Assistant Cook

** Assistant Cook**

**Job Category****:** Head Start **Requisition Number****:** ASSIS04017 Showing 1 location **Job Details**

**Description**

**Position Title:** Assistant Cook, Head Start

**Employee Type:** Full-Time Regular or Part-Time Regular

**Supervisor Title:** Manager, Nutrition or Cook, Head Start

**Division:** Head Start

**Summary**

The Assistant Cook will assist in ordering, preparing, serving and documenting meals and snacks for children served in the Head Start and/or Early Head Start program. You must follow menus and all phases of kitchen operations including inventory control.

You will contribute to the smooth flow of operations in the assigned kitchen, and to the functioning of the kitchen in adherence to health and food safety codes and the strict cleanliness of the kitchen and food service and storage areas. You may prepare foods for infants and toddlers and/or preschool children following the USDA/CACFP and Head Start standards. You may be reassigned to various kitchens/centers as deemed necessary for program operations.

As a front line representative of Save the Children, you are required to ensure the safety and security of children and families that they come into contact with and represent the agency values of Accountability, Ambition, Collaboration, Creativity and Integrity.

As a Save the Children employee who will come into contact with children on a routine basis, you are expected to prevent child abuse in every situation by striving, through mental awareness, good practice and training, to minimize risk to children. You must take positive steps to protect children who may be a subject of concern and report, respond to any instance of child abuse and promote training and awareness around all child-safeguarding obligations.

**What Youll Be Doing (Essential Duties)**

* Prepares food to meet the needs of children with special needs, restricted diets, medical issues or disabilities; ensures that specifications are met in accordance to Save the Children policies, MS State Regulations, OHS and CACFP/USDA

* Prepares and serves food and assists in any food related activities as directed and menus as approved by registered dietician/nutritionist.

* Prepares and serves all meals as planned, paying attention to food presentation and freshness

* Assists Head Cook with overseeing full kitchen operations and may supervise volunteer assistants (depending on size of workload)

* Assists with maintenance of inventory for food service operations

* Assists with the processing and storage of food and food related items as they are delivered

* Assists with ensuring that standardized recipes are followed and appropriate quantities of food and serving proportions are prepared and served in accordance with the CACFP meal requirements

* Assists with ensuring production books for CACFP and documents are completed accurately on a daily basis

* Attends child nutrition meetings and required program meetings.

* Receives, inspects and verifies delivery of food, food related items and all kitchen/food inventory in absence of Head cook.

* Implements a cost effective food service program, according to federal, state and local regulations that is a financially successful operation by helping to control food and labor costs

* Performs any other relevant duties as assigned by manager

**Required Qualifications**

* A High School diploma or equivalent, plus at least two (2) years of relevant experience

* Demonstrated experience working in a food service environment

* Proven knowledge of basic food preparation and kitchen operations, including food safety requirements is a plus

* Demonstrated ability to communicate and collaborate with individuals and teams at all levels

* Proven positive customer service delivery

* Professional proficiency in spoken and written English, with a demonstrated ability to understand and carry out instructions

* Demonstrated organizational skills, time management and overall cleanliness

* Demonstrated commitment to diversity, inclusion, and belonging

**Preferred Qualifications**

* Previous experience having met Health Department Regulations, USDA and Head Start Standards is preferred

* Proven knowledge of basic food preparation and kitchen operations, including food safety requirements is a plus

* General bookkeeping skills are a plus

* Previous experience working with CACFP is preferred

* Certification in ServSafe is preferred

Physical Requirements related to essential functions: Ability to perform medium to heavy physical work exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, up to 20 pounds frequently and up to 5-10 pounds constantly, performing such activities as sitting, crawling, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting and grasping. This also includes some duties that require repetitive action and motion skills, keyboarding and computer use.

Clear pre-employment background check requirements, including local, state, and national criminal records check, sex offender registries, employment, and education verifications (including child abuse registry check if required by state regulations) and pass all state and local health requirements required post job offer and prior to employment.

This position may require the incumbent to operate a motor vehicle to fulfill certain essential functions of the job. The incumbent should maintain a valid drivers license and remain in compliance with any Save the Children policies pertaining to the safe operation of motor vehicles.

Current and former Head Start/Early Head Start parents will receive preference for employment vacancies for which they are qualified.

**Why you should join the Save the Children Team**

**Save the Children US offers outstanding benefits that include health, dental, vision and life insurances, pet insurance, short-term and long-term disability coverage, an Employee Assistance Program, 403(b), generous vacation, personal sick leave, family leave, parental/adoption leave, commuter benefits, dress for your day, and much more.**

***Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children every day and in times of crisis transforming their lives and the future we share.***

***Our work for children and their families requires that we commitat every opportunityto work together to identify and dismantle persistent systemic and structural racism, inequality, and any other forms of discrimination in this country and beyond. As an anti-racist organization, Save the Children will not tolerate discrimination in any formin our employment practices, amongst our staff, in our leadership or toward the people we serve. We stand in solidarity with all people to fight for equal rights, justice, inclusion, and belonging.***

***We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, or status as a veteran. Save the Children complies with all applicable laws.***

***Save the Children is committed to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for the children it serves and helping protect the children with whom we are in contact. All Save the Children representatives are explicitly prohibited from engaging in any activity that may result in any kind of child abuse. In addition, it is Save the Childrens policy to create and proactively maintain an environment that aims to prevent and deter any actions and omissions, whether deliberate or inadvertent, that place children at the risk of any kind of child abuse. All our representatives are expected to conduct themselves in a ma