Cook Needed for Senior Living Community

Vista Springs; Clarkston (MI); On-site; USD 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

Vista Springs in Clarkston, Michigan, is seeking a Culinary Services professional responsible for preparing and serving nutritionally balanced meals tailored to resident preferences. You will ensure high standards of cleanliness in the kitchen and dining areas, communicate with the Culinary Services Director on feedback, and manage food inventory.

The ideal candidate will have a high school diploma, relevant experience in culinary services, and a commitment to delivering exceptional resident care while complying with health standards.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• One year of experience cooking/baking from scratch.
• Ability to communicate effectively in English.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and serve balanced meals that meet dietary requirements.
• Ensure kitchen cleanliness and compliance with health standards.
• Coordinate special events and manage inventory of supplies.

Skills

Cooking/Baking from scratch

Understanding special diets

Communication with residents

Time Management

Education

High school diploma

One year experience in culinary setting

Tools

Word

Outlook

Job description

Position Summary

Responsible for preparing and serving palatable, nutritionally balanced, quality food to residents as directed by the Culinary Services Director. Responsible for keeping equipment, kitchen and dining areas clean.

Job Duties

Reasonable Accommodations Statement: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable Accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Essential Job Functions

• Arrive to your scheduled shift regularly and punctually.
• Assist the culinary service director to develop, monitor and maintain quality standards for the storage, preparation and presentation of food.
• Prepare and serve nutritionally balanced, well‑prepared and palatable meals that reflect the likes and dislikes of residents in a timely and consistent manner while adhering to menus and special dietary needs, using the GFS cycle Menu management program.
• Verify appropriate meals and snacks are served to residents.
• Comply with dietary department licensing standards and requirements.
• Routinely communicate with the Culinary Services Director on feedback from residents regarding food.
• Communicate to the Culinary Services Director when inventory of supplies and food items are low so they may be re‑ordered.
• Ensure food items and supplies are on hand when needed.
• Comply with sanitation schedule for kitchen, equipment, and dining room to maintain high standard of sanitation and cleanliness.
• At the instruction of the Culinary Service Director, coordinate special events including but not limited to holiday meals, birthday meals, company picnics or other events.
• Attend mandatory in‑service meetings and continuing education opportunities as required.
• Adhere to MSDS procedures regarding cleaners or other hazardous materials.
• Comply with universal precautions and infection control, isolation, fire, safety and sanitation practices and procedures.
• Properly report any hazardous conditions and equipment, incidents or accidents in a timely fashion.
• Understand, comply with and promote resident rights, safety, supervision and protection.
• Maintain confidentiality of resident health information as required by HIPAA.
• Ensure a safe environment for residents, visitors and co‑workers.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Position Qualifications

Competency Statements

• Accountability: Accepts responsibility and accounts for his/her actions.
• Resident Oriented: Takes care of the residents’ needs while following company procedures.
• Ethical: Demonstrates conduct conforming to a set of values and accepted standards.
• Respectful: Displays a caring, respectful and positive attitude when addressing residents, family members and co‑workers.
• Honest / Integrity: Is truthful and seen as credible in the workplace.
• Relationship Building: Effectively builds relationships with residents and co‑workers.
• Reliability: Is dependable and trustworthy.
• Responsible: Is held accountable or answerable for one's conduct.
• Creativity: Seeks ways to improve all aspects of the job; brainstorms to develop suggestions and new ideas.
• Communication: Communicates openly and honestly and with tact; promotes cooperation, trust and open exchange of ideas; treats others with respect; expresses facts and thoughts in writing in a clear and organized way; resolves conflicts in a positive way.
• Time Management: Effectively prepares and uses a ‘to‑do’ list; allocates time to planning, thinking and mapping out tasks; controls time spent in attending meetings and controls interruptions.

Skills & Abilities

Education and ExperienceA high school diploma, one year experience cooking/baking from scratch and preparing special diets and management experience in a long‑term care or assisted living setting OR a combination of education and experience.

Computer SkillsProficient in Word and Outlook in a Windows environment or equivalent.

Language SkillsAbility to read, speak and understand the English language and communicate effectively with residents, family members and employees. Ability to read and correctly interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions and procedure manuals.

Mathematical SkillsAbility to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals. Ability to compute rates and percent’s and the ability to read and interpret graphs from data.

Reasoning AbilityAbility to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

Certificates & LicensesFirst aid and CPR training will be provided on the job.

Physical Demands

• Stand C Lift/Carry Transfer
• Walk C 10 lbs. or less F
• Sit O 11-20 lbs. F
• Reach Outward C 21-50 lbs. F
• Reach Above Shoulder C 51-100 lbs. N
• Climb N Over 100 lbs. N
• Squat or Kneel O Push/ Pull
• Bend F 12 lbs. or less F
• Twist F 11-20 lbs. F 21-50 lbs. O 51-100 lbs. N Over 100 lbs. N

Other Physical Requirements

• Ability to withstand sudden temperature changes from the heat of the kitchen to the cold of the freezers.
• Ability to safely transport hot pans and other hot food dishes from range or ovens to the steam table or other areas.
• Ability to maneuver through the kitchen and walk-in-freezer(s) and cooler(s).
• Ability to identify chemicals and properly use and dilute them.
• Ability to see dirt, dust and areas to clean.
• Ability to hear and speak clearly so as to understand instructions and communicate.