District Kitchen Cook

Kalamazoo Public Schools; Oshtemo Charter Township (MI); On-site; USD 21,000 - 29,000; Full time

Job summary

Kalamazoo Public Schools is hiring a Cook for the District Kitchen. Shifts run 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM, with responsibilities including assistive cooking for hot foods, production planning support, and ensuring quality, nutrition, and timely service for the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs.

The role requires adherence to safety and sanitation standards, ability to work in a busy school kitchen, and effective communication with the Food Service Manager and staff.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or accredited equivalent.
• Ability to read, write, follow verbal and written instructions.
• Strong knowledge of safety and sanitation in food service operations.
• Two years of experience in the food service industry desirable.
• Complete sanitation and safety classes within two years.
• Must be able to stand, lift up to 40 lbs, and work under pressure.
• Must display reliable attendance and promptness.
• Must be neat and maintain high hygiene standards.
• Ability to interact positively with students, staff and administrators.

Responsibilities

• Prepare entrees and components in proper portions for lunch periods.
• Maintain sanitation and safety in line with state, county, district codes.
• Assist with planning production schedules and thaw lists.
• Follow USDA, MDE, district rules and regulations.
• Communicate concerns to the Food Service Manager as needed.
• Prepare meals and ala carte items; merchandise meals attractively.
• Operate a variety of commercial kitchen equipment.
• Monitor temperatures and document cooking, holding and cooling processes.
• Identify and report safety hazards; assist with accident reporting.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Food Service Manager or Director.

Job description

Cook

District Kitchen

6:00-2:00 pm

$18.10 per hour

Scope of Responsibilities

The Cook has the overall responsibility of assisting with hot foods and baked goods. They may also help with the production planning and execution for the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. Examples of job responsibilities may include: working closely with the Food Service Manager to ensure that a high quality entree component is prepared and/or cooked in a timely manner, assisting the Food Service Manager with the completion of production schedules and thaw lists, expanding standardized recipes to the proper number of servings, gathering, measuring and/or weighing ingredients for standardized recipes, slicing meat and grating cheese, preparing other meal components and ala carte items, operating a variety of commercial kitchen equipment, ensuring compliance with U.S.D.A., M.D.E., District and health department rules and establishing and maintaining high standards in the areas of nutrition, food production and student and staff service.

Performance Responsibilities

1. Implements a standardized menu by preparing and/or cooking the entree components in the proper portion size and overall quantity in accordance with the schools lunch hours.
2. Ensures that all sanitation and safety practices comply with State, County, and District requirements and codes, which includes, but is not limited to the receiving, storing, handling, preparing and serving of food products, and the general cleaning and sanitizing of the kitchen, food service equipment supplies and utensils.
3. Assists with the planning of production schedules and thaw lists.
4. Ensures that all practices and procedures are in compliance with all U.S.D.A Michigan Department of Education and District rules and regulations.
5. Communicates with the Food Service Manager regarding concerns about policies and/or procedures, as they relate to the production kitchen staff.
6. Promotes student and staff satisfaction through preparing and merchandising meals in an attractive manner.
7. Prepares other meal components and ala carte items for service during the lunch period.
8. Expands and follows standardized recipes.
9. Operates a variety of commercial food service equipment.
10. Ensures proper presentation, portion control and maintenance/documentation of cooking, holding and cooling temperatures.
11. Adheres to prescribed safety procedures. This includes, but may not be limited to checking work areas for safety hazards, removing safety hazards from work areas, reporting safety hazards to the Food Service Manager and/or the Director of Food Services or the Building Principal, administering emergency first aid and completing accident reports.
12. Performs other responsibilities and duties as assigned by the Food Service Manager and/or the Director of Food Services.

Minimum Qualifications

1. Must have a High School Diploma or accredited equivalent.
2. Must have the ability to read, write, follow verbal and written instructions.
3. Must have a strong knowledge of safety and sanitation, as it relates to food service operations.
4. A minimum of two years experience in the food service industry is desirable. A food preparation background is also desirable.
5. Must complete the sanitation and Safety classes through the State-Wide Training Program offered by the Michigan School Food Service Association and the Michigan Department of Education, within a two year period of time.
6. Must be able to work under pressure and tolerate standing (frequent), bending (occasional), squatting (occasional), reaching (occasional) and lifting (frequent—minimum five to twenty pounds, occasional—twenty to forty pounds), with, or without ADA accommodation.
7. Must have sufficient mobility to perform assigned tasks within the production and service time frames.
8. Must display a reliable attendance and promptness pattern.
9. Must be neat and clean. Must have high standards for personal hygiene.
10. Must have the ability to interact with students, co-workers, teachers and administrators in a positive manner and have the ability to discuss and/or resolve problems.

Equal Opportunity

Kalamazoo Public Schools is an Equal Opportunity Employer.