Culinary Associate

University of Missouri Health Care • Columbia, MO

5d • $17 - $25 • Onsite

About The Position

MU Health Care is seeking a talented and enthusiastic cook to join its Dining and Nutrition Services team. The role prepares delicious, nutritious meals for patients and staff while providing excellent customer service, maintaining a positive attitude, and upholding food safety and infection control standards. The position is based at University Hospital in Columbia, Missouri, and is on-site.

The Culinary Associate performs a range of culinary activities in a health care setting, including hot and cold food preparation, grill and production cooking, ingredient room, catering, retail and room service production, line cooking, expediting, and baking. Other assignments may include cashiering, serving as a physician’s dining room or catering attendant, barista, line server, patient tray assembler, and other duties that support Dining and Nutrition Services. The role also includes cleaning and sanitation in patient and retail kitchens and public dining rooms.

The associate works with medical and ancillary staff, patients, visitors, and the public, using professional, customer-focused communication and maintaining patient privacy in accordance with HIPAA and PCI requirements. The role requires following management direction and completing training in assigned work routines, culinary skills, food safety, nutrition education, chemical use, kitchen equipment, scripting, and customer service.

The associate is responsible for safe kitchen equipment operation; infection-control and PPE practices; preventing cross-contamination; monitoring food temperatures, labeling and rotating stock; recognizing and reporting nutrition variances and safety or privacy issues; and keeping equipment and work areas clean, sanitized, stocked, safe, and inspection-ready. The position may also assist with staff development or relief for Nutrition Associates.

The shift is 5:00 AM–1:30 PM, with every-other-weekend work and rotating holidays. The facility operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and rotating shifts, holiday work, and work during inclement weather are required.

Requirements

• One year of culinary experience.
• Able to meet the position’s physical demands, including frequent lifting or moving of objects up to 10 pounds and occasional lifting or moving of objects up to 25 pounds.
• Work every other weekend, rotating holidays, rotating shifts as required, and during inclement weather.

Nice To Haves

• High school diploma or an equivalent combination of education and experience from which comparable knowledge, skills, and abilities can be acquired.
• University of Missouri Food Handler’s Certificate within one month.
• Additional license or certification requirements as determined by the hiring department.

Responsibilities

• Work professionally with medical staff, ancillary staff, departmental service staff, patients, visitors, and the public, prioritizing patient and retail customer satisfaction.
• Use appropriate scripting and maintain patient confidentiality and privacy in accordance with HIPAA and PCI requirements.
• Follow management directives on work assignments, workloads, and areas for improvement, and master required work routines and skills during the initial evaluation period.
• Perform culinary activities including hot and cold food preparation, grill cooking, production cooking, ingredient room production, catering, retail and room service production, line cooking, expediting, and baking.
• Perform other assigned department duties, which may include cashiering, dining room or catering attendant work, barista duties, line service, or patient tray assembly.
• Follow food safety, infection control, PPE, cross-contamination prevention, nutrition, and hospital-specific standard precaution requirements.
• Clean and sanitize patient and retail kitchens, shared kitchens, public dining rooms, equipment, and work areas.
• Operate and maintain kitchen equipment safely and keep carts and items out of traffic ways.
• Monitor cooking, serving, and refrigeration temperatures; label and rotate stock; and ensure food safety and nutrition care requirements are met.
• Secure and properly destroy patient information, including menu tickets, and promptly report food safety, environmental safety, security, PCI, or HIPAA issues to a supervisor.
• Recognize patient nutrition requirements and report any variances to a supervisor.
• Keep equipment and work areas clean, sanitized, restocked, safe, in good working condition, and inspection-ready; promptly correct deficiencies identified by a supervisor or inspection.
• Assist Nutrition Associates with staff development or staff relief as needed.
• Complete unit- or department-specific duties as outlined in department documents.

Benefits

• Health, vision, and dental insurance coverage starting day one.
• Generous paid leave and paid time off, including ten holidays.
• Multiple retirement options, including 100% matching up to 8% and full vesting in three years.
• Tuition assistance for employees (75%) and immediate family members (50%).
• Discounts on cell phone plans, rental cars, gyms, hotels, and more.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: No Education Listed