Kitchen Staff (Northern Colorado)

Denver Rescue Mission•Wellington, CO

About The Position

The Kitchen Staff member, referred to in the position summary as a Chef, is responsible for kitchen operations, food production, meal service, and volunteer services. The role reports to the Denver Food Services leadership team (Supervisor, Manager, or Director) as assigned. Chefs work as a team and assist one another as needed, with responsibilities and focus areas determined by each shift’s needs. Facilities provide buffet-style meals to people using services at each location. The position plans and prepares balanced meals using donated food, organizes buffet service, supports kitchen helpers and program participants, and records meals served. It also hosts and mobilizes community volunteers, maintains food inventory and storage, and follows food-safety and sanitation requirements. The standard uniform is a chef coat, long pants, and appropriate non-slip shoes. The posting states a hiring range of $20.29–$21.72 per hour based on qualifications and experience; its salary description lists $20.75–$21.72.

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 service.
Ability to cook in large and small quantities.
Understanding of hospitality in both front- and back-of-house food services.
Solid Christian ethic and ability to work with people of diverse cultural, educational, and religious backgrounds.
ServSafe® certification, or ability to obtain it within 90 days of hire.
Ability to obtain 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; a limited amount of work-related travel may be required.
Must be a Christian, hold to the beliefs in the Statement of Faith, and demonstrate this through personal testimony and Christian conduct.

Responsibilities

Plan and execute daily menus with other Chefs, Denver Food Services leadership, and the Food Distribution Coordinator, using donated food while maintaining high-quality balanced meals.
Organize and monitor buffet-style meal service.
Prepare food-preparation lists that can be carried out by kitchen helpers, volunteers, and program participants.
Create a professional, respectful, teamwork-driven environment for team members and volunteers.
Record meals served by scanning each meal into Denver Rescue Mission’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, personal hygiene, and appropriate working relations with kitchen helpers.
Supervise program participants assigned to the kitchen through Work Readiness and ensure they perform tasks assigned by the Chef on duty.
Coordinate with Volunteer Services to host and mobilize community volunteers for kitchen preparation and meal service shifts.
Prepare written task lists for volunteers, welcome and orient them, keep them engaged and productive during their shift, and thank, debrief, and dismiss them at the end.
Maintain and rotate food-storage areas, keep them organized and uncluttered, and maintain inventory pars.
Weigh and record donated food retained at the kitchen for meal production, and send excess donations to the warehouse daily in accordance with health department standards.
Serve food only at the buffet area during designated mealtimes.
Follow personal hygiene, food-handling, cleaning, and sanitizing practices; maintain food-safety policies, procedures, and required logs; rotate food properly and discard unusable or unwholesome items; and keep cleaning schedules updated daily.
Participate in staff meetings and other staff activities as assigned, and follow staff practices relating to sickness, reporting job-related problems, and supervision.
Participate in continuous-improvement projects and training, use Agile and Lean methodologies, promote departmental values, and support a culture of continuous improvement.
Wear the standard uniform of a chef coat, long pants, and appropriate non-slip shoes.