Retail Cook - Catering

Advocate Health Care; Park Ridge (IL); On-site; USD 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in Park Ridge is seeking a Cook to prepare food, manage quality control, and maintain sanitation standards. The ideal candidate should have a high school diploma and 1-2 years of cooking experience with comprehensive knowledge of food handling procedures. Responsibilities include cooking, stocking, and ensuring the safe serving of meals while following all health standards. The position may involve working various shifts in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• 1-2 years of retail cooking experience.
• Ability to understand and follow food safety guidelines.

Responsibilities

• Prepare food using standardized recipes and ensure quality.
• Maintain safe food handling and sanitation standards.
• Follow proper time management and portion control techniques.

Skills

Effective communication

Reading and writing in English

Food Sanitation knowledge

Education

High school diploma or GED equivalent

Job description

Major Responsibilities

Guest Relations

• Contributes to hospital’s philosophy, mission statement, and values in all interactions
• Maintains a professional image
• Responds positively to all requests and interactions.

Quality Food Preparation

• Utilizes standardized recipes and ingredient control
• Follows proper preparation procedures
• Checks food temperatures, texture, color, aroma, and taste prior to service for all items at designated stations, to include the following: soups, chili, all other hot and cold items
• Batch cooks all food products which do not maintain temperature, texture, color aroma or taste if held for thirty minutes (i.e. hot sandwiches: hamburgers, chicken breast, fried fish sandwiches, turkey burgers, veggie burgers, fried fish; fried vegetables; pasta entrees; and all other cooked entree and side dish items).
• Prepare food to order, at request of customer (i.e. grilled cheese; grilled vegetable sandwich; melting cheese on sandwich/adding toppings to orders; pasta entrees; entree salads; fried food items; hot sandwiches; etc.).

Safe Food Handling Procedures

• Proper food rotation (first in, first out method)
• Safe food storage - no cross-contamination, label and date all food items & initial proper re-thermalization and de-thermalization of all
• Utilizes products within 72 hours of preparation date
• Serves food from steam tables, following all procedures for holding foods and following proper time/temperature regulations for products
• Stocks and monitors designated cold food items at station, following all procedures for holding foods and following proper time/temperature regulations for products, including labeling cold items at start of shift and monitoring and recording temperatures on labels every 4 hours, per IDPH standards
• Stocking and monitoring NSF rated warmers at station, food held for no more than 30 minutes (i.e. french fries, fried vegetables, fried chicken)

Proper Time Management

• Follows position timeline/job routine
• Maintains department timeline through on-time performance
• Adheres to department’s attendance/clock-in policies
• Productive and efficient use of non-break time

Responsible Cost Controls

• Records all food production amounts
• Serves customer appropriate, pre-determined portion size, following all recipe guidelines
• Proper use of food products
• Utilization of carryovers

Training

• Attends scheduled department inservices
• Attends/gives feedback/participates in production meetings
• Reports any problems with recipes, production sheets, production numbers promptly for Continuous Quality Improvement
• Assists with cross-training of other employees

Education & Experience

• High school diploma or GED equivalent.
• 1-2 years retail cooking experience.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Ability to read, write, speak and understand the English language, as related to essential job activities.
• Ability to communicate effectively.
• State of Illinois Department of Public Health Food Sanitation Certificate.

Physical Requirements And Working Conditions

• Exposed to some extreme temperature changes, heat-cooking areas, Cold-cooler and freezers.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds occasionally with assistance and/or 10 to 15 pounds frequently.
• Large amounts of bending, as related to essential job activities.
• Wet, slippery floors.
• Contact with cleaning chemicals.
• Various shifts and work positions.
• Ability to lift up to 35 pounds without assistance. For lifts over 35 pounds, lifting equipment is expected to be used or lift with at least one other associate when available. Unique lifting/movement situations will be assessed on a case by case basis.