and practice of the facilities policies, procedures and guidelines. Reads distributed communications in order to stay current.
• Attend and participate in meetings as requested.
• Develop a positive working relationship with co-workers, residents, superiors, volunteers and visitors.
• Performs other related duties, as assigned.

Education and Experience Qualifications

• Completed High School, plus one year specialized course.
• Must be able to lift more than 20 pounds
• 1-3 years of prior related experience, with at least one year of institutional cooking experience.
• Previous experience with people experiencing homelessness (one to three years)
• Must have thorough knowledge and understanding of Women's issues
• Knowledge and understanding of Mental Health/Addictions
• Thorough knowledge and understanding of and a commitment to anti-racism, anti-oppression and equity.
• Problem solving skills essential.
• The responsibilities associated with this position demand a high degree of confidentiality
• Excellent oral and written communication
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team
• Must have good interpersonal/time management skills
• Good knowledge of community resource

Note: An alternative level of education and experience may be acceptable

Successful candidate