DescriptionJOB TITLE:
Cook
REPORTS TO:
Nutrition Coordinator
STATUS:
Full-time, nonexempt
HIRING PAY RANGE:
$19.00 - $20.00 per hour
Working here:
The Full-Time Cook plays a vital role in supporting Crittenton’s mission by preparing nutritious, appealing meals that nourish the women and children we serve. Working under the direction of the Nutrition Coordinator, the Cook is responsible for preparing meals and snacks primarily from scratch, ensuring timely service, maintaining a clean and safe kitchen environment, and contributing to a consistent, respectful atmosphere that supports a group living program. This position combines culinary skill, creativity, organization, and teamwork with a strong understanding of boundaries, structure, and professionalism when working in a residential setting.
Benefits:
Crittenton offers an innovative and competitive benefits package designed to enhance our employees’ work-life balance and support employee well-being. These benefits include:
- Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
- Company-paid Life & Accidental Death Insurance
- Company-paid Short-Term Disability Insurance
- Flexible Spending & Dependent Care Account options
- Paid Time Off
- Paid Holidays & worked holiday premium pay
- Paid COVID sick leave
- Paid Parental Leave
- Paid Sabbatical Leave
- 401(k) with match
- Employee Assistance Program
- Supplementary Voluntary Benefits
- Complementary meals during working hours
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Meal Preparation & Cooking
- Prepare, cook, and serve daily meals and snacks from scratch according to established menus, recipes, and food safety standards.
- Follow standardized recipes to ensure consistency, appropriate portions, and on-time meal service, while also contributing creativity through approved recipes and menu ideas.
- Utilize donated food items and ingredients effectively and creatively, minimizing waste while maintaining nutritional value, quality, and presentation.
- Prepare meals using commercial kitchen equipment including grills, ovens, steamers, mixers, slicers, and other tools.
- Ensure meals are ready and served on time to meet the structured schedule required in a group living environment.
- Assist with special meals, holiday menus, celebrations, and catering for residents, staff, and agency events.
Serving & Client Interaction
- Serve meals and snacks to residents and staff in a professional, respectful, and welcoming manner.
- Maintain appropriate professional boundaries with residents while building positive rapport and modeling respectful behavior.
- Follow program rules, expectations, and consistency requirements essential to a residential/group living setting.
- Provide excellent customer service while remaining mindful of the unique needs and experiences of the population served.
Kitchen Operations & Sanitation
- Wash dishes, pots, pans, utensils, and kitchen equipment promptly and thoroughly.
- Maintain cleanliness and organization of the kitchen, including counters, floors, serving lines, refrigerators, freezers, and storage areas.
- Sweep and mop kitchen floors according to cleaning schedules and as needed throughout shifts.
- Follow all kitchen procedures to ensure successful health inspections and compliance with local, state, and agency food safety regulations.
- Properly label, date, store, and rotate food items to maintain freshness and safety.
Inventory, Deliveries & Organization
- Receive, inspect, and properly store food and supply deliveries, including donated items and truck deliveries.
- Assist with inventory tracking and communicate supply needs to the Nutrition Coordinator.
- Restock serving lines, storage areas, and refrigerators/freezers as needed to support smooth meal service.
Teamwork & Reliability
- Work collaboratively with the Nutrition Coordinator and other kitchen staff to ensure efficient operations and timely meal service.
- Be flexible and willing to assist with additional kitchen-related tasks as needed.
- Work scheduled shifts reliably, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays as required by program needs.
Qualifications
- ServSafe Certification or ability to obtain within 30 days of hire.
- Demonstrated knowledge of food preparation, basic culinary techniques, knife skills, and meal presentation.
- Experience cooking from scratch in a commercial or institutional kitchen preferred.
- Ability to work effectively with donated and varying food supplies.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to work as part of a team.
- Ability to be sensitive to and respectful of the unique needs of women and children in a residential setting.
- Commitment to following rules, maintaining consistency, and upholding professional boundaries in a group living program.
- Passion for cooking and pride in preparing meals that are nutritious, appealing, and timely.
- Must pass background check and drug screening (a conviction does not automatically disqualify an applicant; nature and timing of the offense and job-relatedness are considered).
Schedule & Work Environment
- Full-time position with weekday shifts (7:00 AM–3:00 PM or 10:00 AM–6:00 PM) and rotating weekend shifts (7:00 AM–3:00 PM).
- Required availability to work holidays and special events as scheduled.
- Work is performed in a commercial kitchen environment with exposure to hot surfaces, sharp tools, and varying temperatures including walk-in refrigerators and freezers.
Physical Requirements
The following are representative of the essential job functions and physical requirements necessary to perform this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with different abilities to perform the essential functions.
- Ability to stand and walk for extended periods (up to 8 hours per shift).
- Ability to bend, reach, push, pull, and perform repetitive motions related to food preparation and cleaning.
- Ability to lift, carry, and move items weighing up to 40 pounds, including food boxes and supplies.
- Manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination to safely operate knives, utensils, and kitchen equipment.
- Ability to tolerate working in hot kitchens as well as refrigerated and freezer environments.
- Ability to read, follow, and execute recipes, safety guidelines, and cleaning procedures.
- Ability to communicate clearly with staff, residents, and supervisors.
