INTERMEDIATE FOOD SERVICE WORKER

County of Los Angeles; Downey (CA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

The County of Los Angeles Probation Department is hiring Emergency Intermediate Food Service Workers for temporary assignments with a path to permanent County employment based on performance.

Positions involve kitchen duties, basic cooking, meal service support, and maintaining clean work areas. Applicants should meet the experience or course requirements and possess a valid CA driver license where applicable. This posting emphasizes safety and efficiency in high-need dining operations.

Qualifications

• Six months' experience in the preparation, serving, or cooking of food.
• Completion of a recognized course in quantity food preparation and cooking of at least six months duration.
• License: A valid California Class C Driver License or ability to use an alternative transportation method.
• PHYSICAL CLASS: 3 – Moderate physical requirements, lifting up to 25 pounds.

Responsibilities

• Operates standard kitchen equipment used to peel, slice, strain, or mix food ingredients.
• Performs light cooking duties such as preparing hot cakes, eggs or potatoes for service.
• Observes cooking process and monitors time to ensure proper cooking.
• Prepares and loads serving equipment, transports food to dining areas, and handles related paperwork.
• Operates dishwashing equipment and cleans kitchen areas, storage, and equipment.
• Assists in receiving and storing food supplies and retrieving ingredients from storerooms.

Skills

Food preparation

Cooking

Food handling

Safety awareness

Education

Quantity food preparation course

Tools

Dishwashing equipment

Job description

FILING PERIOD

Applications will be accepted from Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. (PT), until Friday, September 25, 2026, 5:00 p.m., (PT). All applications must be received before 5:00 p.m. (PT) on Friday, September 25, 2026, to be accepted.

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT

OPEN COMPETITIVE - EMERGENCY

EXAM NUMBER

F6416A-HE

LA County Department of Human Resources (DHR) has authorized Hiring as an Emergency under Civil Service Rule 13.04 in response to Assembly Bill (AB) 2561 (McKinnor) which requires the County to report on high vacancy rates and recruitment efforts. This action supports a Countywide strategy to address persistent staffing shortages that threaten the delivery of essential public services.

We are looking for qualified and committed individuals to help strengthen the County workforce and ensure residents continue to receive critical support. If you are looking for a new opportunity where your work will make an immediate impact, this may be the role for you.

The Probation Department is seeking qualified candidates to fill emergency Intermediate Food Service Worker vacancies related to the effort to stabilize critical services and accelerate hiring in high-need areas.

Under the emergency order, applicants who meet the requirements may be hired for an initial period of up to 90 days, with an opportunity for permanent County employment.

During your initial work period, you will be assessed on your work performance. This assessment will be weighted 100%.

Those who successfully pass the assessment will be considered for permanent appointment to Intermediate Food Services Worker.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Operates standard kitchen equipment is used to peel, slice, strain, or mix various food ingredients.
• Performs light cooking duties such as preparing hot cakes, eggs or potatoes, or performs simple cooking in small quantities for service in the dining rooms and assists in setting up for meal service.
• Observes food in the process of cooking and monitors cooking time, ensuring foods are sufficiently cooked.
• Prepares and loads food serving equipment, transports food and utensils to dining halls, housing modules and ensures related paperwork and documents are completed.
• Operates dishwashing equipment to clean dishes, utensils, pots and pans, cleans kitchen work areas, floors, food storage areas and kitchen equipment, collects and disposes of garbage or supervises food service workers performing these tasks.
• Assists in the receiving and storing of food supplies, retrieving food supplies, ingredients and condiments from kitchen storerooms.

For further detailed information, including additional examples of duties in various administrative functions and general/specific competencies regarding this position, please view the classification specification for Intermediate Food Service Worker.

REQUIREMENTS

REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY:

Option I: Six months' experience in the preparation, serving, or cooking of food.

Option II: Completion of a recognized course* in quantity food preparation and cooking of at least six months duration.

LICENSE: A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.

