Cook

Nyc-Administration-For-Children; New York (NY); On-site; USD 42,564 - 48,097; Full time

Job summary

Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) in New York City is hiring for a Cook to support meals for youth in custody and staff in designated facilities. The role requires cooking, baking, and serving food in accordance with nutrition standards and regulatory guidelines.

The position emphasizes timely meal preparation, food safety, and supervising aides to ensure consistent, high-quality meals for residents and staff under the Raise the Age initiative.

Qualifications

• Two years of cooking experience. English reading, writing and spoken skills required.
• No formal educational requirements; English proficiency and ability to follow instructions are essential.

Responsibilities

• Prepare, cook, bake, and serve food in an institution following New York City Food Standards and related regulations.
• Ensure meals are ready at scheduled times and maintain cleanliness and order of the work area.
• Train and supervise staff and contracted workers in food preparation and sanitation.

Skills

Cooking experience

English proficiency

Education

No formal education requirements

Job description

THE SELECTED CANDIDATES WILL BE OFFERED A SALARY BETWEEN $42,564 - $48,097

The Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) protects and promotes the safety and well-being of children and families through child welfare and juvenile justice services and community supports. ACS manages community-based supports and foster care services and provides subsidized childcare vouchers. ACS child protection staff respond to allegations of child maltreatment. In juvenile justice, ACS oversees detention, placement, and programs for youth in the community.

The Division of Administration provides a wide range of support services throughout ACS to ensure all Divisions receive adequate and efficient support services to carry out their respective missions. The Division of Administration (Admin) employs approximately 463 public employees. Admin manages a Personnel Services (PS) Budget of approximately $29M and an Other Than Personnel Services (OTPS) Budget (OTPS) of $140M. It provides services including building maintenance, real estate, design, construction management, facilities and custodial services, occupational safety and health, operational support, security, transportation, and print production.

The Food and Nutrition Services Unit manages a food services budget of $5M for FY 2024. It is responsible for the preparation and service of food to children and youth in the care of ACS. The full-serviced kitchens serve three meals and snacks to youth housed at the Crossroads and Horizon Secure Juvenile Detention Centers and the Nicholas Scoppetta Children’s Center (NSCC) congregate facility.

Under the direct supervision of the Senior Cook, the Cook is responsible in the preparation, cooking, baking, and serving of food including baked goods, in an institution in accordance with the New York City Food Standards, Executive Order 122, and performing related duties. This position requires knowledge of sanitary codes applicable to meal preparation and food handling.

The Cook must provide professional and courteous service to all staff, residents, and co-workers. Consistent and reliable Cooks are required to prepare food that provides physical nourishment and contributes a sense of emotional well-being. Trained Cooks are imperative to properly prepare, serve, and support feeding the additional meals and snacks that will be required daily under Raise the Age.

The responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Perform work of ordinary difficulty and responsibility in the preparation of food in an institution
• Preparation and cooking of food following Nutritionist instructions and using standard procedures and quantity recipes and equipment to comply with the New York City Food Standards, OCFS Regulations, and New York State Child Nutrition requirements
• Portioning out food according to departmental standards and checking prepared food out of the kitchen to feeding areas
• Responsible for the cleanliness and order of the work area
• Direct and train Institutional Aids and contracted employees by example or instruction in food preparation and sanitation in order to ensure proper and timely meals and sanitary conditions
• Have all meals ready at the scheduled mealtimes, including breakfast for residents with early appointments, and scheduled pick-up of court lunches and prepared meals and food items for off-site meal service.
• Ensure that adequate amounts of food are prepared at all times, taking into account the morning census for residents plus staff count, the actual menu, and expected shrinkage.
• Bake items as required by the menu or for special occasions using standardized and approved recipes
• At the direction of the Supervisor and/or Nutritionist, provide special or therapeutic diets for residents; special or therapeutic diets should be prepared in exact accordance with instructions of the Nutritionist, Food Service Manager/Director, and/or medical department and should be served to the designated resident.
• Collect, collate, compile meal count and other unit activity information on to a form or report to provide information as requested
• Monitor and document that food is cooked, served, and held with safe temperature ranges
• Perform related duties and special projects as assigned.

Additional Information: Section 424-A of the New York Social Services Law requires an authorized agency to inquire whether a candidate for employment with child‑caring responsibilities has been the subject of a child abuse and maltreatment report. The Administration for Children’s Services is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing access to all individuals. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact Simone Campbell at [e-mail] or 212-676-6955.

COOK - 90210

Minimum Qualifications

1. Two years of cooking experience. There are no formal educational requirements. However, candidates must be able to speak, read and write English and carry out simple instructions.

2. For Department of Correction and Department of Juvenile Justice only One year of experience in a correctional facility assisting in the cooking and preparation of food and performing related functions under the supervision of a Cook.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

Residency Requirement

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.