School Lunch Cook (4-Hour) - Healthy Meals, Safe Kitchen

Southwest-Licking-Local-School-District; Pataskala (OH); On-site; USD 17,000 - 22,000; Part time

Job summary

The Southwest Licking Local School District is seeking a Cook to join the Food Service Team at Watkins Middle School. This 4-hour position (9:00 am - 1:00 pm) prepares and serves meals under the guidance of an administrator/supervisor.

You will follow USDA child nutrition guidelines, assist with deliveries, manage serving lines, and ensure safe food handling and accurate records. The role emphasizes teamwork, reliability, and attention to dietary needs.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
• Work skills verified by training and/or work experience.
• Consistently performs accurate math calculations.
• Displays flexibility, reliability, self-discipline and a willingness to take on challenging tasks.
• Embodies high ethical standards/integrity. Accepts responsibility for personal decisions/conduct.
• Maintains a record free of criminal violations that would prohibit public school employment.
• Physical Demands: Duties require lifting/moving materials weighing up to twenty-five pounds, operating commercial kitchen equipment and performing repetitive tasks.

Responsibilities

• Prepares/cooks food. Helps maintain an orderly/sanitary kitchen. Performs ancillary duties that support the effective delivery of quality food services.
• Assists with the receipt of deliveries. Follows approved food safety procedures. Verifies quantities.
• Reports shortages/spoiled products. Organizes, stores, dates and rotates stock as directed. Follows published menus. Uses standardized recipes to maintain quality control. Complies with USDA child nutrition guidelines. Uses products carefully to reduce waste. Records food usage on production records. Works with staff to address the needs of students with dietary restrictions.
• Requests timely replacement of supplies to avoid work interruptions.
• Complies with health and food safety regulations (e.g:; hazard analysis of critical control points, portion size, sanitation procedures, temperature controls, etc.).
• Sets up serving lines. Gives attention to the attractive presentation of food. Replenishes food to maintain an orderly flow of customers. Provides substitute menu items as needed.
• Operates the cash register or point-of-sale (POS) system. Follows district guidelines for personal checks/charges. Ensures money is exchanged correctly and cash is not left unattended.
• Protects the privacy of free and reduced-price meal information.
• Prepares accurate records. Accounts for all meals served. Prepares a record of charges collected. Records unpaid charges daily. Reconciles discrepancies. Submits required paperwork on time. Counts money. Reconciles, prepares and makes bank deposits. Submits records as directed.
• Operates the dishwasher. Verifies sanitization cycles are completed properly. Cleans/sanitizes work surfaces, equipment, serving lines, kitchen floors, dining tables, etc. Follows established sanitization procedures to properly clean items that require hand washing. Ensures leftover food, supplies and equipment are stored properly.
• Helps prepare for health/safety inspections. Learns how to operate fire/safety equipment. Promptly reports work-related injuries to a supervisor.
• Assists with district special events and non-school use of food service facilities as directed.
• Protects district property. Implements procedures to prevent the loss of supplies/equipment.

Skills

Math calculations

Flexibility

Reliability

Integrity

Work ethic

Background check clean

Physical stamina

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

Cash register / POS system

Job description

The Southwest Licking Local School District is seeking a Cook to join the Food Service Team at Watkins Middle School. This 4-hour position (9:00 am - 1:00 pm) prepares and serves meals under the guidance of an administrator/supervisor.

You will follow USDA child nutrition guidelines, assist with deliveries, manage serving lines, and ensure safe food handling and accurate records. The role emphasizes teamwork, reliability, and attention to dietary needs.