Line Cook

Covenant Retirement Communities & Covenant Care; Northbrook (IL); On-site; USD 25,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision insurance

Employer paid group term life and di­s

PTO & six paid holidays

403(b) with a 3% employer match

Fitness center use at most facilities

Voluntary benefits: Life, AD&D Tuition

assistance and scholarships Employee

benefits: Legal services, home/auto

Pet Insurance

Job summary

Covenant Living is seeking a dedicated line cook to join our dietary team. The role involves preparing, portioning, cooking, and presenting a variety of hot and cold items for residents in a senior living environment, including meals and catered events.

You will follow standardized recipes, maintain high sanitation standards, and work with kitchen staff to meet production goals. Our program emphasizes safety, teamwork, and compassionate service to senior adults.

Qualifications

• High school diploma required.
• Current Food Handler's Permit is required.
• Servsafe training is beneficial.
• State sanitation certificate.
• 3–4 years of related and advanced food service and cooking experience.
• Experience with basic operation of kitchen equipment preferred.
• Intermediate to advanced knife experience.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and cook food for residents including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and catered events.
• Follow standardized recipes and safety standards to ensure high quality and sanitation.
• Operate kitchen equipment and prepare ingredients per production sheets.
• Plate and present food with appearance and garnish.
• Maintain cleanliness and sanitation of workstations and equipment.

Skills

Food safety

Kitchen equipment use

Communication

Teamwork

Knife skills

Attention to detail

Time management

Education

High school diploma

Food Handler's Permit

Servsafe training

State sanitation certificate

Job description

We Are Inspired to Serve. Join us! The Line Cook will accurately and efficiently prepare, portion, cook, and present a variety of hot and/or cold food items for various meal periods: to include Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Special/Catered Events. Produces small to large batch goods using advanced and full range of classical cooking techniques. Responsible for the preparation of food for residents in a Senior Living /Healthcare environment. Standardized recipes to achieve proper quantities and consistent high quality. Maintain a high standard of sanitation within the department and ensure requirements are met in accordance with organization standards as well as federal, state, and local regulation.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Food preparation
• Prepares and cooks to order foods that may require short to mid-level preparation time.
• May prepare food and serve customers at an a la carte and may operate a grill station.
• Prepares food in accordance with current applicable federal, state, and corporate standards, guidelines, and regulations to ensure high-quality food service is provided.
• Reads food order or receives verbal instructions on food required by patron and prepares and cooks food according to instructions.
• Provides the highest quality of service to customers.
• Follows basic recipes and/or product directions for preparing, seasoning, cooking, tasting, carving, and serving soups, meats, vegetables, desserts, and other food products for consumption in eating establishments.
• Prepares foods under direct supervision or instruction by operating a variety of kitchen equipment to measure and mix ingredients, washing, peeling, cutting and shredding fruits and vegetables, and trimming and cutting meat, poultry, or fish for culinary use.
• Tastes products, reads menus, estimates food requirements, checks production, and keeps records to accurately plan production requirements and requisition supplies and equipment.
• Attends all allergy and foodborne illness in-service training and applies principles of food safety to food preparation and sanitation practices.
• Receive inventory, move, and lift foodstuffs and supplies and prepare meals for customers requiring special diets.
• May produce some batch goods using basic cooking technique.
• Take and record temperatures and correct temperature discrepancies.
• Prepare all necessary foods for meal according to production sheets.
• Complete all prep items according to prep sheet.
• Plate food as ordered with attention to appearance and garnish.
• Produces small to large batch goods using advanced and full range of classical cooking techniques.
• May select recipes per menu cycle, prepare bakery items, receive inventory, move and lift foodstuffs and supplies and prepare meals for customers requiring special diets.
• Typically performs fast food cooking duties in preparing food items to be served to customers.
• Cleaning, Storage and Sanitation
• Clean and sanitize workstations and equipment and must follow all regulatory rules and procedures.
• Assist with set ups.
• Break down and clean up serving lines and other food areas.
• Properly record and label, with appropriate dates and store properly.
• Safety and Risk Management
• Complies with all company safety and risk management policies and procedures.
• Participates in regular safety meetings, safety training and hazard assessments.
• Attends training programs (classroom and virtual) as designated.

EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE

• Required Degree: High school diploma
• Certificate(s): Current Food Handler's Permit is required.
• Training in Servsafe is beneficial.
• State sanitation certificate.
• Experience: Desired is 3-4 years of related and advanced food service and cooking experience.
• Experience with basic operation of kitchen equipment is preferred.
• Intermediate to advanced knife experience.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITY

• Extensive working knowledge of a kitchen environment and food preparation.
• Must be able to communicate effectively (verbal and written, English) with residents and staff.
• Must be able to read and understand written instructions and follow safety practices and ability to read and follow a recipe unsupervised.
• Ability to use basic functions of a computer.
• Must be cordial and congenial with residents.
• Must be dependable, detail oriented, organized, and have good follow through.
• Must be able to work within standard policy and procedures, and work with limited direct supervision.
• Must have the ability to handle a variety of tasks and functions.
• Must be able to react calmly in emergency situations.
• Must have the ability to show patience and compassion to senior adults.
• Must be considerate of resident's comfort, safety, security and belongings.
• Demonstrate the ability to set and establish priorities.
• Manages time efficiently.
• Maintains work area in a neat and orderly manner.
• Maintains a well-groomed appearance that complies with organizational and State food code standards.
• Ability to adhere to dress code and kitchen uniform requirements.
• Demonstrates knowledge of and understanding of food safety, sanitation, preparation and serving principles.
• Ability to work with all persons and must have the ability to get along and socialize with them.
• This includes employees, residents, families, visitors, vendors, other health care professionals and the community at large.
• Ability to work on some holidays and flexible hours.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• May be required to lift or carry equipment or supplies weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Frequent stooping, bending, climbing, reaching, pulling / pushing, and extended periods walking and/or standing.
• May be required to stand, sit, twist, bend, squat, kneel or crouch when performing job duties.
• Must possess adequate sight and hearing to meet the responsibilities of this position.
• Ability to work in a standing position for extended periods of time (up to 8 hours).
• While performing this job's duties, the employee is primarily in a controlled, temperate environment; however, may be exposed to heat/cold during support of outside activities.

Dining Compensation Pay Range

Pay Range: $17.52 - $23.06 per hour Reasonable Pay Estimate A reasonable estimate of the pay range for this position is $17.52 - $23.06 per hour. There are numerous factors taken into consideration in determining the actual offered rate of pay, including but not limited to: job-related qualifications, experience, skills, education, geographic location, and consideration of internal and external equity.

Benefits

• Medical, dental and vision insurance
• Employer paid group term life and disability
• Paid Time Off (PTO) & six paid holidays
• 403(b) with a 3% employer match
• Fitness center use at most facilities.
• Various voluntary benefits: Life, AD&D Tuition assistance and scholarships Employee assistance program Legal services, home/auto insurance, discount purchasing program Pet Insurance

Covenant Living and CovenantCare Home Health and Hospice are equal opportunity employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin or ancestry, age, disability, marital status, pregnancy, protected veteran status, protected genetic information, or any other characteristics protected by local laws, regulations, or ordinances.

We believe we are a great place to work. Covenant Living & CovenantCare at Home are faith-based Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) & Home Health organization. From the establishment of our first community - Covenant Home of Chicago in 1886 - to becoming the fifth-largest not-for-profit CCRC sponsor in the LeadingAge Ziegler Top 150, our goal has been to provide outstanding care and services to senior adults. We believe we are inspired to serve. We create joy and peace of mind for residents and their families by providing a better way of life. These are the standards of behavior we hold ourselves to in serving our residents.

• Safety I learn & follow safety policies & procedures. I immediately report unsafe conditions for staff, residents, & guests and fix when possible. I protect residents, co-workers, & myself from unsafe conditions and practices by reporting unsafe conditions and fixing it or having it fixed.
• Courtesy I smile & acknowledge everyone that I encounter. I carry myself in a manner that projects positivity, approachability, & respectfulness. I address the concerns of others by actively listening & seeking solutions.
• Responsiveness I take initiative to respond to the needs of others in a timely manner to achieve resolution. I anticipate the needs of others and respond in a timely manner. I communicate to others who need to join me in responding to the needs of others. I return phone calls within 24 hours. I identify action steps and communicate them to all vested parties.
• Image I ensure our environment is professional, welcoming, & clean. I follow CL policies, procedures, & all regulations. We believe in making a difference in others' lives. We have approximately 3,200 employees serving more than 5,000 residents in our nationwide family of continuing care retirement communities and home health. Construction and development continues on several of our 14 campuses, ensuring ever more exciting opportunities for employees to serve residents.