Manager I - Chef
About The Position
Encompass Community Services is hiring a Chef for its El Dorado Center crisis residential program in Santa Cruz, California. The Chef plans and prepares three meals a day for 16 individuals and develops coordinated menus intended to improve nutritional value across multiple facilities. The position manages vendor relationships and coordinates centralized purchasing to improve fiscal efficiency, while supervising three cooks and coaching staff as they adopt new ideas and recipes. This exempt Manager I position develops food procurement processes, coordinates sourcing and deliveries, oversees purchasing and inventory, and manages food-service expenses within a defined budget. It also develops nutritious, cost-effective menus that meet licensing and regulatory guidelines, accommodate special dietary needs, and adapt to seasonal selections, feedback, and changing costs. The Chef ensures compliance with internal policies, grant requirements, food-safety rules, sanitation, and infection-control procedures.
Requirements
- Completion of culinary school or a culinary program, including nutrition.
- Current Food Protection Manager Certificate.
- Computer proficiency.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.
- Exceptional organizational and time-management skills.
- Experience with relationship building, strong interpersonal communication skills, and the ability to work with a diverse population.
- Valid California Driver’s License.
- Ability to lift more than 40 pounds on occasion.
- Ability to travel between sites in Santa Cruz County.
Nice To Haves
- Experience in healthcare or institutional food service.
- Supervisory experience.
Responsibilities
- Develop and implement a centralized food process, including essential steps in the food procurement process flow.
- Communicate with cross-functional teams to identify potential sourcing and build stakeholder collaboration.
- Coordinate with internal teams and vendors to ensure timely delivery and quality of goods and services.
- Manage and train cooking staff to enhance their cooking skills; hire and conduct performance evaluations when needed.
- Keep expenses within a defined budget.
- Monitor and track stock levels and inventory, and recommend reordering or changes to purchasing patterns.
- Collect food order requests from residential programs, including client counts, dietary restrictions, and pantry inventory.
- Develop nutritious, cost-effective menus that comply with licensing requirements, including recipes for people with special dietary needs; adjust menus for seasonal selections, feedback, and changing costs.
- Ensure compliance with internal policies, grant requirements, and applicable regulations.
- Follow food-safety protocols to prevent cross-contamination and ensure proper food handling, storage, and labeling.
- Ensure compliance with Encompass and licensing regulations for food safety, sanitation, and infection control.
- Plan and prepare three meals a day for 16 individuals and develop coordinated menus across multiple facilities.
Benefits
- Medical insurance for full-time employees.
- Dental insurance for full-time employees.
- Acupuncture and chiropractic services.
- 403(b) retirement plan.
- 11 vacation days.
- 12 sick days.
- 15 additional paid holidays.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
Education Level
No Education Listed
