Correctional Food Service Coordinator

State of Iowa•Fort Dodge - 50501 - Webster County, IA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

This role is responsible for overseeing various aspects of food service operations within a correctional facility. Key duties include managing ingredient procurement, ensuring accurate inventory and financial records, preparing meals according to recipes and dietary needs, serving food, and delivering meals to alternate locations. A significant part of the role involves the direct supervision, training, and behavioral management of incarcerated individuals assigned to the food service department. The position also requires adherence to strict security protocols, food safety standards, and thorough documentation of activities and incidents.

Requirements

Two years of full-time work experience in mass food production in a commercial, military, hospital, or institutional food services setting.
A total of two years of education and/or full-time experience (as described above), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university coursework in dietetics, nutrition, food management or a closely related field equals one year of full-time experience.
Current, continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes one year of full-time work as a Cook 1, Cook 2, or Baker.

Nice To Haves

Obtain a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and endorsements within a period of time after hire, as determined by the appointing authority.

Responsibilities

Order, receive, and issue all Food Service supplies to provide adequate inventories for meals.
Update Food Service Icon to keep financial and inventory levels accurate.
Weigh out and measure all ingredients needed for each meal daily.
Prepare raw ingredients by slicing, grating, cutting, or chopping for recipes.
Follow recipes to assemble and mix food items into nutritionally adequate and appealing menu items.
Pan up foods to effectively measure servings or amounts produced to prevent shortages and/or waste.
Follow all local and state food codes.
Maintain sanitation by using soap and water on all dishes and food contact surfaces.
Take accurate inventories prior to beginning service.
Assemble medically prescribed diets carefully following menus and portion sizes.
Place proper portions of foods onto each tray so that it is appealing and eliminates mess and cross contamination.
Serve each general population tray to be identical in food and portion sizes.
Deliver food and/or trays and supplies to alternate serving locations, maintaining the sanitation and temperature of all food items.
Ensure all carts are in good repair and sanitary.
Follow all traffic laws when utilizing motorized vehicles for delivery.
Provide direct supervision to incarcerated individuals in the Food Service department.
Train each incarcerated individual in their current work assignment to maintain proper food production and serving procedures.
Patrol Food Services regularly, supervising incarcerated individual behavior, implementing behavior management plans; asking questions and answering questions.
Evaluate incarcerated individual work performance and behavior, provide instruction with follow up details.
Instruct incarcerated individuals in rules, policy, procedures, expectations and assist in the development of attitudes and skills necessary for successful adaptation to life within an institution and pro-social lifestyle.
Monitor progress of incarcerated individuals by focusing on behavior and rewarding positive behavior.
Role model pro-social behaviors that convey dignity and respect for others.
Document maintenance needs and forward work orders to maintenance department.
Ensure a safe environment for incarcerated individuals and staff through knowledge of fire drills, disaster plans, and disturbance control procedures.
Account for and appropriately lock all controlled items including knives and other Food Service tools.
Account for all keys and locks following institutional procedures.
Complete random shakedowns of Food Service areas for contraband.
Utilize random searches as not to display a pattern and document shakedowns.
Pat down incarcerated individuals as they report for work and they leave to further support safety and sanitation.
Be alert to any security problems that might occur in food services.
Execute self-defense techniques such as disengagements and escape that may require twisting, lifting, pulling, running and crawling.
Maintain sanitary methods and personal hygiene standards applicable to institutional food service operations and capable of sharing these standards with incarcerated individuals.
Document all food temperatures (received and produced), cooler and freezer temperatures, sanitizer levels and dish machine temperatures.
Ensure that all equipment and food contact surfaces are constantly safe for food service use through proper cleaning and sanitizing.
Document any irregularities.
Keep informed of all Food Service and institutional communications by email and as posted by the Food Service Director.
Attend Food Service meetings and in service training.
Complete DOC e-learning and career related learning activities.
Provide incarcerated individuals with individualized equipment training.
Use ICON as a tool to write reports for incarcerated individuals that continue to not follow policy, procedures and/or directives.
Use generic notes to document both bad and good behaviors that have been discussed with the incarcerated individuals.
Complete all other duties as assigned.