Cook III

The Production Cook III will prepare meals for programs following designated menus. The Cook must be able to work as a reliable team member in a fast-paced and often-changing kitchen environment. Duties include cooking, cleaning, following standard food safety processes and assisting in student training when necessary. This role will fulfill production needs, support special events and catering and take a dominant role with assigned program needs, on time delivery and contract requirements. The Production Cook III role will also have interaction with Job Training Students and mentoring; guidance and support are expected as part of good teamwork. Cook III will have opening and closing of the kitchen as is assigned. Arrival at 5:45 AM and potential exit at 4:00 PM. Strong customer relations and the ability to align with contract requirements is key to this role.

Competencies:

• Effective Communication: conveys information clearly, with respect and integrity, using a professional manner and the appropriate means and channels for audience and subject matter.
• Accountability: reliable, honest, and transparent; regularly makes commitments and takes ownership of responsibilities.
• Integrity: being honest and showing a consistent upholding of strong moral and ethical business values; striving to do what's right
• Interactions: displays a positive and constructive attitude, demonstrates good personal and professional conduct, and provides good customer service to internal and external stakeholders.
• Collaboration: develops relationships and works effectively with people across the organization, regardless of location or background, to achieve organization goals.
• Agility: maintains efficiency in a changing work environment; adjusts effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements, or cultures.
• Quality: Work is organized, accurate and neat. The employee displays a commitment to excellence, checks work and learns from mistakes, and seeks feedback to improve quality as needed.
• Urgency: high degree of productivity, uses time wisely and can prioritize effectively; actively seeks out new assignments, and supports others when available.
• Judgement: uses proper judgement to make sound decisions, analyze and solve problems, and considers short and long-term impact to other team members, processes, etc.
• Engagement: contributes to the success of the organization by embracing teamwork, taking initiative on tasks and problem-resolution, and seeking out learning opportunities.

• Manage output for assigned programs and ensure quality, on time delivery and specified requirements.
• Leverage creative solutions for food requirements and align with budget and on time delivery.
• Manage first level response to escalations and customer communication and needs.
• Leads production and applies preferred proactive support, reactions, attitude and quality.
• Lead by example, provide guidance and input for trainees participating in job training program.
• Label and stock all ingredients, note discrepancies or changes.
• Appropriately prepare food; Wash, chop, and sort ingredients like fruits, vegetables, and meats
• Follow Recipe: Measure, weigh and sort ingredients per recipe.
• Support inventory tracking to ensure kitchen is well stocked, organized and prepared for menu preparation and collaborate for management staff to resupply, order schedule.
• Meet or exceed the Philabundance Standard, assure that meals look and taste attractive and as intended, prepared on a timely basis to meet deadlines.
• Support decisions on appropriate menu substitutions, when necessary, provide input and align with Chef. Support Safe Food standards,
• Follow protocol for Food Defense Initiatives, training provided in first 30 days.
• Always maintain kitchen sanitation standards. Must meet all of the applicable requirements as specified Serve Safe standards as well as align with all safety standards.
• Maintain professional appearance aligned with Philabundance standard, catering requirements will be specified.
• Responsible for supporting and aligning with Philabundance Cultural pillars. Ensure communications, actions and interactions reflect a focus on People, Professionalism, Partnerships, and Progress.

Additional Job Duties:

• Assist in receiving, storage, production, cooling and serving of foods as needed.
• Assist in completing scheduled kitchen inspections as needed.
• Assist in preparing food for any special functions or catering.

Education Achievement:

High School Diploma or GED preferred.

Work Experience:

• Possess strong culinary skills and ability to deliver to produce nutritious, healthy meal aligned with Philabundance brand.
• Previous experience with food security and safety, follow FIRST steps of Food Defense Initiatives, training provided.
• Food preparation for industrial, educational or commercial facility.
• Previous experience following recipes to achieve professional product.

Preferred:

• Minimum of four (4) years of experience in a professional kitchen or foodservice operations.
• Previous experience as a Sous Chef or Prep Cook highly preferred.
• SERV Safe certified, or equivalent, in safe food handling, preferred to have completed. Must complete within first 30 days of employment.
• Previously worked with competing priorities, changes, and challenges with effective problem-solving ability and positive results.
• Ability to speak multiple languages a plus. Fluency with Spanish highly preferred.

Required Skills and Abilities:

• Exceptional customer service abilities including- sense of urgency, accuracy, active listening skills and problem resolution.

• Self-motivated, ability to work under pressure, ability to work unsupervised.

• Ability to effectively manage escalations with other departments and direct management. Previous experience owning and influencing a complex process to a positive defined outcome.

• Ability to use email, input data into database, and can learn new technical skills and apply to work habits.

• Ability to follow instructions and recipes as written.

• Ability to read and write, basic math skills and ability to follow directions.
• Ability to substitute for like items in recipes.
• Serve Safe Certified, or ability to secure Certification within first 30 days. Always uses best practices and culinary safety methods.
• Ability to follow recipes which includes ability to read and apply solid measurements, liquid measurements, and weights. Basic measurement match skills are required.
• Must be a reliable resource and professional team member.
• A deep commitment to Philabundance's mission

Physical Demands:

• Must be available work weekends and evenings; or rotating schedules (i.e. specific days and times throughout the week given PCK's 24 hour operations, etc.) depending on business and/or shelter staffing needs.
• Move, push/pull and carry objects/parcels no greater than 50 pounds; when lifting/lowering, pushing/pulling and carrying objects/parcels greater than 50 pounds use 2 people or mechanical.
• Work in a standing position for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week; Bend, stoop/squat, and walk intermittently throughout the day.
• Ability to work with chemicals, cleaning products, plastic and high-water temperatures for cleaning activities.
• Perform office and culinary tasks using simple hand grasp, fine hand manipulation, and reach associated with assigned tasks such as keying.
• Ability to effectively perform culinary skills such as: basic knife skills, read thermometers, ability to stir, use equipment to blend and arrange food for safety and appearance.
• See, hear and speak with sufficient capability to perform assigned tasks and maintain proper job safety conditions and communication with the public.
• Maintain an acceptable work pace and align with required deadlines. Must meet deadlines.
• Must be able to read words and numbers accurately.
• Work in an environment that will contain variable temperatures which may include extreme cold due to refrigeration and freezers or higher than average due to cooking equipment.
• Demonstrate cognitive ability to follow directions and routines, work independently with safety and efficiency as part of appropriate judgement.