Culinary Associate

University of Missouri Health Care • Columbia, MO

3d • $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 Culinary Associate prepares delicious, nutritious meals for patients and staff while providing outstanding customer service and maintaining a positive, professional attitude. The role requires adherence to food safety, infection control, nutrition, privacy, and sanitation standards in a health care environment. Training is provided, and employees are expected to master the culinary, equipment, safety, and customer-service skills required for their assigned positions during their initial evaluation period.

This position is on-site at University Hospital in Columbia, Missouri. The stated shift is 5:00 AM–1:30 PM, with every other weekend and rotating holidays. The facility operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; rotating shifts, holiday work, and work during inclement weather are required.

Requirements

• One year of culinary experience.
• Ability to meet the physical demands of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, including ambulating, remaining stationary, reaching or moving objects above the shoulders and below the knees, frequently lifting or moving objects up to 10 pounds, and occasionally moving objects up to 25 pounds.
• Follow infection control and PPE requirements; the position may routinely involve contact with patients who have contagious illnesses.
• Work rotating shifts, every other weekend, rotating holidays, and during inclement weather as required.

Nice To Haves

• High school diploma or an equivalent combination of education and experience providing comparable knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• 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 and departmental staff, patients, visitors, and the public, maintaining customer satisfaction and using appropriate scripts when interacting with patients, families, and guests.
• Protect patient privacy and confidential information in accordance with HIPAA guidelines and PCI requirements.
• Follow Dining and Nutrition Services management directives regarding work assignments, workloads, and areas needing improvement; learn and master assigned work routines, culinary skills, food safety standards, nutrition education, chemical use, kitchen equipment use, scripting, and customer-focused skills.
• Perform culinary work in a health care environment, including hot and cold food preparation, grill cooking, production cooking, ingredient room production, catering and retail production, room service production, line cooking, expediting, and baking.
• Support other department functions as required, including cashiering, physician’s dining room attendant, catering attendant, barista, line server, patient tray assembly, or other assigned duties.
• Follow food safety, infection control, and nutrition guidelines; prevent cross-contamination and ensure patient and customer nutrition requirements are met.
• Clean and sanitize patient and retail kitchens, shared kitchens, and public dining rooms in accordance with food safety procedures and hospital-specific standard precautions.
• Use appropriate infection control and PPE when removing food debris and items contaminated with bodily substances from soiled patient trays.
• Operate and maintain kitchen equipment safely; keep carts and items out of traffic ways and secure and properly destroy patient information such as menu tickets.
• Promptly report food safety, environmental safety, security, PCI, or HIPAA issues to a supervisor, and report variances in patient nutrition requirements.
• Monitor food temperatures for cooking, serving, and refrigeration; maintain date labels and rotate stock to ensure food safety and nutrition care.
• Assist Nutrition Associates with staff development or staff relief as requested.
• Keep equipment and work areas clean, sanitized, restocked, safe, and in good working condition; maintain inspection-ready areas and promptly correct deficiencies identified by supervisors or inspections.
• 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