Cook

Clinton Hill Community & Early Childhood Center; Newark (NJ); On-site; USD 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement benefits

Paid time off

Training

Growth opportunities

Job summary

Clinton Hill Community & Early Childhood Center, Inc. in Newark, NJ is seeking a dependable Cook to prepare nutritious meals and snacks for young children in a warm, mission-driven kitchen.

You will follow approved menus, maintain safety standards, coordinate with staff, and support CACFP compliance while contributing to children's health, development, and daily success.

Qualifications

• Experience preparing meals in a school, child care center, institutional kitchen, restaurant, catering operation, or similar setting.
• Knowledge of safe food preparation, storage, sanitation, and cross-contamination prevention.
• Ability to follow standardized menus, recipes, portions, and meal schedules.
• Strong organization, dependability, and attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with site and program staff.
• Food-handler or food-protection certification, or willingness to obtain required certification within the established timeframe.
• Successful completion of all required background checks, health clearances, and program training.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and serve nutritious meals and snacks according to approved menus, recipes, portions, and meal schedules.
• Follow food-safety, sanitation, allergen, and safe food-handling requirements.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and inspection-ready kitchen.
• Receive, label, store, rotate, and monitor food and kitchen supplies.
• Complete required meal-production, temperature, inventory, delivery, and sanitation records accurately and on time.
• Accommodate documented food allergies, dietary restrictions, and meal modifications.
• Help monitor inventory and communicate supply or equipment needs before they affect meal service.
• Coordinate with classroom and site staff to ensure meals are prepared and delivered safely and on schedule.
• Support compliance with CACFP and other applicable nutrition-program requirements.

Skills

Meal prep experience

Food safety knowledge

Menu following

Organizational skills

Team collaboration

Independence

Attention to detail

Education

Food-handler certification

Job description

About Clinton Hill Community & Early Childhood Center, Inc.

Clinton Hill Community & Early Childhood Center, Inc. is a nonprofit early childhood education organization dedicated to preparing children for lifelong success through exceptional educational experiences, strong family partnerships, and a culture of continuous improvement.

We serve infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children through a variety of high-quality early childhood programs designed to foster academic achievement, social-emotional development, and school readiness.

Our team is united by a commitment to professionalism, accountability, collaboration, and excellence. We believe that every child deserves educators who are knowledgeable, compassionate, and committed to creating safe, engaging, and inclusive learning environments where children can thrive.

At Clinton Hill, we invest in our employees through professional development, coaching, and opportunities for growth while maintaining high expectations for performance and ethical conduct. We seek individuals who embrace continuous learning, demonstrate initiative, communicate with professionalism, and are passionate about making a lasting impact on children, families, and our community.

About the role

A nourishing meal is an important part of a child’s day—and an important part of helping children feel cared for, comfortable, and ready to learn.

Clinton Hill is seeking a dependable and organized Cook to prepare nutritious, appealing meals and snacks for young children. This is an opportunity to bring your food-service skills into a warm, mission-driven environment where your work directly supports children’s health, development, and daily success.

What you'll do

• Prepare and serve nutritious meals and snacks according to approved menus, recipes, portions, and meal schedules.
• Follow food-safety, sanitation, allergen, and safe food-handling requirements.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and inspection-ready kitchen.
• Receive, label, store, rotate, and monitor food and kitchen supplies.
• Complete required meal-production, temperature, inventory, delivery, and sanitation records accurately and on time.
• Accommodate documented food allergies, dietary restrictions, and meal modifications.
• Help monitor inventory and communicate supply or equipment needs before they affect meal service.
• Coordinate with classroom and site staff to ensure meals are prepared and delivered safely and on schedule.
• Support compliance with CACFP and other applicable nutrition-program requirements.

Qualifications

• Experience preparing meals in a school, child care center, institutional kitchen, restaurant, catering operation, or similar setting.
• Knowledge of safe food preparation, storage, sanitation, and cross-contamination prevention.
• Ability to follow standardized menus, recipes, portions, and meal schedules.
• Strong organization, dependability, and attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with site and program staff.
• Ability to safely perform the physical responsibilities associated with commercial food preparation.
• Food-handler or food-protection certification, or willingness to obtain required certification within the established timeframe.
• Successful completion of all required background checks, health clearances, and program training.

Experience with CACFP, child nutrition, or high-volume meal preparation is valued.

Why Join Clinton Hill

At Clinton Hill, kitchen staff are essential members of the team. Your work helps children develop healthy habits, enjoy nutritious food, and arrive in the classroom ready to participate and learn.

You will join a community-centered organization that values dependable service, teamwork, quality, and the people whose work keeps our programs running each day. Eligible employees may receive health insurance, retirement benefits, paid time off, training, and opportunities for growth.

Clinton Hill Community & Early Childhood Center, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds who share our commitment to children, families, and the Newark community.