SCHEDULE: 40 hours, Sunday-Thursday 5:30am – 2:00pm, holidays included

Pays$21.40 per hour

LOCATION: 444 Harrison Ave (Food Services Building)

JOB DESCRIPTION:

SUMMARY OF POSITION:

This position is primarily responsible ensuring that all meals are prepared and are shipped in accordance with the specifications, standards and practices of the department. In addition to shipping meals, this position is involved in the preparation, production, set up and service. At times, the Swing Cook may be called upon to work on foods for catered events.

This individual is exposed to the production of breakfasts, lunches, dinners and catered events and functions. The Swing Cook is expected to be involved in the planning, preparation, portioning and packaging of all foods on the days s/he is scheduled to be here. This position works and interacts closely with all food service personnel, the Food Services Training Program (FSTP) students and volunteers.

In the absence of a manager, the cook may responsible for directing the kitchen associates, students, and drivers on duty; ensuring that the production, service and delivery goals are achieved.

REQUIREMENTS:

QUALIFICATIONS:

EDUCATION/TRAINING:

REQUIRED:

• High School Diploma or GED

PREFERRED:

• A culinary arts degree and/or a diploma in food service management
• At least one (1) year of banquet and catering set up
• ServeSafe/Sanitation Certification

KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE:

REQUIRED:

• Experience shipping meals to various sites in varying quantities and variety is critical in this position
• Minimum of three (3) years food service experience in institutional cooking, catering, kitchen and/or food service operations
• We are looking for an individual who is punctual, is compassionate and has a good disposition, is flexible, pays attention to safety, is professional and shows initiative. Also important is someone who is focused on job quality and continued improvement, is tolerant, and is committed to department unity and teamwork.

PREFERRED:

• Experience working in a human service environment dedicated to serving the homeless community and individuals with substance abuse issues
• Knowledge and experience in menu and food production planning, nutrition and special diets

PHYSICAL ABILITIES/SKILLS:

REQUIRED:

• Must be able to stand for long periods of time
• Must be able to lift at least fifty pounds of weight, bend, stoop, and access walk-ins (refrigerators and freezers) for extended periods of time
• The Swing Cook II spends most of their time on food service operations working directly with staff in the kitchen and during the service of meals. It requires someone who is able to stand on their feet for extended periods of time while preparing large volumes foods, sometimes as many as 1,200.

MENTAL ABILITIES/SKILLS:

REQUIRED:

• Good leadership skills. This individual must be able to demonstrate strong verbal and written communication skills. Excellent organizational skills are a plus.
• Must be able to handle numerous tasks and perform in an environment that is often times stressful and demanding. This individual must be able to work under pressure, set timelines and meet deadlines. Must be able to coordinates the effort and work of support cooking staff (kitchen associates and FSTP students), their use of materials, production knowledge and quality of finished products.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

• Work with the Executive Chef (EC), Executive Sous Chef (ESC), other cooks, students and kitchen associates to ensure that all meals are prepared according to the quality standards and practices of the food service (FS) department. May be required to outline and explain instructions from daily production sheets to these individuals.
• The Swing Cook may be called upon to prepare and package food for both internal and external catered events. It is also expected that the Swing Cook will work together with the EC and the ESC to ensure that the delivery personnel are provided with pertinent details critical to ensuring smooth deliveries and shipping to catered events.
• The days and hours of work for this position varies and is determined based upon scheduled set by the Executive Chef. May need to adjust schedules with very little notice to facilitate the tasks associated with caterings and other production demands of the department. In conjunction with the EC, the Sous Chefs and other Swing Cooks, assists in the planning and logistics of those catering jobs that may take place on a day and time this position is scheduled off.
• Ensures that meals and complementary items are prepared and shipped in their correct quantities with accuracies to items, food temperatures, time and other specifications. This function pertains to all meal periods.
• In the absence of a member of the department’s management team, the cook is responsible for guiding the kitchen associates, students, and drivers on duty; ensuring that the production, service and delivery goals are achieved.
• The Swing Cook reviews the production packet (prep sheets, production and shipping information) with the kitchen associates and students and may be called upon to assign duties and ensure that there is follow through. A student or kitchen associate’s failure to follow through on directives from a cook may result in disciplinary action.
• This position, in the absence of a manager, will immediately contact the supervisor on call in the event another employee or student displays any form on unprofessional behavior.
• Particular attention to the preparation, portioning, packaging and shipping of all foods to customers and PSI programs.
• Communicates any shortages or discrepancies in the daily production inventory (and requisition) to the supervisor on duty.
• On a daily basis, reports any concerns, problems or suggestions pertaining to the meal production and equipment malfunctions to the EC and/or Sous Chef. In the event both these individuals are unavailable information should be directed to the director.
• Offer one-on-one training to staff when necessary in the areas of equipment operations, meal preparation, cooking, kitchen maintenance, knife skills, catering and other operational issues pertinent to the FS department.
• Meets with all other cooks, the Sous Chef and the EC for weekly production meetings. Reviews daily production, food preparation checklist and the next day/meal inventory with supervisor on duty.
• Must help create and foster a sense of teamwork amongst all FS employees. Must also contribute to a safe, friendly and cooperative work environment.
• Works with the EC, Sous Chef, other cooks and the Café Supervisor to ensure that the correct quantities of foods are allocated to and shipped out to the staff café during the lunch period.
• May be expected to work with the cooks and the kitchen associates around planning and preparation of the guests’ winter lunch program.
• Monitors the preparation and holding temperatures of all meals prepared. Must log the temperature of food during its time of shipment. Contributes towards maintaining the standards of efficiency and order throughout the kitchen and FS areas. Monitors all standards of sanitation procedures and ensure that they are consistently upheld. Reports all infractions to the immediate supervisor.
• Must assist with maintaining on-going statistical data pertinent to the FS department: freezers and refrigerators temperatures, sanitization solutions PH levels, guest meal counts, food temperature and quantity logs.
• Adhere to all policies and practices of the FS department and Pine Street Inn. These include but are not limited to SOPs established by OSHA, the Dept. of Public Health (State and Federal guidelines) and SafeServe Sanitation.
• Must work cooperatively with all FS staff and the volunteers’ department staff to successfully plan and execute events such as summer cookouts, as well as ensure that the FS department runs efficiently on a daily basis. At times, will be expected to work directly with volunteers visiting the FS program/department. This may also include the Visiting Chefs’ Series (VCS).
• Attention to the following critical FS responsibilities: daily caterings, guests sandwich programs, guest lunch programs, handling donated food, organizing and maintaining food prep working walk-in refrigerator, processing inventory for production and adhering to the operations closing procedures checklist.
• Additional duties or other related tasks as assigned.
• Other duties as assigned in order to meet the needs of the organization during the COVID-19 pandemic or other public health or weather emergency.

INTERNAL CANDIDATES, IF INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION, PLEASE SUBMIT A PROMOTION/TRANSFER APPLICATION TO THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT WITHIN 10 DAYS OF POSTING.

Pine Street Inn is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.