Cook

Summary

Under the supervision of the Food Manager, the cook is responsible for the planning, preparation and serving of the food for children enrolled in all childhood programs.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable Accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Reports to the Food Manager.
• Establishes and maintains good working relationship with agency staff, staff from related businesses, agencies, parents and children.
• Assist with ordering supplies and maintaining inventory.
• Receives and accounts for foods needed to prepare meals.
• Plans, prepares and serves breakfast, lunch and AM‑PM snacks following Department of Health guidelines.
• Assists with maintaining daily production records.
• Takes safety precautions to prevent accidents, fire, food and poisoning.
• Completes all work in a timely manner.
• Attends scheduled staff meetings, staff training and other center events as assigned.
• Keeps knowledge of children and families confidential.
• Continues to develop professionally.
• Performs all other duties as assigned by supervisor.
• Any other duties as may be assigned by the immediate supervisor.

The employee exercises initiative and some independence in establishing his/her schedule for meetings with participants and community agencies. Follows pre‑established procedures for program implementation and daily operations. The individual must be resourceful and able to assess situations to determine if a crisis is involved and how to best proceed within the framework of the agency’s and the program’s policies and procedures.

The employee will consult with a supervisor if in doubt before proceeding.

• Analytical Skills - Ability to use thinking and reasoning to solve a problem.
• Accuracy - Ability to perform work accurately and thoroughly.
• Customer Oriented - Ability to take care of the customers' needs while following company procedures.
• Detail Oriented - Ability to pay attention to the minute details of a project or task.
• Diversity Oriented - Ability to work effectively with people regardless of their age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or job type.
• Ethical - Ability to demonstrate professionalism conforming to a set of values and accepted standards.
• Interpersonal-Ability/desire to understand others' attitudes/interests/needs/nonverbal behavior, listening skills, and understanding strengths/limitations of others.

• Relationship Building-Ability to build/maintain friendly relationships/networks with people who might be useful in achieving work‑related goals.
• Reliability - The trait of being dependable and trustworthy.
• Communication, Oral - Ability to communicate effectively with others using the spoken word.

• High School diploma or equivalent
• Must be Bilingual English and Spanish
• Experience cooking in large volume
• Knowledge of Hispanic food preferred
• Ability to follow written and oral instruction in both languages
• Ability to make simple computations
• Required a Food Services Certification-level 2 Food Handler. If not certified, the candidate must get it within 3 months of hire.
• Must have clearance through NYS Central Registry
• Must be able to show full vaccination status from COVID 19
• Must have reliable transportation and a valid good standing NYS driver’s license.

The position does require occasional standing, squatting, lifting of up to approximately 10 lbs. And frequent sitting.