PHYSICAL CLASS: 3 –– Moderate: This class requires that the incumbent stand or walk most of the time with bending, stooping, squatting, twisting, reaching, working on irregular surfaces, occasional lifting of objects weighing over 25 pounds, and frequent lifting of 10-25 pounds.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION

• To receive credit for a recognized course in quantity food preparation and cooking, submit a legible copy of your official certificate or transcript from an accredited institution within seven (7) days of filing your application. Required documents may be emailed to [e-mail].

We do not accept password-protected documents. Ensure documents are unlocked before attaching to your application or sending to the exam analyst.

EXAM CONTENT

During your initial work period, the appointing department will evaluate your performance. Those who achieve a passing score on this evaluation will be considered for permanent appointment.

VACANCY INFORMATION

We will use this exam to fill vacancies in the Los Angeles County Probation Department.

FINGERPRINTING AND SECURITY CLEARANCE

A thorough background investigation will be conducted prior to appointment. Any false statement or omission of material fact may cause forfeiture of employment rights. Information presented on the employment application, resume, and during the examination process is subject to verification.

Candidates who are found unsuitable for employment will be removed from the eligible list pursuant to Civil Service Rule 6.04.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Social Security Number

Please include your Social Security Number for record control purposes. Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number.

Computer Access At Public Libraries

Computer and Internet Access at Public Libraries: For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County.

FAIR CHANCE EMPLOYER

The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except for a very limited number of positions, you will not be asked to provide information about a conviction history unless you receive a contingent offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and consider potential mitigating factors, including, but not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about a conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed.

ANTI-RACISM, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION (ARDI)

The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. The Department of Human Resources is committed to promoting Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst races. We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.

Department Contact Name: Probation Examinations Reyna Chavez, Exam Analyst

Department Contact Number: [phone]

Department Contact Email: [e-mail]

California Relay Services Phone: [phone]

Teletype Phone: [phone]

EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION

Any language contained in the job posting supersedes any language contained below. This document is intended to provide general information about the recruitment process of the County of Los Angeles. Applicants with questions about a specific job posting should contact the exam analyst listed on the posting.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY/ NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

The County of Los Angeles is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and is committed to non-discrimination in the County workforce, regardless of age (40 and over); ancestry; color; ethnicity; religious creed; protected family or medical leave status; disability; marital status; medical condition; genetic information; military and veteran status; national origin; race; sex; gender; sexual orientation; or any other characteristic protected by State or federal law. For more information, please visit: https://employee.hr.lacounty.gov/eeo-programs/

TESTING ACCOMMODATIONS FOR APPLICANTS

The County of Los Angeles complies with all federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application process, please contact the testing accommodation coordinator listed on the job posting. Hearing impaired applicants with telephone teletype equipment may leave messages by calling the teletype phone number on the job posting. For more information on accommodations, please visit: https://hr.lacounty.gov/accessibility/

FAIR CHANCE

The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except as otherwise permissible under applicable laws, you will not be asked to provide information about conviction history unless you receive a conditional offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and will also consider potential mitigating factors, which may include, but are not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with County Fair Chance Policies and the Fair Chance Act (Gov. Code Section 12952).

EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY

Final appointment is contingent upon verification of U.S. citizenship or the right to work in the United States.

CAREER PATHFINDER

Resources to help current and prospective employees plan a career with Los Angeles County are available. To explore career paths to and from nearly all job titles, please visit our interactive Career PathFinder application at http://career-pathfinder.hr.lacounty.gov.

VETERAN’S CREDIT

Pursuant to the County Charter and County policy, in all open competitive examinations (i.e., examinations open to everyone), the County of Los Angeles will add a credit of 10 percent of the total credits specified for such examination to the final passing score of an honorably discharged veteran, as well as the spouse of a deceased or disabled veteran, who served in the Armed Forces of the United States under specific conditions.

For more information on veteran’s credit, please visit: https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/205102_PPG_115.pdf