What is it like to be a cook in a large childcare center? You get to be a little bit of a rock star! You help create an inviting, cheerful atmosphere in our classrooms, where everyone looks forward to mealtimes with happy anticipation. You are part of the children’s worlds in that you help shape their love of delicious, healthy food and provide a nutritional foundation for strong brains and bodies that are ready to learn.
Please note: Hillcrest Children’s Center is a community, and by taking this job, you will become part of it. You will form appropriate relationships with people, and people will count on you. For this reason, and because there is so much to the job, we are looking for a minimum commitment of one year.
Duties of the job
You prepare Breakfast, Lunch, and Afternoon Snack for 75 children and their classroom teachers, and deliver the food to classrooms (not pre-plating). We cook most of our food in-house, using house recipes.
We are part of the Federal food program (CACFP), which means that our food is planned, prepared, and served under strict rules and guidelines. Once you have learned enough about the program and about Hillcrest, you will work with your supervisor to incorporate new dishes and menu items.
Every day you will take out the trash and recycling, wash & sanitize all the pans and dishes, sweep & mop the floor, and put all the ingredients and prepared food away.
You will be working mostly by yourself in the kitchen, sometimes talking with teachers, children, or parents. When a meal is ready, you take components to classrooms (up and down stairs) and check in with the teachers, say hello to the kids. You will become very popular, especially in preschool.
You may listen to music or podcasts on headphones while you are in the kitchen.
Every week you will do an inventory, and place an order for the food needed for the following week’s menu.
Written logs must be kept for what has been prepared, what has been discarded, what has changed on the menu, fridge & freezer temperature logs, etc.
The kitchen, pantry, all refrigerators & freezers, and food service areas of classrooms are the responsibility of the cook to maintain in an orderly and sanitary way.
Receive and put away deliveries of food and operational supplies (i.e. a week’s worth of food from Costco), and sometimes shop for needed items and transport back to center.
Non-Negotiable Requirements
MUST be able to pass a federal/state/local background check that includes ANY prior OCS findings.
Read, write, and understand spoken and written English, and able to follow written directions
Experience cooking large quantities of food from scratch and enjoy cooking all types of food
Have Food Handler’s card, be able to take and pass the Food Manager’s test after 90 days
Able to safely and repeatedly lift up to 50lbs during shift. Think of 4 gallons of hot water and 5 lbs spaghetti in a giant pot and how you would drain it…
Able to carry containers of food up and down stairs several times a day, and able to stand for long periods of time chopping, scrubbing, stirring, etc.
Able to use a step stool to reach higher shelves and safely lift down heavy items
Reliability is extremely important: this is not a job for someone with any sort of condition or situation that will result in inconsistent attendance.
Compensation and Benefits
Pay based on experience. Scale is $20-$30 per hour
Benefits package: YMCA membership, Paid Time Off (sick and vacation), Paid Holidays, Paid Training
How to Apply: Interested candidates should email us at [email protected]
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
email:
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.