Jobs
Central Kitchen Chef/Cook Positions
Job Description:
Healthy Kids Inc., in collaboration with Project Healthy Kids are assisting in a statewide food initiative to create regional Central Kitchens throughout West Virginia that will prepare Chef-led, from-scratch, healthy meals for children in childcare centers. This is an exciting and unique initiative that will truly transform the health of children in our state.
We are looking for Chefs/Cooks over the next 12 months to support our Central Kitchen efforts. The Chefs/Cooks will be responsible for all levels of operations – from preparing meals, to operations, to developing new and innovative ways to incorporate healthy foods into kids’ meals. Opportunities for leadership positions and advancement also apply. The Chefs/Cooks will be supported by a Centralized Operations Team that will oversee menu planning and procurement.
Essential functions:
- Daily food preparation, adhering to specific child nutrition guidelines.
- Coordinates food services at all satellite schools to ensure proper nutrition and to safeguard the health of students, staff and visitors.
- Modifying menus or create new ones that meet quality standards.
- Estimates food preparation amounts and adjusts recipes, if required for the purpose of meeting projected meal requirements and minimizing waste.
- Evaluates prepared foods for flavor, appearance and temperature for the purpose of providing items that will be accepted by students and/or staff.
- Inspects food items, work areas, etc. (e.g. personal hygiene, proper food temperatures, etc.) for the purpose of preventing cross contamination of food borne illnesses.
- Loads carts, food warmers, etc. for the purpose of ensuring that food and/or beverage items are available for transporting to other sites. Transports meals when needed.
- Maintains inventory of dry storage, refrigerated and frozen food, etc. for the purpose of ensuring availability of items.
- Ensures safe, efficient and sanitary working conditions.
- Prepares documentation and/or reports (e.g. daily meal counts, Menu-Production Worksheets, Transport Sheets, inventory, etc.) for the purpose of providing an up-to-date reference and audit trail for compliance
Requirements:
- Knowledge of quantity cooking, food substitution and food handling regulations.
- Must maintain requirements of USDA child nutrition programs.
- Must have a constant desire to stay on top of current food trends and institutional food nutrition guidelines.
- Comprehensive understanding of properly yielding and writing recipes.
- Passionate about serving high quality foods to children.
- Possess a broad range of culinary creativity, with an affinity toward healthy foods.
- Be aware and comply with safety and sanitation laws, policies and procedures.
- Ability to spot and resolve problems efficiently.
- Communication and leadership skills.
- Attendance and punctuality are important functions of this position.
- Must maintain a high standard of personal hygiene.
- Valid driver’s license
- Food Handler’s Certificate
Experience and Education:
- Proven work experience as a Chef or Cook
- Proficient in various computer software programs (MS Word, Excel, Meal Planning Software, etc).
- Associate or Bachelor Degree in culinary science or related certificate.
Schedule and Location:
- Full time position. 8-10 hour shifts, generally 6am – 3pm each weekday. Additional shifts may be added as the project expands.
- The Central Kitchen will be located in Harrison County and serve both Harrison and Marion County children. Other locations will be created statewide.
- Competitive compensation based on experience and position level.
Core Characteristics that we are looking for in our team members:
Training and Development – Pursues training and development opportunities; Strives to continuously build knowledge and skills; Shares expertise with others. There will be a lot to learn in this role and staying on top of national nutrition requirements is essential.
Customer Service – Manages difficult or emotional customer situations; Responds promptly to customer needs; Solicits customer feedback to improve service; Responds to requests for service and assistance; Meets commitments.
Interpersonal Skills – Focuses on solving conflict, not blaming; Maintains confidentiality; Listens to others without interrupting; Keeps emotions under control; Remains open to others’ ideas and tries new things.
Oral Communication – Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; Listens and gets clarification; Responds well to questions; Demonstrates group presentation skills; Participates in meetings.
Written Communication – Writes clearly and informatively; Edits work for spelling and grammar; Varies writing style to meet needs; Presents numerical data effectively; Able to read and interpret written information.
Teamwork – Balances team and individual responsibilities; Exhibits objectivity and openness to others’ views; Gives and welcomes feedback; Contributes to building a positive team spirit; Puts success of team above own interests; Able to build morale and group commitments to goals and objectives; Supports everyone’s efforts to succeed.
Change Management – Develops workable implementation plans; Communicates changes effectively; Builds commitment and overcomes resistance; Prepares and supports those affected by change; Monitors transition and evaluates results.
Visionary Leadership – Displays passion and optimism; Inspires respect and trust; Mobilizes others to fulfill the vision; Provides vision and inspiration to peers and subordinates.
Leadership – Exhibits confidence in self and others; Inspires and motivates others to perform well; Effectively influences actions and opinions of others; Accepts feedback from others; Gives appropriate recognition to others.
Quality Management – Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness.
Diversity – Demonstrates knowledge of EEO policy; Shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences; Educates others on the value of diversity; Promotes a harassment-free environment; Builds a diverse workforce.
Ethics – Treats people with respect; Keeps commitments; Inspires the trust of others; Works with integrity and ethically; Upholds organizational values.
Judgment – Displays willingness to make decisions; Exhibits sound and accurate judgment; Supports and explains reasoning for decisions; Includes appropriate people in decision-making process; Makes timely decisions.
Motivation – Sets and achieves challenging goals; Demonstrates persistence and overcomes obstacles; Measures self against standard of excellence; Takes calculated risks to accomplish goals.
Planning/Organizing – Prioritizes and plans work activities; Uses time efficiently; Plans for additional resources; Sets goals and objectives; Develops realistic action plans.
Professionalism – Approaches others in a tactful manner; Reacts well under pressure; Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; Accepts responsibility for own actions; Follows through on commitments.
Quantity – Meets productivity standards; Completes work in timely manner; Strives to increase productivity; Works quickly.
Safety and Security – Observes safety and security procedures; Determines appropriate action beyond guidelines; Reports potentially unsafe conditions; Uses equipment and materials properly.
Adaptability – Adapts to changes in the work environment; Manages competing demands; Changes approach or method to best fit the situation; Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.
Attendance/Punctuality – Is consistently at work and on time; Ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent; Arrives at meetings and appointments on time.
Dependability – Follows instructions, responds to management direction; Takes responsibility for own actions; Keeps commitments; Commits to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals; Completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternate plan.
Initiative – Volunteers readily; Undertakes self-development activities; Seeks increased responsibilities; Takes independent actions and calculated risks; Looks for and takes advantage of opportunities; Asks for and offers help when needed.
Quality – Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Applies feedback to improve performance; Monitors own work to ensure quality.
Interested candidates are asked to email their resume to Mandy Curry at: mandy@healthykidsinc.com by April 30, 2021 for consideration. For questions, please contact Mandy Curry at (304) 549-4660.