Cook ( Hiring Incentive)

Urban Strategies; Tennessee; On-site; USD 28,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A community-focused organization is seeking a cook to provide nutrition and food to children in their care. This role requires preparing meals, maintaining kitchen cleanliness, and adhering to food safety standards. Candidates should have a High School Diploma or GED and valid Food Handler Certification, along with at least 1-3 years of experience working with children. Successful applicants will demonstrate interpersonal skills, organization, and a commitment to family engagement while ensuring all health and safety regulations are met.

Qualifications

• 1-3 years’ experience working with families and children prenatal to three years of age and Food Handling.
• Must have a valid driver's license, personal vehicle, and liability insurance required.
• Ability to lift 40 pounds occasionally and push/pull 50 pounds.
• Technical competencies: Food handling, Safety, Food Management.
• Organizational competencies: Teamwork, Community approach.
• Technical skills: MS Office, Excel.
• Must have Valid Driver’s License, Personal Vehicle and Liability Insurance required.

Responsibilities

• Prepare daily food planning and meals for infants and toddlers.
• Wash and sanitize kitchen equipment and work areas.
• Prepare food inventory and maintain cleanliness in the food store.
• Keep the food store clean and organized.
• Prepare and maintain the food inventory.
• Prepare all documentation of CACFP.
• Complete purchase orders for food and kitchen needs.
• Assist educational staff regarding rations to be served.
• Manage resources (food, equipment, detergents, materials).
• Receive food purchases.
• Prepare daily, weekly and monthly reports.
• Apply knowledge from Food Safety Management Certification.
• Follow Department of Health recommendations.
• Comply with all state and federal regulations for the program.
• Complete other duties as assigned.

Skills

Food handling

Safety

Interpersonal Relations

Organized

MS Office

Excel

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Valid Food Handler Certification

Job description

URBAN STRATEGIES – EARLY HEAD START, HOUSTON

Work Schedule

FIVE DAYS PER WEEK, 40 HOURS PER WEEK; 12 MONTHS PER YEAR

Reports To

CENTER MANAGER, EHS

Organizational Overview

Urban Strategies exists to equip, resource, and connect faith- and community-based organizations that are engaged in community transformation to help families reach their fullest potential. We work with trusted faith- and community-based organizations and focus on the Latino community to engage and come alongside the whole family. Our vision is that all children and families reach their full potential.

Our work is informed by our three core values: Authentic Relationships, Servant Leadership, and Intentional Compassion. Authentic Relationships are foundational to our work and move beyond a transactional nature to truly know people. They serve as opportunities for mutual development and growth and are based on the belief that all people have inherent dignity and worth. Servant Leadership is rooted in an other‑centric mindset that informs the way one leads and builds up individuals, families, and communities. Intentional Compassion describes a deliberate commitment to understand, formulate strategic responses, and activate others to reach their full potential.

Our organization is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and our administrative offices are located in Johnson City, Tennessee. Our team works across the United States and Puerto Rico with direct service centers located in California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, New York, and Puerto Rico.

Position Overview

The cook performs a variety of tasks in the kitchen area to provide food and nutrition to children.

Essential Functions

• Prepare daily food planning.
• Prepare food for infants and toddlers in accordance with the provisions of the Child and Adult Food Program (CACFP) and the daily meal cycle.
• Wash, clean and sanitize kitchen equipment and work areas.
• Keep the food store clean and organized.
• Prepare and maintain the food inventory.
• Prepare all documentation of the Child and Adult Care Food Program CACFP.
• Complete purchase order for food and kitchen needs on the requested frequency.
• Assist educational staff regarding the rations to be served.
• Manage resources under their charge (food, equipment, detergents, materials).
• Receive food purchases.
• Prepare daily, weekly and monthly reports.
• Put into practice the knowledge acquired in the Food Safety Management Certification.
• Follow the recommendations established through the Department of Health.
• Comply with all state and federal regulations regarding the program.
• Complete other activities and related duties as assigned.

Physical Responsibilities

Ability to see at normal distance, use hands and arms to cook, hear normal conversations and sounds and use hands and fingers to fill out required forms. Occasional lifting of forty (40) pounds is required and must be able to push/pull up to fifty pounds horizontally. Ability to sit on the floor, bend at the waist, kneel and/or stoop 75% of the time.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions if the staff disability does not create an undue risk of injury.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: High School Diploma or GED, and valid Food Handler Certification.
• Experience: One to three years’ experience working with families and children prenatal to three years of age and Food Handling.
• Professional competencies: Proactivity, Interpersonal Relations, Organized.
• Technical competencies: Food handling, Safety, Food Management.
• Organizational competencies: Teamwork, Community approach.
• Technical skills: MS Office, Excel.
• Must have Valid Driver’s License, Personal Vehicle and Liability Insurance required.

Special Considerations

• All EHS employees must pass a mandatory criminal background check prior to hiring and every five years thereafter.
• Initial health exam and state required communicable disease screening and testing.
• Employment is conditional pending satisfactory results of all required tests and background checks mentioned above. Periodic physical examinations and TB clearances will be required if hired.

To Apply

• Please visit www.urbanstrategies.us/careers.
• Please contact us with any questions: [e-mail].

Equal Opportunity Employer