Traveling Cook

Covenant House New York; New York (NY); On-site; USD 38,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Covenant House New York is seeking a kitchen assistant to prepare and serve nourishing meals for clients and events. You will help maintain inventory, follow food safety guidelines, and collaborate with cooks and residential staff to support the shelter’s nutrition program.

Responsibilities include assisting in menu development, presenting dishes, and facilitating youth cooking workshops, while maintaining sanitation and equipment in the kitchen.

Qualifications

• High School diploma or GED plus a Food Protection certificate.
• Culinary school diploma is a plus.
• 2-3 years of experience in the food service industry.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Ability to operate institutional ovens, steamers, kettles, and slicers.
• Knowledge of NSLP is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and cook food per recipes for clients and events.
• Cook with baking, grilling, frying, boiling, and steaming; ensure freshness.
• Assist in developing daily and seasonal menus.
• Present and garnish food on serving dishes.
• Maintain sanitation and hygiene per health guidelines.
• Manage inventory: monitor stock, place orders, rotate items.
• Set up and clean workstations; sanitize equipment.
• Record equipment or food quality issues to the Director of Food and Nutrition Services.
• Collaborate with kitchen staff and residential staff.
• Attend meetings and offer improvement suggestions.
• Facilitate cooking workshops with youth.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Strong organizational skills

Strong communication skills

Knife skills

Time management

Recipe reading/compliance

Education

High School diploma/GED and Food Protection certificate

Culinary school diploma

Job description

About this position

About Covenant House New York

Join a Legacy of Hope and Empowerment at Covenant House New York!

For over 50 years, Covenant House New York (CHNY) has been at the forefront of transforming lives by providing comprehensive shelter, housing, and wrap-around support services for vulnerable homeless, runaway, and exploited youth. As the largest provider of these essential services in New York City, CHNY impacts the lives of over 1,500 young people aged 16-24 every year.

At CHNY, our doors are open to all young people in need, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression. Our dedicated team offers various services, including shelter, housing, education, employment, health, mental health support, youth development, and anti-human trafficking initiatives. We operate with harm reduction and trauma-informed principles to ensure the best care for our youth.

But our mission goes beyond immediate support. We are passionate advocates for systemic change, influencing public policy, and raising awareness of the critical issues surrounding youth homelessness. Our ultimate goal is to provide a safe refuge and empower young people to build a brighter future founded on compassion, unconditional love, and absolute respect.

Join us in making a difference in the lives of countless young people. Join a team that inspires long-term transformation and hope.

About the role

Prepare and serve well-balanced and nutritious meals for clients/special events. Serve clients in a courteous, helpful, and prompt manner. Assist with tracking food inventory and ordering to ensure timely purchasing and maintain sufficient supplies to meet the needs of the kitchen and youth that we serve. Maintain the food storage area and ensure the procedure for damaged, spoiled, or expired food is followed. Engage with external vendors and providesupport throughout the Bronx Shelter & ROP/TH sites.

What you'll do

• Food Preparation: Measuring, mixing, and combining ingredients according to recipes; preparing and cooking food using various techniques for clients/special events.
• Cooking: Baking, grilling, frying, boiling, and steaming a variety of foods.Ensure ingredients and final products are fresh
• Aid in the development of daily and seasonal menus.
• Presentation: Arranging and garnishing food on serving dishes.
• Sanitation and Hygiene: Maintaininga clean and organized kitchen, following food safety guidelines.Strictly follow sanitation,hygiene, and food-handling standards as per the Department of Health and Hygiene.
• Inventory Management: Monitoring food stock, placing orders, and rotating stock items.
• Workstation Management: Setting up workstations, cleaning and organizing them.Clean and sanitize kitchen equipment and utensils.
• Record and report equipment and food quality or shortage problems to the Director of Food and Nutrition Services.
• Collaboration: Working with other staff, includingCooks,Kitchen Helpers, and Residential Staff.
• Attend all scheduled employee meetings andbringsuggestions for improvement.
• Time Management: Working efficiently and managing time effectively.
• Workshops: Facilitatecooking workshops with youth
• Perform other duties as assigned and needed.

Qualifications

• High School diploma/GED and Certificate in Food Protection required.
• Culinary school diploma A PLUS
• 2-3 years' experience in the food service industry
• Strong organizational and communication skills
• Ability to operate institutional ovens, steamers, kettles, and slicers
• Highly skilled in food preparation and presentation of food
• Must have knowledge of knife skills
• Must be able to read and follow a recipe unsupervised
• Must be willing to follow directions and ask questions for clarification if needed.
• Must be able to communicate clearly with managers, kitchen and dining room personnel.
• Ability to consistentlycomply withour standardportionsizes,cooking methods, quality standards , kitchen rules, recipes,policies, and procedures.
• Knowledgeable in the proper techniques of food preparation
• Be able to reach, bend, stoop, and frequently lift 40 pounds and up
• Knowledge of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)