SENIOR COOK

Los Angeles County; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 40,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a dedicated culinary professional to oversee food preparation and staff in a dynamic environment. This role involves supervising food service operations, ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations, and providing training to staff. The ideal candidate will possess strong communication skills and experience in quantity food preparation. Join a team committed to excellence in service delivery within a county facility, where your contributions will directly impact the community's well-being. This is a fantastic opportunity for those passionate about culinary arts and public service.

Qualifications

• Completion of an accredited Culinary Arts program or two years of relevant experience.
• Ability to supervise food service staff and ensure compliance with safety regulations.

Responsibilities

• Supervises food service staff and ensures quality food preparation.
• Instructs staff on health regulations and monitors compliance.

Skills

Communication Skills

Food Preparation

Supervision

Recipe Modification

Health and Safety Regulations

Education

Certificate in Culinary Arts

High School Diploma or Equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Suite

Kitchen Equipment

Job description

COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES PROBATION DEPARTMENT

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT: OPEN COMPETITIVE JOB OPPORTUNITY

EXAM NUMBER: F6399F

FILING PERIOD: Tuesday, November 5, 2024, at 8:00 a.m. (PT). This recruitment will remain open until the needs of the service are met and is subject to closure without prior notice.

CLASSIFICATION STANDARDS:

Positions allocable to this class typically report to a Head Cook and are responsible for participating in and supervising the work of subordinate cooks, food service workers, contract employees and/or inmate workers engaged in all phases of food preparation and cooking in a County facility. Incumbents provide technical direction and training to less experienced cooks and food service workers in the standard techniques of quantity food preparation utilized in the mixing, cooking, baking, and serving of complete meals in an institutional environment. Incumbents must possess the written and verbal communication skills necessary to follow daily/weekly meal plans and to supervise and monitor the work of staff, ensuring that food items are prepared properly and on time. Positions at this level must be experienced in modifying standardized recipes according to the needs of the facility or ingredients available. These positions provide training to subordinate staff in the safe use and care of kitchen equipment, overseeing the operation, breakdown, and cleaning of standard and specialized food service equipment and providing instruction in proper sanitation methods, as well as health and safety regulations. Incumbents must have the ability to stand or walk for long periods of time, and may be required to bend, stoop, squat, and reach. Positions assigned to Probation Departments are required to work in a custody/detention facility and are distinguished by their responsibility for supervising inmate workers.

• Supervises and instructs food service staff including subordinate Food Service Workers and Cooks in standard preparation and cooking techniques utilized in the preparation of a variety of food items, proper use of various kitchen utensils and equipment, portioning and serving of food items, preparation and set up of meal facilities, and proper cleaning of dishes, pots, pans, equipment, kitchen work areas, and food storage areas.
• Creates work assignments and inspects the work of food service staff and/or inmate workers while in progress, and upon completion, to ensure that the quality of food prepared is acceptable and meets established dietary guidelines.
• Instructs food services staff and/or inmate workers in health and safety regulations and monitors compliance with those regulations.
• Inspects food supplies received, rejects those supplies of poor or unacceptable quality, oversees the proper storage of supplies accepted and monitors the rotation of supplies to prevent spoilage.
• Coordinates workstation cooking activities with those of other kitchen units, ensuring that food items are prepared on time and that food to be served is maintained at proper temperatures.
• Supervises the setup of meal facilities and oversees the serving of food in compliance with department policy and procedures and health and safety regulations.
• Ensures that utensils and work areas are clean and ready for the next shift.
• Submits requisitions for food supplies based on daily/weekly menu plans by utilizing computer software applications, as needed.
• Modifies recipes using computer software applications to meet changes in the number of servings and the substitution of recipe ingredients when other ingredients are unavailable.
• Performs baking duties or work in the butcher shop, as needed.
• Oversees the activities of a shift, as needed.
• Acts as a lead person, supervising and/or instructing youth in a County-sponsored program, as needed.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

OPTION I: Completion of a certificate program* accredited by the American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACFEF) of at least 48 semester or 72 quarter units in Culinary Arts from an accredited college AND two (2) years’ experience in quantity food preparation and cooking of complete meals in an institutional, commercial, military, or similar establishment.

OPTION II: Two (2) years' journey level** experience in quantity food preparation and cooking of complete meals in an institutional, commercial, military, or similar establishment.

NO OUT-OF-CLASS EXPERIENCE WILL BE ACCEPTED.

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: *In order to receive credit for the certificate program and of at least 48 semester or quarter units in Culinary Arts from an accredited college, you must indicate on the job application and attach a legible copy of official transcripts, or official letter from the accredited institution which shows the area of specialization and degree awarded with Registrar's signature and/or school seal with your application at the time of filing or within 7 calendar days of online application. We do not accept password-protected documents. Ensure documents are unlocked before attaching to your application or sending to the exam analyst. You may email required documents to [e-mail].

