Central Kitchen Lead

Anchorage School District; Anchorage (AK); On-site; USD 35,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

The Central Kitchen Lead at Anchorage School District oversees high-volume food production, baking, and meal packaging as an assistant to the Central Kitchen Manager. This role trains and supervises staff, maintains inventory, records, and ensures sanitation and proper food safety practices.

The position is tied to ASD’s retirement system with PERS. Working 8 hours a day for 9 months per year, you will lead in a fast-paced kitchen, help schedule tasks, and help ensure timely, safe, and

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent; 5 years of related experience may be considered in lieu.
• 5 years of institutional, high production, large-volume kitchen experience.
• 2 years supervising or directing large kitchen staff.
• Must interpret standardized recipes accurately.
• Must prepare and interpret simple reports.
• Must be proficient in basic math calculations.
• Must complete the eight-hour ASD Serving It Safe food safety course within 21 days of hire.

Responsibilities

• Supervise front line staff and assist manager with daily operations.
• Train and orient new staff; mentor to improve skills.
• Schedule breaks, production time, and packaging allocations; request extra hours as needed.
• Participate in operational meetings with the Kitchen Manager.
• Maintain a quality assurance program with the Kitchen Manager.
• Lead baking and cooking in a high-volume assembly line environment.
• Ensure safe, cost-effective production and packaging of all food.
• Evaluate production packaging and scheduling; adjust recipes as needed.
• Organize work areas to prepare for packaging and delivery to sites.
• Maintain daily inventory and records of supplies used and products packaged.
• Coordinate to ensure sanitation and safety standards are observed.
• Operate institutional kitchen equipment safely and maintain cleanliness.
• Establish positive working relationships with students, staff, and the public.

Skills

Staff supervision

Recipe interpretation

Basic math

Inventory management

Communication

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Food safety course (Serving It Safe)

Job description

Bargaining Unit: Food Service
Work Year: 9 months per year
Work Day: 8.0 hours per day
FTE: 1.0 FTE, Full Time
Salary: K-14, $22.67 to $23.77 per hour, DOE

Job Summary

The Central Kitchen Lead works as an assistant to the Central Kitchen Manager in overseeing all food production, including high volume cooking, baking, and meal packaging activities for the Anchorage School District. The lead supervises and assists in the evaluation of staff. The position trains and supervises staff, maintains inventory and records of supplies used and products packaged. The lead also assures regulations dealing with sanitation and proper food safety practices are observed. The position has a retirement association with the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS).

Job Requirements

1. A high school diploma or equivalent. Two years of related work experience may be considered in lieu of the education requirement.
2. Five years of experience in institutional type, high production, large volume, assembly line work environment.
3. Two years of previous experience supervising or directing large work groups in a kitchen environment.
4. Must be able to work effectively with and interpret standardized recipes.
5. Must be able to prepare and interpret simple reports.
6. Must be proficient in basic math such as addition, subtraction, and multiplication.
7. Must attend the eight-hour ASD Serving It Safe food safety course and pass the associated examination within 21 calendar days from date of hire into the position.

The following are preferred:

1. Experience working in the Anchorage School District Student Nutrition Central Kitchen.

Essential Job Functions

1. Functions as the front line supervisor for all employees as designated by the Student Nutrition Central Kitchen Manager, provides input for employee evaluations, and reports to the manager for daily operations and tasks.
2. Trains and orients new staff, assigns and works with mentors for new employees, works with staff to improve and develop their skills.
3. Responsible for scheduling breaks, lunch periods, production time, and packaging allocations for Central Kitchen food service staff, and requests additional work hours for employees as necessary.
4. Participates in operational meetings with the Student Nutrition Central Kitchen Manager.
5. Works closely with the Student Nutrition Center manager to establish and maintain a strict quality assurance program.
6. Leads in baking and cooking activities in a high-volume, repetitive, assembly line, institutional-type work environment.
7. Responsible for the timely, accurate, safe, and cost effective production and packaging of all food in the central kitchen.
8. Evaluates and makes recommendations regarding production packaging and scheduling.
9. Assists in organizing and assigning work in all kitchen areas to ensure readiness for product packaging and delivery to school sites.
10. Conducts daily inventory of finished products, ensuring maintenance of quality and production controls.
11. Maintains current and accurate records of supplies used and products packaged.
12. Adjusts approved recipes to accommodate larger or smaller batches as necessary.
13. Assists on an assembly line where standing in place and filling pre-plate packages, scooping, dipping, lifting, and catching is routine work.
14. Ensures regulations pertaining to sanitation and proper food safety practices are observed and maintained.
15. Safely operates various types of institutional kitchen equipment.
16. Responsible for cleanliness and sanitation all kitchen equipment.
17. Establishes and maintains positive and effective working relationships with students, staff, supervisors, other Anchorage School District personnel, and the public.

Physical /Mental Demands

The physical demands of this job require frequent standing, walking, sitting, speaking and hearing. Specific visual abilities are also required. The employee is regularly required to reach with his/her hands and arms and occasionally lift items weighing less than 40 lbs. Additionally, the employee must be able to understand vague and implicit instructions, be able to readily recall facts and details, handle conflict and make effective decisions under pressure. The employee must have the ability to effectively manage the stress of working with students, parents, and other employees representing diverse cultures, personalities, and work styles in a dynamic work environment. The Anchorage School District is committed to providing reasonable accommodations, according to applicable state and federal laws, to all individuals with a qualified physical or mental disability.

Work Environment

Work is performed in a professional environment with a wide variety of individuals having differing functions, personalities and abilities, including working with diverse groups of people in a variety of different settings. While performing the duties of this job the employee may be regularly exposed to a video display. The employee may be exposed to outdoor weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Additional Job Information

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job related duties as requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. Anchorage School District (ASD) employees must possess the ability to read and write in English. This also includes the ability to communicate in English with school staff, co-workers, and the public; as well as have the ability to comprehend and carry out oral and written directions and understand and follow English instructions and written documents. Offers of employment are contingent upon completion of a satisfactory criminal background check. For certificated positions, this is in addition to the background check conducted through the certification process with the Alaska State Department of Education and Early Development (DEED). This position may be required to work in ASD facilities on the military installations (JBER). Please visit the government REAL ID website for additional information.

The Anchorage School District is an equal employment opportunity employer.