Temporary Cook- El Dorado Center

Encompass Community Services; Santa Cruz (CA); On-site; USD 29,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental insurance

Acupuncture and chiropractic benefits

403(b) retirement plan

Vacation days and paid holidays

Sick days (pro-rated for part-time)

Job summary

Encompass Community Services in Santa Cruz, CA, is seeking a Temporary Cook for the El Dorado Center. This full-time temporary role covers 90–120 days with duties including meal planning, cooking, supervising kitchen staff, and maintaining safety and sanitation standards for a 16-bed facility.

You will work in a therapeutic environment, serving nutritious meals while respecting residents’ dignity and health needs. Position requires CA driver’s license and ability to lift up to 40 lbs.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Two years’ cooking experience and knowledge of nutrition.
• California Food Handler Card required at time of hire.
• Must have a valid CA driver’s license and be able to drive for agency business.
• Ability to lift up to 40 lbs regularly.

Responsibilities

• Plan and cook nutritious meals for residents; prepare weekly menus and adapt for dietary needs.
• Solicit and organize food donations from local sources; coordinate pickups.
• Maintain inventory of food staples and kitchen supplies; ensure cleanliness and safety.
• Ensure kitchen adheres to health codes; train staff on kitchen safety protocols.
• Work Monday–Friday with hours to be negotiated with Program Manager.

Skills

Team player

Communication

Food safety knowledge

Nutrition knowledge

Education

High school diploma or GED

California Food Handler Card

Job description

Job Details: Job Location: Santa Cruz, CA 95062, Salary Range: $25.00 - $25.00 Hourly, Job Summary:

We currently have a full-time opening for a Temporary Cook at our facility the El Dorado Center. This position is temporary and is scheduled for 90-120 days following hire. The Cook will be responsible for planning, cooking, supervising other staff on kitchen protocols, maintaining safety and sanitary standards, and preparing nutritious meals for a 16 bed facility. The provision of substantial servings of well-prepared healthy food is an important contribution to the resident’s physical health, strength and overall well-being. The Cook will work within the El Dorado Centers therapeutic environment with the program residents, who are healing from lived experience with mental health and substance use. Services will be delivered with dignity and respect for each individual resident.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Menu Planning/Meal Preparation – Plan and cook nutritious, good tasting meals for residents. Incorporate food donations into menu planning. Provide weekly menus and post them in advance.Ability to account for special diets and/or food allergies of current residents, such as vegetarian, vegan, lactose intolerant, or diabetic.
• FoodInventory – Solicitand organize pickup of food donations from local sources. Provide a consistent schedule for donation pickup convenient tothe donor and program schedule.
• Ensure an adequate inventory of food staples, kitchen supplies, paper goods, and cleaning supplies.
• Cleanlinessandsanitary standards – Maintain a clean kitchen in compliance with County and City Health and Safety codes, State licensingand Certification regulations. Maintain sanitary standards in food storage, preparing, and serving. Report all equipment problems to supervisor immediately. Delegate cleaning projects to program employees.
• Maintain food storage and refrigerators in clean and orderly manner.Oversee and teach kitchen/food safety protocols.
• Schedule: Monday – Friday. Hours to be negotiated with Program Manager.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
• Two years’ experience working as a cook, planning and preparing meals. Knowledge of principles of nutrition.
• Current California Food Handler Card, or passing grade and receipt of card before hire.
• Ability to use solid judgment and set appropriate boundaries with residents.
• Ability to lift up to 40 lbs on a regular basis.
• Ability to be a team player, maintain effective working relationships and communicate in a respectful and professional manner when dealing with fellow employees, outside agencies and residents.
• Ability to maintain and clean, safe and supportive environment.
• Must have a valid CA driver’s license.
• Position requires clearance to drive on agency business. Applicants who have had a 2 point infraction in the last 4 years or four 1 point infractions in the last 2 years will not be eligible.

Wages & Benefits

We prioritize the well-being of our team as much as the community we serve. Our comprehensive health benefits reflect this commitment.

• We offer full-time employees medical and dental insurance plan that ensures peace of mind for themselves and their families.
• We go beyond traditional care by also offering our employees acupuncture and chiropractic, embracing a holistic approach to health that aligns with our values of care and compassion.
• That’s why we offer a 403(b) retirement plan, providing a foundation for a secure retirement.
• We also recognize the need for work-life balance, so Encompass offers a competitive package of 11 vacation days, 15 additional paid holidays, and 12 sick days. These benefits are thoughtfully pro-rated for part-time positions affirming our commitment to fairness and flexibility.

About Us

At Encompass Community Services we provide our community with a wide range of services related to family & social well-being, behavioral health, housing and more. Every day through these services we work to make health,educationand housing moreequitablefor all people in Santa Cruz County. For more than 50years our work has touched generations by helping people haveaccess to education, rebuild relationships, restore theirhealthand regain dignity.