Food Service Associate

Douglas County (NE); Nebraska; On-site; USD 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Douglas County Health Center in Nebraska is seeking a Kitchen Associate to support meal and snack service for residents/patients. You will assemble trays, verify accuracy, load carts, and deliver meals in a timely manner while maintaining sanitation.

You will follow safety and privacy requirements, participate in training, and assist with department quality activities. A high school diploma or equivalent and relevant experience are required, with certification ongoing as needed.

Qualifications

• High school diploma, equivalent, or current high school enrollment.
• Six (6) months of experience in food service or customer service.
• Age 16 years or older.
• Food Handler certification within 30 days of hire and maintained every 2 years.
• Pre-employment background check, physical and drug screen as required.
• Equivalent combination of education and work experience may be substituted.

Responsibilities

• Assemble resident/patient trays with pre-made foods and beverages, verify accuracy of trays and load trays on carts.
• Deliver tray cart to dining rooms and retrieve following established schedule.
• Assemble and deliver late trays, special orders, rotate items and label/dating perishable foods.
• Document dish machine and refrigerator temperatures and other monitors.
• Restock supplies and prepare work area for next meal; clean and sanitize.
• Perform assigned cleaning duties and store dishes/utensils; sweep/mop floors.
• Remain alert to unsafe or hazardous situations and report to supervisor.
• Attend in-service training; comply with safety and privacy requirements.
• Assist with new employee orientation and participate in department quality activities.
• Report to work with regular attendance and perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Customer service

Verbal communication

Attention to detail

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Food Handler certification (Serve Clean / ServSafe)

Job description

Incumbent works under the direction of the Chef Manager or designee, performing kitchen tasks related to meal and snack service for residents/patients of the Douglas County Health Center (DCHC).

• Assemble resident/patient trays with pre-made foods and beverages (e.g. salads, desserts, fruits, juices, breads) verify accuracy of trays and load trays on carts.

• Establish and maintain effective work relationships with clients, supervisors, County employees, elected officials, attorneys, law enforcement, judges, other agencies, and the public.

• Comply with Civil Service Rules, collective bargaining agreements, County policies, department policies and laws to create a cooperative, safe, respectful and quality work environment.

• Deliver tray cart to dining room(s) and retrieve following established schedule.

• Assemble and deliver late trays, special ordered food items and snacks; rotating items, discarding expired products and labeling/dating perishable food.

• Document dish machine temperatures, refrigerator temperatures, and other monitors.

• Complete assigned tasks, restock supplies and prepare work area for next meal, cleaning and sanitizing work area.

• Perform assigned cleaning duties (e.g. pots/pans, walls, light fixtures, floors).

• Store clean dishes and utensils and sweep/mop kitchen floors.

• Remain alert to and report unsafe or potentially hazardous situations to the Food Service Supervisor.

• Attend in-service training and online education.

• Comply with all safety requirements and procedures (e.g. chemical and biohazards), reporting safety concerns to supervisor.

• Respond to emergency codes, complying with department policies and procedures.

• Comply with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and other privacy requirements.

• Assist with new employee orientation and training of food service employees.

• Participate in department quality assessment activities.

• Report to work with regular, consistent attendance.

• Perform other duties as assigned and directed.

• High school diploma, equivalent, or current high school enrollment required.*

• Six (6) months of experience in food service or customer service required.*

• Age 16 years or older required.*

• Douglas County Health Department Food Handler Serve Clean Certification obtained within 30 days of hire and maintained every 2 years throughout employment required.

• Completion of a pre-employment criminal record check, physical assessment and conditional offer drug screen required.

• *Equivalent combination of education and work experience may be substituted for requirements on a year-for-year basis.*

• The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Work is generally performed in a kitchen setting. Noise level is usually moderate. Work hours are typically standard day-shift hours; however, schedule may vary (e.g. weekends, overtime/extra hours, holidays, emergency call-in). Work involves potential exposure to humidity, extremes of heat and cold, mechanical, chemical, and biohazards. Work may be stressful when dealing with time constraints, multiple/changing priorities, limited resources and uncooperative/irate individuals.

• Work requires considerable physical activity including constant standing, walking and balancing, frequent lifting, reaching, pushing, pulling, and bending, and occasional sitting, kneeling, and climbing. Work also requires the ability to frequently lift and/or carry objects weighing up to 10 pounds and occasionally up to 50 pounds.

• Required sensory abilities include vision, hearing, smell, taste and touch. Visual abilities, correctable to normal ranges include close, distance, color and peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Communication abilities include the ability to talk and hear within normal ranges. Incumbent must also possess the hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity necessary to operate computers and other equipment.