Cook I/II - Sheriff's Office (Open and Promotional)

County of San Mateo; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 71,000 - 86,000; Full time

Job summary

The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office is seeking Cook I/II for the Sheriff’s Office-Food Service Unit, located in Redwood City, CA. Responsibilities include preparing and serving meals in large quantities, operating industrial equipment, and assisting with menu planning.

An ideal candidate has ServSafe or similar certification, reads recipes, and has two or more years of institutional or large-scale kitchen experience. Background checks are required for employment in a correctional facility.

Qualifications

• Must possess and maintain a ServSafe Food Manager or Food Protection Manager Certification, or obtain within six months.
• Possession of a valid Class C California driver's license (delivery truck experience preferred).
• Must pass a background investigation to work in a locked facility around incarcerated persons.
• Cook I requires two years of experience in a large commercial or institutional kitchen including prepping and serving food and cleaning equipment.
• Cook II requires two years of experience as a kitchen worker, including one year as a journey-level cook.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and serve large quantities of food; check portioning and garnishing and ensure correct serving.
• Operate and clean industrial food service equipment; calculate ingredients; receive and store food.
• Train new cooks; mentor students and/or interns; supervise and work with incarcerated persons.
• Assist with menu planning and recipe development; keep all food service areas clean.

Skills

Teamwork

Food safety

Reading recipes

Job description

The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office is seeking experienced individuals for the position of Cook I/II.

There is one vacancy in the Sheriff's Office-Food Service Unit, located inside Maple Street Correctional Facility in Redwood City, CA.

Responsibilities of a Cook include, but are not limited to, preparing and serving a variety of dishes in large quantities; checking portioning and garnishing of food, and ensuring that it is served correctly and according to instructions; operating and cleaning a variety of industrial food service equipment; calculating ingredients needed; receiving and storing food; training new cooks; mentoring students and/or interns; supervising the work of and working alongside incarcerated persons (IP), assisting with menu planning and recipe development; and keeping all areas clean within the food services operations.

An ideal candidate will possess one or more of the following: ServSafe Food Manager certification, School Nutrition Specialist certification, or Culinary Certification. The candidate will also have the ability to read and follow standardized recipes, have two or more years of experience as a Cook in the institutional or restaurant industry, and be able to work as part of a team in a large scale fast paced kitchen environment.

Additional requirements

• Possession of ServSafe Food Manager certification or Food Protection Manager Certification is required. If the selected candidates do not possess this certification upon hire, they must obtain it within six (6) months of employment.
• Possession of a valid Class C California driver’s license. Experience driving a delivery truck is preferred but not required.

Candidates chosen for these positions must successfully pass a background investigation in order to work in a locked facility around incarcerated persons. Felony and misdemeanor convictions may be disqualifying depending on type, number, severity, and recency.

The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office currently has one regular full-time vacancy, with additional possible vacancies. The appointment may be made at either the Cook I or II level, depending on the qualifications of the successful candidate(s) and the needs of the department.

Cook I

$34.11 - $38.13 /hourly

Cook II

$36.90 - $41.27 /hourly

NOTE:

The eligible list created from this recruitment may be used to fill future extra-help, term, unclassified, and regular classified vacancies at the Sheriff’s Office or at any one of a number of the following work sites/programs: San Mateo Medical Center; Meals on Wheels Program; and Canyon Oaks Youth Center.

Licensure/Certification

• Must possess and maintain a current ServSafe Food Manager or Food Protection Manager Certification for the duration of employment in this classification or obtain certification within six (6) months of employment.
• Some positions require possession of a current and valid Class C California driver’s license or equivalent.

Experience and Education

Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to qualify is:

• Cook I: Two years of experience in a large commercial or institutional kitchen which has included preparing and serving food and cleaning kitchen equipment and facilities.
• Cook II: Two years of experience as a kitchen worker, including one year as a journey-level cook, preparing and serving food in a large commercial or institutional kitchen.

Knowledge of

• Volume food production techniques; methods and equipment used in production of large quantities of food; kitchen cleaning and sanitation methods; basic arithmetic.

Skill/Ability to

• Prepare and serve large quantities of food; read and accurately follow recipes and menus; work rapidly under pressure; work cooperatively with others; and direct the work of assistants.

Physical Requirements

• Must be physically able to lift, carry or push materials, supplies or equipment weighing up to 50 pounds; and walk or stand for long periods of time.

Security Clearance

• Positions working in a correctional facility require that the applicant obtain and maintain a security clearance as a condition of employment.

Other requirements

• Majority of positions require employees to work weekends, holidays, evenings or other shifts and be on-call.

Open and Promotional. Anyone may apply.

Current County of San Mateo and County of San Mateo Superior Court of California employees with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, or extra-help/limited term position prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score on this examination.

The examination process will consist of a scored evaluation of relevant training and experience. The evaluation is based solely on the responses to the supplemental questionnaire. Applicants who pass the training and experience evaluation will be placed on a list of eligible candidates and ranked according to their score (weight: 100%). Because of the training and experience evaluation, not all applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are guaranteed advancement through the examination process. All examinations will be given in County of San Mateo, California and applicants must participate at their own expense.

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT TIMELINE

Application Deadline Tuesday October 20, 2026, by 11:59 PM PST

Training and Experience Evaluation Week of October 20, 2026

Departmental Interviews Week of November 2, 2026

About the County

San Mateo County is centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose, and the East Bay. With over 750,000 residents, San Mateo is one of the largest and most diverse counties in California and serves a multitude of culturally, ethnically and linguistically diverse communities.

The County of San Mateo is committed to advancing equity in order to ensure that all employees are welcomed in a safe and inclusive environment. The County seeks to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community. We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply. Eighty percent of employees surveyed stated that they would recommend the County as a great place to work.

The County of San Mateo is an equal opportunity employer. We seek to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community.

HR Contact: Simone Sagapolu (10062026) (Cook I/II - S030/S027)