HEAD START - RXII - Lead Cook, Seasonal

Tri-Valley Opportunity Council Inc•Elgin, MN

About The Position

The Lead Cook collaborates with food service personnel and classroom staff to prepare meals and provide services in compliance with Head Start Performance Standards and guidance from the USDA Food and Nutrition services. The position ensures adequate food quantities, and correct serving sizes and utensils are available during meal times and snacks. The Lead Cook follows proper cleaning, sanitizing and food safety measures. As the fiscal steward of the food service department at the center, the Lead Cook develops and maintains systematic ordering procedures of food and supplies to manage their food budget. Records of invoices, food usage and waste, equipment and supply inventory will be maintained by the Lead Cook. This position submits monthly reports of food costs, meals served, food waste, production records and child nutrition labels for products used to the Food Services Specialist. Helps recruit potential parents by providing information to them about the various program services and benefits offered to enrolled children and families.

Requirements

Must be at least 18 years of age; or have a high school diploma or GED, and be turning 18 by the end of August of the current year.
One year’s experience in cooking for large numbers of people.
Demonstrated ability to read and complete necessary paperwork in English.
Demonstrated ability to do math problem solving.
Comfortable working with computers, willing and able to learn program specific systems.

Responsibilities

Reviews pre-approved menus for planning, ordering, delivery, and plan for leftovers.
Reviews the pre-approved menus for the morning, noon, snack, and/or evening meals, in order to provide alternate food selection for children with disabilities or special dietary needs as needed.
Reviews the pre-approved menus for the morning, noon, snack and/or evening meals and plan to provide alternate food selection for infant and toddlers when food selection is inappropriate, in consultation with the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
Implements food substitutions as necessary, ensuring nutrition quality, adherence to USDA regulations and Head Start Performance Standards.
Maintains open communication and cooperative efforts with Head Start staff to support the use of the kitchen for parent involvement, meetings, training, and classroom efforts to provide cooking activities for children.
Develops an ordering system to meet budgetary guidelines and have adequate quantities of food and non-food items as needed.
All damaged items are returned to the vendor for credit.
Assures purchase orders and expenditures are recorded accurately and in a timely manner.
Completes a daily record of actual meals served for each meal.
Completes a daily record of the portion of plate waste per meal.
Reports plate waste to the Center Manager on a weekly basis and the Food and Nutrition Specialist, monthly.
Ensures food items are properly dated, properly wrapped for storage, and used on a first in/first out rotation.
Maintains an accurate monthly inventory of food items to be reported to the Food Services Specialist, as well as all utensils, materials, and small equipment.
Completes a production record for each meal, daily.
Maintains a copy of any Certified Nutrition (CN) labels, kept for all convenience items and submits a copy to the Food and Nutrition Specialist in monthly report.
Records the number of meals served daily to walk-in children and non-program adults.
Prepares the monthly Food Service Report, ensuring the number of meals claimed for reimbursement are accurate.
Maintains a high standard of sanitation in preparation, service of food, and storage.
Prepares meals according to the State Health Department sanitation standards, including proper time and temperature, exposure of food, personal hygiene, cleaning procedures, and schedule.
Utilizes correct operating, cleaning, sanitizing and safety procedures for all equipment.
Conspicuously posts agency and regulatory information.
Have or obtain within 30 days of hire a First Aid and CPR Certification as well as maintain the certification during employment.