Cook I

Alberta Health Services; Calgary; On-site; CAD 37,000 - 40,000; Part time

Job summary

Alberta Health Services is seeking a Cook I within the Nutrition and Food Services department to prepare and serve high-quality meals following recipes and policies. You will assist with inventory, operate food service equipment safely, and provide mentorship within the team to support patient-focused dining.

You must be able to lift up to 46 lbs, stand for long shifts, and communicate effectively in English while working in a fast-paced hospital environment.

Qualifications

• Completion of Grade 12 or equivalent.
• Food Sanitation and Hygiene Certificate or equivalent.
• Journeyman Cook certification required.
• Minimum three years' experience in commercial food service, hospital food service, or related setting.
• Demonstrated critical thinking, initiative and ability to work independently.
• Ability to read, write and communicate in English, including numerical information.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and serve high-quality food following standardized recipes, menu documents and policies.
• Assist and/or manage inventory and ordering of supplies.
• Safely operate and clean food service equipment.
• Comply with safety and sanitation policies.
• Provide mentorship within the department, as required.
• Support NFS staff during meal preparation, plating and assembly.
• Complete other food service duties as assigned.

Skills

Food service

Inventory management

Safety and sanitation

Communication

Teamwork

Education

Grade 12

Food Sanitation and Hygiene certificate

Journeyman Cook certification

WHMIS training

Job description

Your Opportunity

Achieve meaningful and empowering work by becoming part of Alberta Health Services (AHS), where compassion, accountability, respect, excellence and safety are at the heart of everything we do. As a Cook I within the Nutrition and Food Services (NFS) department, you will directly impact patient care by providing nutritious, healthy, high-quality meal service. You will be accountable for performing various tasks under minimal supervision while using strong customer service, teamwork, organizational and leadership skills to:

• Prepare and serve high-quality food following standardized recipes, menu documents and AHS policies.
• Assist and/or manage inventory and ordering of supplies.
• Safely operate and clean food service equipment.
• Comply with all AHS safety and sanitation policies.
• Provide mentorship within the department, as required.
• Provide support to NFS staff during meal preparation, plating and assembly.
• Complete other food service duties as assigned.

The successful candidate will be able to: Measure ingredients, adjust yields, and calculate food cost, as required. Work with speed and accuracy while under pressure. Communicate effectively in English. Work as an effective, professional team member. Demonstrate a patient first approach as outlined in the AHS Foundational Strategies. This position requires you to walk and stand on your feet for the duration of your shift.

Description

As a Cook I, you will be responsible for food preparation, portion and assembly, and serving of menu items with limited supervision. Your typical duties may include preparing multi-ingredient recipes from raw ingredients using various cooking techniques and established recipes, preparing meals using precooked products utilizing various re-thermalization techniques and ensuring meals are appropriately portioned. You will follow AHS guidelines for quantity and quality controls, food safety standards, and established cleaning and sanitization practices to ensure the cleanliness of cooking equipment and work areas.

Classification

• Classification: Cook I
• Union: AUPE GSS
• Unit and Program: Patient Food Services
• Primary Location: Foothills Medical Centre
• Location Details: As Per Location
• Multi-Site: Not Applicable
• FTE: 0.80
• Posting End Date: 27-AUG-2026
• Employee Class: Regular Part Time
• Date Available: 21-SEP-2026
• Hours per Shift: 7.75
• Length of Shift in weeks: 6
• Shifts per cycle: 24
• Shift Pattern: Days, Evenings, Weekends
• Days Off: As Per Rotation
• Minimum Salary: $26.56
• Maximum Salary: $29.21
• Vehicle Requirement: Not Applicable

Required Qualifications

• Completion of Grade 12 or equivalent.
• Physically capable to lift food, supplies and equipment up to 46lbs and must be able to push/pull meal carts up to 250lbs.
• This position requires you to walk and stand on your feet for the duration of your shift.
• Food Sanitation and Hygiene Certificate or equivalent.

Additional Required Qualifications

• Journeyman Cook certification required.
• Customer Service training required.
• Minimum three years' experience in commercial food service, restaurant, healthcare food service, or a related setting.
• Demonstrated critical thinking skills, initiative, and ability to work independently.
• Basic knowledge of and experience with computer applications.
• Ability to read, write, and communicate effectively in English, both verbally and in writing, including comprehension of written instructions and numerical information.
• Food Sanitation and Hygiene certification required.
• Experience with cost control, food costing, waste monitoring, auditing, inventory management, receiving deliveries, and stock rotation using First-In, First-Out (FIFO) procedures.

Preferred Qualifications

• Red Seal certification or equivalent.
• Experience in healthcare, hospital, or long-term care food service environments.
• Experience preparing food and beverages for specialized and texture-modified diets.
• Experience with commercial food service equipment.
• WHMIS training.
• Workplace Health and Safety training.