Cook's Aide

County of Sandoval; Rio Rancho (NM); On-site; USD 22,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

County of Sandoval is seeking a Kitchen Assistant at the CS Senior Center Rio Rancho to help prepare and serve meals for senior and homebound clients. You will assist cooks, manage dining area setup, and perform deliveries as required, with emphasis on safety and sanitation.

The role requires a high school diploma or GED, six months in food service, a NM driver’s license, and ServSafe certification within six months. A background check and drug screening are part of the process.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED and six months in food service.
• Valid NM driver’s license and ServSafe certification within 6 months.
• Background check and pre-employment drug screening required.
• Experience in large-scale kitchen operations preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assist in preparation, volume cooking, and serving meals for seniors.
• Set up and clean dining and kitchen areas; deliver meals as needed.
• Assist with inventory, ordering, and food safety compliance.
• Operate kitchen equipment and maintain sanitary standards.

Skills

High-volume cooking

Food safety

Customer service

Kitchen equipment

Menu planning

Education

High School Diploma/GED

Job description

Department:

CS Senior Center Rio Rancho

Pay:

$16.26-$18.72

Job Description:

GENERAL PURPOSE: Under close supervision, responsible for assisting in the preparation, volume cooking, and serving of meals for assigned senior center, homebound and congregate clients; performs setup and cleanup duties in the dining and kitchen areas; picks up and delivers food as assigned; assists the Cook and Senior Center Supervisor with other duties such as inventory and ordering of supplies; and performs other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience: High School Diploma/GED Certificate from an accredited institution and six months of experience working in the food service industry; preferably in a large scale commercial or institutional kitchen setting preparing food for large groups of people.

Required Licenses or Certifications: Valid New Mexico Driver’s License. ServSafe Certification within 6 months of hire.

Additional Requirements: Ability to maintain a valid New Mexico driver’s license. Must pass a background check applicable to position. Pre-employment drug and alcohol screening. This is a safety- sensitive position subject to random drug testing in accordance with County policy Article XIII Drug and Alcohol Policy and Testing-Drug Free Workplace of the Sandoval County Personnel Rules and Regulation.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Position reports to the Senior Center Supervisor and does not exercise supervision over lower level staff.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

The following duties ARE NOT intended to serve as a comprehensive list of all duties performed by all employees in this classification, only a representative summary of the primary duties and responsibilities. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties listed and may be required to perform additional, position-specific duties. Performs a wide variety of tasks in the preparation and serving of food for the County Senior Programs; volume cooking of foods according to prescribed menus and recipes and as directed by the Cook; and prepares entrees and side items that accompany the main course meal including cutting, slicing, chopping, baking, portioning and cooking. Assists with setting up and serving food; preparing dining area for meal time and monitoring during meal service; preparing take-out/homebound food and individual food trays; proper food storage and storing of leftover food according to County standards and Food Safety Rules and Regulations; receiving food orders; and maintaining the cleanliness of the food service, dining and storage areas. Operates standard kitchen equipment including ovens, steamers, slicers, and mixers; performs a variety of kitchen and dining area duties including maintaining orderly, safe and sanitary conditions; washing dishes, utensils and equipment; cleaning appliances, tables, chairs, and surfaces; and sweeping and mopping floors. Serves as back-up Driver to deliver meals to homebound clients as assigned; makes and wraps food portions; packages food orders for transport; and delivering food orders. Assists clients with registration and special needs as necessary; receives shipments of food and supplies; and verifies quantity, quality and type of products match the work orders as required. Performs other job-related duties as assigned or required.

Required Knowledge of

• Techniques and practices for large-scale/high-volume food preparation for standard and special diet items.
• Safety and sanitation practices for food preparation, distribution and storage.
• Kitchen safety, sanitation and hygiene standards.
• Menu development.
• Food Safety Rules and Regulations.
• Type and quantities of foods required for volume and special diet cooking and how to minimize waste.
• Kitchen equipment and associated kitchen tools.
• Appropriate cleaning methods and materials of kitchen related tools, furniture, and equipment.
• Perform mathematical computations and use of a calculator.
• Food preparation in a large cafeteria style setting.
• Effective communication principles and practices including oral and written communication.
• Modern office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers, computer applications such as word processing and spreadsheets sufficient to perform assigned work.
• English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• Principles of business letter writing.

Required Skill in

• Operation of food preparation equipment and maintaining required cleanliness of kitchens.
• Estimating type and quantities of foods required for meals and minimizing waste.
• Preparation of varied menu items and complete meals in an institutional large-scale setting.
• Maintaining a safe, clean and sanitary working environment.
• Reading, comprehending, and following recipes.
• Operating required equipment and kitchen tools/utensils.
• Communicating effectively verbally and in writing, to include staff training and communication of instructions in food/meal preparation.
• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with employees, other agencies, and the public.
• Utilizing personal computer software programs and other relevant software affecting assigned work.

Physical Demands / Work Environment

Work is performed in a large-scale kitchen environment. Essential and supplemental functions may require maintaining physical condition necessary for sitting, walking or standing for prolonged periods of time, bending, stooping, and lifting and carrying items weighing up to 50 pounds. Work requires manual dexterity and visual and hearing acuity sufficient to safely perform essential and supplemental duties Work regularly requires speaking, hearing and utilizing a phone and/or cell phone, calculator, copier or fax machine. Regularly may be exposed to large and working machinery, potential physical harm, and hazardous chemicals when preparing large quantities of food using a variety of kitchen equipment and tools and when cleaning and maintaining the kitchen area. Operates vehicle to remote facilities, local facilities and other locations as necessary to perform assigned work and to attend meetings.

We foster an organization that engages its citizens and exceeds their needs. We promote organizational excellence through collaborative leadership, improved communications and the development of employee learned programs. We ensure employees' skills and County policies are aligned with County goals and objectives to sustain investment in public and organizational infrastructures. Sandoval County is always recruiting for hardworking, qualified people to join our workforce.