Traveling Cook

Covenant House; New York (NY); On-site; USD 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Covenant House in New York is seeking a dedicated Food Service Worker to prepare and serve nutritious meals for vulnerable youth. You will ensure food safety and hygiene while maintaining an organized kitchen. This role is vital in supporting the well-being of young people.

Qualifications include a high school diploma, a certificate in food protection, and culinary experience. Join us to help transform lives through food services and inspire hope for youth facing challenges.

Qualifications

• 2-3 years of experience in the food service industry.
• Ability to operate institutional kitchen equipment.
• Must be willing to follow directions and ask clarifying questions.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and serve well-balanced meals.
• Maintain cleanliness of kitchen and follow safety guidelines.
• Monitor food inventory and manage supplies.

Skills

Food preparation and presentation

Strong organizational skills

Knife skills

Communication skills

Education

High School diploma/GED and Certificate in Food Protection

Culinary school diploma

Tools

Institutional ovens

Steamers

Kettles

Slicers

Job description

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 the 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 provide support across 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: Maintaining a 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.
• Completes production sheet on a daily basis.
• 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, including Cooks, Kitchen Helpers, and Residential Staff.
• Attend all scheduled employee meetings and bring suggestions for improvement.
• Time Management: Working efficiently and managing time effectively.
• Workshops: Facilitate cooking 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 clarifying questions as needed.
• Must be able to communicate clearly with managers, kitchen, and dining room personnel.
• Ability to consistently comply with our standard portion sizes, cooking methods, quality standards, and kitchen rules, recipes, policies, and procedures.
• Knowledgeable in the proper technique of food preparation.
• Be able to reach, bend, stoop, and frequently lift 40 pounds and up.
• Knowledge of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).