Culinary Cook | Culinary Chef | Senior Living Cook | Casual Position

Heritage Senior Living•Monona, WI

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Heritage Senior Living is seeking a dependable, passionate Cook to prepare and serve appealing meals for residents and guests at Heritage Monona. The Cook is responsible for food preparation, meal service, dietary compliance, sanitation, and supporting an exceptional dining experience. The role reports to the Executive Chef and works closely with the culinary team. The Cook prepares meals according to menus, recipes, production standards, resident preferences, and dietary instructions. The position includes monitoring food quality, temperatures, presentation, and timely service; providing friendly service to residents and guests; and assisting with special events and resident activities. The Cook maintains clean, organized kitchen areas, follows food-safety, sanitation, and infection-control practices, stores and rotates food properly, monitors inventory and equipment, and completes or assists with required department documentation. The ideal candidate takes pride in food quality and service, is dependable and organized, can manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced kitchen, and enjoys working with older adults. The role requires extended standing and walking, physical kitchen work, and a flexible schedule that may include weekends, holidays, and additional hours as needed. Reasonable accommodations may be provided as required by applicable law.

Requirements

Previous food preparation or cooking experience is required.
Ability to read and follow recipes, menus, food labels, dietary instructions, and safety procedures.
Strong organizational and time-management skills.
Good judgment, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
Strong communication and customer-service skills.
Understanding of or willingness to learn sanitation and infection-control practices.
Ability to work collaboratively with coworkers and community team members.
Ability to meet applicable pre-employment, training, and regulatory requirements.
Ability to stand and walk for extended periods throughout the workday.
Ability to bend, reach, stoop, kneel, push, pull, and perform movements needed for food preparation and kitchen duties.
Ability to regularly lift, carry, and move items weighing up to 50 pounds.
Ability to work safely around heat, steam, hot surfaces, sharp utensils, cleaning products, wet surfaces, and temperature changes.

Nice To Haves

High school diploma or equivalent preferred.
Food-service or culinary certification is a plus.
Senior living, healthcare, institutional food service, hospitality, or restaurant experience preferred.
Enjoy cooking and take pride in food preparation, taste, quality, portioning, and presentation.
Ability to multitask and adjust to changing priorities in a fast-paced kitchen.
Positive attitude and strong customer-service mindset; enjoys working with older adults.

Responsibilities

Prepare and cook meals according to established menus, recipes, and production standards.
Follow proper portioning, presentation, and serving methods.
Prepare meals according to resident preferences, special dietary needs, and applicable dietary instructions.
Ensure food is prepared and served safely, accurately, and on time.
Monitor food quality, temperatures, appearance, and presentation during preparation and service.
Follow direction from the Executive Chef and Sous Chef regarding daily production and culinary operations.
Assist with food preparation for special events, celebrations, and resident activities.
Provide friendly, attentive service to residents and guests and interact with residents during meal service.
Monitor dining satisfaction, respond professionally to resident requests, and communicate concerns to appropriate team members.
Collaborate with the culinary team and other departments to support the resident experience.
Follow food-safety, sanitation, and infection-control practices and applicable state and local food-service and health department requirements.
Maintain clean, sanitary, and organized food-preparation and kitchen areas and follow cleaning schedules and infection-control procedures.
Label, date, rotate, and store food products properly to maintain quality and reduce waste.
Monitor inventory and communicate food and supply needs to the Executive Chef.
Monitor kitchen equipment and promptly report maintenance or safety concerns.
Assist with monitoring dishwasher temperatures and chemical levels as needed.
Complete or assist with required food-safety, temperature, cleaning, and other department documentation.
Communicate effectively with residents, guests, and team members; read and follow recipes, menus, dietary instructions, food labels, safety information, and required documentation.
Safely handle food, cookware, utensils, kitchen equipment, and cleaning supplies; perform food preparation, cooking, portioning, plating, and meal service.
Maintain regular and reliable attendance and work a flexible schedule based on resident and community needs, including weekends, holidays, and additional hours as needed.