Kitchen Assistant

Ouachita Children's Center; Hot Springs (AR); On-site; USD 23,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Ouachita Children, Youth, and Family Services is seeking a Kitchen Assistant to support daily meal preparation for the Shelter and to keep the kitchen clean and orderly in compliance with health codes. You will assist with baking, cooking for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, and help with setup for after-school and weekend meals.

Duties include menu planning in line with USDA guidelines, completing production records, obtaining authorization for purchases, and teaching youth kitchen skills

Qualifications

• High School education or equivalent.
• Pass a drug screen and maintain a TB card.
• Must have a current Arkansas driver’s license and be insurable.
• Must receive child maltreatment clearance through Arkansas registry.
• Must receive adult maltreatment clearance through Arkansas Protective Services registry.
• Must pass Arkansas State Police criminal background clearance.

Responsibilities

• Assists with daily meal preparation for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
• Maintains kitchen in clean, orderly condition and adheres to health codes.
• Assists with menu planning in line with USDA guidelines and completes shopping lists.
• Completes production records and labels for National School Lunch Program compliance.
• Teaches youth cooking and kitchen skills when appropriate.
• Coordinates with Kitchen Manager and Residential Director and participates in quality improvement activities.

Skills

Food safety

Communication

Teamwork

Record keeping

Education

High School diploma or equivalent

Job description

Position Summary:

The Kitchen Assistant is responsible for assisting with the daily meal preparation of the Shelter and cleaning and minor maintenance tasks in the kitchen area.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assists with meal preparation in accordance with planned menus and keeping records for Federal School Lunch Program. Meals are defined as Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Snack.
• Assists with preparation of evening meals, lunch (when clients are present), set up of evening/after school snacks, and weekend meals (Lunch and Dinner) for warm-up by weekend staff.
• Assists with menu planning in compliance with USDA guidelines and completion of shopping list. Obtains authorization for purchase orders and shops from list.
• Completes production records and maintains labels in compliance with National School Lunch Program
• Keeps kitchen in clean and orderly fashion including mopping kitchen floors as needed.
• Maintains kitchen in accordance with Health Codes.
• Incorporates teaching youth cooking and kitchen skills when appropriate.

• Able to communicate effectively with the Kitchen Manager and Residential Director

• Participates in agency performance quality improvement.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Minimum Education and Experience:

• High School education or equivalent with demonstrated ability to cook for a large group.
• Pass a drug screen and maintain a current TB card.
• Must have a current Arkansas Driver's license and insurable under OCYFS's commercial vehicle insurance policy.
• Must receive child maltreatment clearance through the Arkansas Child Maltreatment Central Registry.
• Must receive adult maltreatment clearance through Arkansas Protective Services-Adult Maltreatment Central Registry.
• Must receive Arkansas State Police criminal background clearance as mandated by Arkansas Department of Human Services, Minimum Licensing Standards for Child Welfare Agencies.

Skills and Knowledge:

The kitchen assistant works effectively with all agency staff members, clients and families, human services providers, law enforcement, juvenile court(s) and the community-at-large to ensure positive outcomes for clients receiving services.

• Maintains an organized and sanitary working environment.
• Practices excellent organizational skills.
• Practices and models conflict resolution skills.
• Follows OCYFS code of ethics.
• Ability to collect and analyze data.
• Demonstrates cultural sensitivity to OCYFS's clients and families.

Ouachita Children, Youth, and Family Services is a nationally accredited organization through the Council on Accreditation (COA).