Dietary Cook

By joining the San Diego Center for Children, you will empower children and families through transformative mental health care and educational services. Our vision is to inspire a world where children and families live joyful, healthy lives. We serve over 1,000 people every day—are you ready to make an impact? Join us and work with purpose!

About the role

The Dietary Cook is responsible for helping prepare meals and snacks for the youth and staff in our Residential and Academy programs. The Dietary Cook will assist the Dietary Team to improve food service satisfaction, create standardized menus, and help develop new delicious and nutritious menus and/or recipes that adhere to the California Department of Education regulations and nutrition guidelines. The Dietary Cook must be familiar with using all kitchen equipment and safety equipment, follow all safety protocols, and help keep the kitchen within health specifications. The Dietary Cook will also train and mentor Dietary interns from the residential and/or Academy programs and may provide occasional culinary demonstrations to Center youth, staff, or donors.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Dietary Manager in producing menu ideas/items and creating standardized recipes.
• Recommend variations or taste improvements to standardized recipes.
• Prepare meals and snacks that are creative and receive positive feedback from youth/staff; check meals for quality, flavor, and appearance while maintaining cost control.
• Maintain a high standard of sanitation and safety; follow all food handling techniques to ensure food safety.
• Ensure all food and supplies are stored correctly: properly covered, labeled, dated, and in the proper place.
• Fulfill the cleaning list posted by the Dietary Manager; wash pots, pans, and other kitchen equipment.
• Prepare only the necessary amount of food with proper quantity and portion control; assist with food service production requirements and planning.
• Adhere to the Center’s policies and procedures as they pertain to employees of the Dietary Department.
• Perform any other duties as assigned and necessary for the efficient operation of the Dietary Department.
• Complete all recommended training as per the CA Department of Education and USDA.
• Immediately report any unsafe acts, conditions, or accidents in their department or organization to the immediate supervisor.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or equivalent.
• Must be 21 years of age or older.
• Valid California Driver’s License.
• Valid County Food Handler’s Card or ability to obtain one within 10 days of hire.
• Two years of quantity food production experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree (BA or BS) from a four-year College or University.
• Degree or certificate from an accredited Culinary Arts School.
• Two years working in a school food service setting.
• ServSafe Certification (current or renewable).
• Three to five years in the food industry/food service.

Skills

• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret medical records, journals, reports, and legal documents.
• Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community.
• Ability to effectively present information to management and public groups.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Regularly required to stand, walk, sit, use hands to finger or feel, reach with hands and arms, and talk or hear.
• May be subjected to kicking, hitting, punching, biting, or hair pulling due to the emotional instability of clients.
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

• Occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Benefits

• Team-oriented, multidisciplinary approach.
• Ongoing, high-level learning and development opportunities.
• Culturally diverse environment.
• Joint Commission Accredited Organization.
• Comprehensive health insurance (Medical, Dental, Vision, Pet).
• Retirement Savings Plan: 403(b) with employer match up to 3%.
• Generous Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick Leave, Holidays).
• Wellness Programs.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Employee discounts for those pursuing higher education.
• Employee discounts.
• Employee Recognition Program.
• Opportunities for career advancement.
• May be eligible for state or federal loan forgiveness programs for work with underserved populations.
• All offsite programs have a bonus structure.

Diversity Statement

The San Diego Center for Children is committed to actively recruiting, retaining, and supporting diverse staff at all levels of the organization, ensuring that diverse perspectives are included in the development and implementation of policies, practices, and services. We aim to empower individuals to advance our mission within an atmosphere of trust, safety, and respect. We encourage and provide access to professional development to deliver equitable and culturally informed services to the population we serve.