Cook

Merrill Gardens; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 25,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free daily meal every shift

401(k) with company match

Paid time off and holidays

Tuition reimbursement

Disability insurance

Pet insurance

Job summary

Merrill Gardens at Rockridge is seeking a Senior Living Cook to support residents with high-quality, nutritious meals in a caring community. The role emphasizes safety, batch cooking, and timely preparation to meet dietary needs in a seniors’ living environment.

The position includes full-time hours with excellent benefits, paid time off, and opportunities for career advancement in a growing company dedicated to seniors and team members alike.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in quality food preparation.
• Experience in scratch cooking in a high volume, fine dining setting.
• Proficiency in computer skills including MS Outlook, Word, etc.
• 1– year previous dining experience in food preparation.
• High School diploma required or GED; college degree or equivalent preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assists in preparing all food items following production amounts, proper recipes, and procedures.
• Ensures all food items are prepared in a timely fashion using batch-cooking and cook-to-order where appropriate.
• Prepares all food products to ensure Food Safety and meet dietary requirements of residents.
• Attends all dining services meetings and in-service trainings.
• Maintains kitchen sanitation and safety standards including cleaning and documentation.

Skills

Quality food prep

Scratch cooking

High volume dining

MS Outlook/Word

Education

High School diploma or GED

College degree or equivalent preferred

Tools

MS Outlook

Word

Job description

Senior Living Cook

Are you passionate about working with seniors? Are you dedicated to supporting seniors on their wellness journey to ensure they are provided with an atmosphere that values individualism and dignity? If so, we may have the perfect opportunity for you!Merrill Gardens at Rockridgeis currently accepting applications forCooksto help support residents within our beautiful community residents call home.

If you are a compassionate, caring, responsible, and honest individual who genuinely loves working with the senior population, we would love the opportunity to speak with you!

Family means everything to us. From the communities we create to the connections we make with residents, everything we do is rooted in our history as a fifth-generation family business.

We build on that family with the people we hire and the teams they form. As a family company, we can do things differently and for the past 30 years our long‑term commitment to team members has been unsurpassed.

We offer our full-time employees:

• Highly competitive pay and comprehensive benefits (medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, life insurance).
• Company-paid Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Paid time off – 7 holidays, and 11 vacation days.
• Free daily meal every shift.
• 401(k) with company match and immediate vesting!
• Tuition reimbursement for career growth.
• Company-paid short & long-term disability insurance.
• Pet insurance and team member discounts.
• Advance Pay benefit – access wages before payday.
• A stable, growing company with opportunities for advancement!

We offer our part-time employees:

• Free daily meal every shift.
• 401(k) with company match and immediate vesting!
• Company-paid Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Tuition reimbursement for career growth.
• Pet insurance and team member discounts.
• Advance Pay benefit – access wages before payday.
• A stable, growing company with opportunities for advancement!

Our Cooks are responsible for:

• Assists in preparing all food items following production amounts, proper recipes, and procedures.
• Ensures all food items are prepared in a timely fashion. Uses batch-cooking and cook to order where appropriate to ensure a fresh product.
• Prepares all food products in a manner to ensure the highest level of Food Safety and to preserve nutrients toward meeting the specific dietary requirements of the residents.
• Attends all regularly scheduled dining services meetings and in‑service trainings.
• Maintains kitchen sanitation and safety standards:
  • Cleans and sanitizes all work areas and equipment before and after each use.
  • Practices proper food handling and food storage procedures as per Merrill Gardens and state
  • Food Safety guidelines always.
  • Maintains documentation of all temperature charts and records as per company policy and procedure.
  • Completes assigned cleaning to ensure compliance and sanitary standards are met.

If you are someone with:

• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in quality food preparation
• Experience in scratch cooking in a high volume, fine dining setting
• Proficiency in computer skills including MS Outlook, Word, etc.
• 1 – year previous dining experience in food preparation.
• High School diploma required or GED; college degree or equivalent preferred.

Actual pay rate within stated pay range is determined based on relevant factors in compliance with state and local wage laws. This range reflects what we reasonably expect to pay upon hire.

Physical Requirements:

This role requires frequent standing, walking, and manual handling of materials up to 50 lbs. Regular bending, lifting, and reaching are also part of daily responsibilities. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Our mission is to provide an inspiring environment for our residents, families, and team members where every life is defined by the possibilities.

Merrill Gardens is an Equal Opportunity Employer