**Journey-level experience is defined as possessing the required knowledge, skills, and training to perform a full-range and diversity of work independently and reliably. Positions at this level operate with significant freedom from day-to-day supervision and need little or no guidance on such matters as selecting appropriate problem-solving methods and techniques, locating appropriate regulation, or applying proper procedures to carry out work.

***List of similar establishments (e.g., hospital, school, military, correctional facility, hotel, restaurant etc.)

Experience in fast food service is not considered as qualifying for this position. Quantity food preparation and cooking of complete meals refers to experience preparing and cooking a variety of food items including soups, meats, vegetables, and other foods.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:

Additional points will be given to qualified applicants beyond meeting the requirements and who possess the following desirable qualifications:

• Experience in safe food handling and kitchen/equipment sanitation to ensure prevention of food borne illness in accordance with health and safety food regulations.
• Experience in utilizing software application systems such as Microsoft Suite, Outlook, Excel, etc., to track supplies and generate reports using specific commands (e.g., Excel- menu commands, setting up simple arithmetic formulas, etc.) and to maintain records of kitchen supplies and equipment.
• Graduation from an accredited high school -OR- A California High School Proficiency Certificate awarded by the California State Board of Education or higher education.

****In order to receive credit for high school diploma/GED/California High School Proficiency Certificate or higher education, you must indicate on the job application and attach a legible copy of the official diploma or official transcripts, or official letter from the accredited institution which shows the area of specialization and degree awarded with Registrar's signature and/or school seal with your application at the time of filing in NEOGOV or within 7 calendar days of online application submission or credit may not be awarded. We do not accept password-protected documents. Ensure documents are unlocked before attaching to your application or sending to the exam analyst. You may email required documents to [e-mail].

A California High School Proficiency Certificate is awarded by passing the General Educational Development Test (GED) or the California High School Proficiency Examination (CHSPE) tests.

In accordance with the provisions of California Government Code Section 1031(e), accredited high schools are those accredited by certifying organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and include accredited public and non-public high schools in the United States and accredited United States Department of Defense high schools.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

EXAMINATION CONTENT: This examination will consist of an Evaluation of Experience based upon the application information, desirable qualifications and supplemental questionnaire weighted 100%. Candidates who do not achieve a passing score of 70% or higher on the Evaluation of Experience will be notified by email. SCORES CANNOT BE GIVEN OVER THE PHONE.

Candidates must meet the Minimum Requirements and achieve a passing score of 70% or higher on the examination in order to be placed on the eligible register.

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION: Applications will be processed on an as-received basis and promulgated to the eligible register in the order of their score group for a period of twelve (12) months following the date of promulgation. No person may compete in this examination more than once every twelve (12) months.

SPECIAL INFORMATION:

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.

VACANCY INFORMATION: The resulting eligible register for this examination will be used to fill vacancies located in the Los Angeles County Probation Department.

AVAILABLE SHIFT: Any

APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION: Applications must be filed online ONLY. Applications submitted by US Mail, Fax, or in person will not be accepted. To apply for this examination, click on the green "Apply" button located on this posting. Your application must be submitted electronically on the last day of filing. Visit the website at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty.

All applicants must enter a current/updated email address at the time of filing as NOTICES WILL BE SENT BY EMAIL. Entering an invalid email address may result in the rejection of your application during the examination process. To update information, applicants must make changes to their profile at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty.

Applicants may upload required or additional documents (i.e. copy of degree, certification, etc.) as attachment(s) at the time of filing. If you are unable to attach the required and/or additional documents at the time of filing, you may email to [e-mail] within seven (7) calendar days from date of online application submission or your application may be rejected. Please include your name, examination number, and examination title.

Many important notifications including results letters will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application. It is important that you provide a valid email address.

Please add [e-mail] and [e-mail] to your email address and list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk/clutter mail.

Applicants have the ability to opt out of emails from LA County. If you unsubscribe, you will not receive any email notifications for any examinations for which you apply with Los Angeles County.

Regardless of whether you choose to unsubscribe, you can always check for notifications by logging into governmentjobs.com and viewing your profile inbox, which saves a copy of all emailed notices.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• ALL information included in the application materials is subject to VERIFICATION. Applications may be rejected at any stage of the selection process.
• FALSIFICATION of any information may result in DISQUALIFICATION.
• Utilizing VERBIAGE from Class Specification and Minimum Requirements serving as your description of duties WILL NOT be sufficient to meet the requirements. Doing so may result in an INCOMPLETE APPLICATION and you may be DISQUALIFIED.
• Test results cannot be given over the telephone.

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.

NO SHARING OF USER ID AND PASSWORD: All applicants must file their application online using their own user ID and password. Using family member or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record and will result in an automatic rejection of your application.

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. LA County Public Library may require prior reservations to use their computers. Please visit the following link at https://lacountylibrary.org/library-locator/ for more information.

Department Contact Name: Probation Examinations & Recruitment Unit, Non-Sworn Exams

Department Contact Number: [phone]

Department Contact Email: [e-mail]

California Relay Services Phone: [phone]

ADA Coordinator Phone: [phone]

Teletype Phone: [phone]