Kitchen Staff (Northern Colorado)

Denver Rescue Mission•Wellington, CO

1d•$20 - $22

About The Position

The Kitchen Staff position is responsible for kitchen operations, meal production, buffet-style service, inventory management, food safety, and volunteer services. The Chef reports to the Denver Food Services leadership team, as assigned, and works with other Chefs and kitchen staff to meet the needs of each shift. The role includes preparing balanced meals using donated food, organizing kitchen work for volunteers and program participants, and supporting a respectful, collaborative environment. The position also mobilizes and supports community volunteers throughout meal preparation and service shifts. The role maintains food storage and donation records, follows Denver Rescue Mission food safety policies and procedures, and serves food during designated mealtimes. Standard uniform consists of a chef coat, long pants, and appropriate non-slip shoes. The position may involve limited work-related travel and requires willingness to work nights, weekends, and holidays as assigned.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Previous cooking and commercial kitchen experience.
Ability to lift and move at least 50 pounds.
Knowledge of food-industry procedures and sanitation codes related to buffet-style services.
Ability to cook in large and small quantities.
Understanding of hospitality in food services, including front- and back-of-house operations.
Solid Christian ethic and ability to work with people from diverse cultural, educational, and religious backgrounds.
ServSafe® certification, or ability to fulfill certification within 90 days of hire.
Ability to achieve and maintain CPR/First Aid certification within 90 days of hire.
Willingness to work nights, weekends, and holidays as assigned.
Active driver’s license and ability to meet Denver Rescue Mission insurability standards; limited work-related travel may be required.
Must be a Christian who holds to the beliefs in the organization’s Statement of Faith, expressed through personal testimony and Christian conduct.
Must agree with the organization’s Statement of Faith and align with its Christian mission.

Responsibilities

Plan and execute daily menus in coordination with other Chefs, Denver Food Services leadership, and the Food Distribution Coordinator, using donated food and maintaining high-quality balanced meals.
Organize and monitor buffet-style meal service.
Prepare food-preparation lists and oversee meal preparation by kitchen staff, volunteers, and program participants.
Create a professional, respectful, and teamwork-driven kitchen environment.
Record meals served in the organization’s database, review totals at the end of each shift, and report issues to the Denver Food Services leader.
Train program participants in food handling, preparation, cooking, hygiene, and appropriate workplace relations.
Supervise program participants assigned to the kitchen as part of Work Readiness and ensure they complete assigned tasks.
Coordinate with Volunteer Services to host and mobilize community volunteers for kitchen preparation and meal service.
Prepare written task lists for volunteers, provide welcome and orientation, oversee volunteer tasks, keep volunteers engaged and productive, and thank, debrief, and dismiss them at the end of each shift.
Maintain and rotate food storage areas, keep them organized and uncluttered, and maintain inventory pars.
Record kitchen food donations accurately, including weighing donated items and recording them on provided sheets.
Send excess food donations to the organization’s warehouse daily in accordance with health department standards.
Serve food at the buffet area during designated mealtimes.
Follow personal hygiene, food handling, cleaning, and sanitizing practices.
Maintain food safety policies, procedures, required department logs, and daily cleaning schedules.
Rotate food appropriately and immediately discard unusable or unwholesome items.
Participate in weekly staff meetings, other staff activities, continuous improvement projects, and trainings as assigned.
Follow standard staff practices regarding illness, reporting job-related problems, and supervision.
Use Agile and Lean Methodologies in continuous improvement work and promote departmental values.