Correctional Food Service Coordinator

State of Iowa; Rockwell City (IA); On-site; USD 36,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

The State of Iowa is seeking a Food Service Operations supervisor to manage all aspects of institutional food service, from ingredient procurement to meal delivery, while supervising incarcerated individuals and ensuring compliance with health codes. The role requires careful supervision, sanitation discipline, and accurate reporting.

Responsibilities include enforcing food safety standards, coordinating training, and maintaining secure operations.

Qualifications

• Two years of full-time work experience in mass food production in a commercial, military, hospital, or institutional food services setting.
• Ability to supervise and train incarcerated individuals.
• Knowledge of local/state food codes and sanitation practices.

Responsibilities

• Oversee food service operations including procurement, preparation, serving, and delivery.
• Direct supervision of incarcerated individuals in the food service area.
• Maintain security and sanitation standards within the food service and related areas.
• Ensure food safety, temperatures, and proper storage throughout the operation.
• Coordinate training and documentation for staff and incarcerated workers.
• Prepare reports using ICON for incident and policy adherence.

Skills

Communication

Supervision

Food handling

Training

Policy compliance

Tools

ICON system

Job description

Food Service Operations

• Ingredient Procurement-Order, receive and issue all Food Service supplies to provide adequate inventories for meals to be produced. Work and communicate with internal and external clients in a polite, and courteous way. Supervise and train Incarcerated Individuals assigned to this area. Utilize first in/ first out rotation practices for safe product usage. Update Food Service Icon to keep financial and inventory levels accurate. Weigh out and measure all ingredients needed for each meal daily.


• Meal Preparation - Prepare raw ingredients by slicing, grating, cutting or chopping to add to future recipes. Follow recipes to assemble and mix food items into nutritionally adequate and appealing menu items. Supervise and train Incarcerated Individuals assigned to this area. Pan up foods as to effectively measure servings or amounts produced to prevent shortages and/or waste. Follow all local and state food codes. Maintain sanitation by using soap and water on all dishes and food contact surfaces.


• Meal Serving - Take accurate inventories prior to beginning service. Assemble medically prescribed diets carefully following menus and portion sizes. Place proper portions of foods onto each tray so that it is not only appealing but eliminates mess and cross contamination. Serve each general population tray as to be identical in food and portion sizes. Supervise and train Incarcerated Individuals assigned to this area. Follow all local and state food codes. Maintain sanitation by using soap and water on all dishes and food contact surfaces.


• Food Delivery - Deliver food and/or trays and supplies to alternate serving locations, maintaining the sanitation and temperature of all food items. All carts are to remain in good repair and sanitary. Follow all traffic laws when utilizing motorized vehicles for delivery. Supervise and train Incarcerated Individuals assigned to this area. Follow all local and state food codes.

Direct Incarcerated Individual Supervision

• Provide direct supervision to incarcerated individuals in the Food Service department. Train each incarcerated individual in their current work assignment to maintain proper food production and serving procedures. Patrol Food Services regularly, supervising incarcerated individual behavior, implementing behavior management plans; asking questions and answering questions.


• Evaluate incarcerated individual work performance and behavior, provide instruction with follow up details.


• With a balanced approach instruct incarcerated individuals in rules, policy, procedures, expectations and assist incarcerated individuals in the development of attitudes and skills necessary for successful adaptation to life within an institution and pro-social lifestyle. Monitor progress of incarcerated individuals by focusing on behavior and rewarding positive behavior.


• Role model pro-social behaviors that convey dignity and respect for others and acknowledges that incarcerated individuals can change their lives be development of skills and adoption of pro-social attitudes and behaviors.


• Document maintenance needs and forward work orders to maintenance department.

Departmental Security

• Use knowledge of security to ensure a safe environment for incarcerated individuals and staff through knowledge of fire drills disaster plans and disturbance control procedures.


• Account for and appropriately lock all controlled items including knives and other Food Service tools.


• Account for all keys and locks following institutional procedures.


• Complete random shakedowns of Food Service areas for contraband. Utilize random searches as not to display a pattern. Document shakedowns.


• Pat Down Incarcerated individuals as they report for work and they leave to further support safety and sanitation in the food service department and the rest of the institution.


• Be alert to any security problems that might occur in food services.


• Execute self-defense techniques such as disengagements and escape that may require twisting, lifting, pulling, running and crawling.

Food Safety and Sanitation

• Maintain sanitary methods and personal hygiene standards applicable to institutional food service operations and capable of sharing these standards with incarcerated individuals.


• Document all food temperatures (received and produced), cooler and freezer temperatures, sanitizer levels and dish machine temperatures to ensure that food is being received, stored, produced and served in a safe and sanitary method.


• Through proper cleaning and sanitizing, ensure that all equipment and food contact surfaces are constantly safe for food service use. Document any irregularities.

Training

• Keep informed of all Food Service and institutional communications by email and as posted by the Food Service Director. Attend Food Service meetings and in service training.


• Complete DOC e-learning and career related learning activities that will assist in expanding personal skills which will maximize production and quality standards.


• By providing Incarcerated Individuals with individualized equipment training, help them to stay safe and understand the equipment they are operating.

Report Writing and Documentation

• Use ICON as a tool to write reports for incarcerated individuals that continue to not follow policy, procedures and/or directives.


• Use generic notes to document both bad and good behaviors that have been discussed with the incarcerated individuals.


• Complete all other duties as assigned.

E-Verify and Right to Work The State of Iowa participates in E-Verify, a federal program that helps employers confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. Within the required timeframe, new hires will be verified through the E-Verify system to ensure authorization to work in the United States. The State of Iowa also complies with the federal Right to Work laws, which protect employees’ rights to work without being required to join a labor organization. For more information, please visit www.e-verify.gov.

Applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements to qualify for positions in this job classification:

1. Two years of full-time work experience in mass food production in a commercial, military, hospital, or institutional food services setting.


2. A total of two years of education and/or full-time experience (as described in number one), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university coursework in dietetics, nutrition, food management or a closely related equals one year of full-time experience.


3. Current, continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes one year of full-time work as a Cook 1, Cook 2, or Baker.

For additional information, please click on this link to view the job description.

Within a period of time after hire, as determined by the appointing authority, employees in this class may be required to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and endorsements.