Kitchen Staff

Position Summary

Prepare breakfast and/or lunch offerings and assist with serving lines. Participate in occasional catering functions. Perform all positions within the kitchen.

Essential Functions

• Assist with the set‑up of serving lines daily and ensure all food is held at the required temperature.
• Stock milk coolers and keep them ready for service.
• Prepare foods in accordance with the menu plan and Opaa! recipes, as required.
• Plan and prep ahead for the next day’s menus.
• Operate slicers, mixers, grinders, and other equipment with proper certification.
• Keep work areas neat, clean, and organized.
• Clean kitchen and cafeteria areas, including equipment and dishes.
• Organize inventory stock and practice First In/First Out (FIFO) procedures.
• Maintain cooler/storage racks clean and free from debris.
• Monitor chemical usage and maintain equipment in the dishwashing area.
• Remove clean dishes from the machine and store them in serving areas.
• Requisition appropriate amounts of food and supplies through the Kitchen Manager.
• Prepare bread, cakes, cookies, and other baked goods as required by the menu plan.
• Present food to customers in an appealing manner.
• Batch‑cook to maintain product quality and excellent food presentation.
• Set up serving/bar lines and ensure all food is held at proper temperatures.
• Clean and restock items as needed.
• Serve items with proper serving sizes and utensils.
• Provide quality presentation and hospitality.
• Keep serving lines and condiments supplied with food items, napkins, silverware, and dishes as needed.

Compliance

• Prepare foods for meal service in strict compliance with the menu plan and Opaa! recipes.
• Convert and follow standardized recipes to ensure a consistent, high‑quality product.
• Recognize reimbursable meals and follow the Meal Pattern according to HHFKA and CACFP regulations.
• Maintain accurate daily production records per grade group as planned.
• Follow HACCP processes and procedures with daily, weekly, and monthly food safety logs.
• Record temperatures of all hot and cold food.
• Obey safety rules outlined in Opaa’s “Safety Procedure Manual” and exercise caution in all work activities.
• Report any unsafe working conditions to the appropriate supervisor.
• Participate in the safety incentive program and the “Daily Dish”.
• Attend all required meetings and in‑services.
• Complete the required yearly continued training hours according to HHFKA.
• Demonstrate and promote Opaa!’s Core Values.
• Maintain strict compliance with Opaa! Food Management, Inc. Timekeeping Policy.

Administrative

• Handle customer monies at service time, as required.
• Make changes and run a cash register or computer.
• Ensure only reimbursable meals are allowed through the POS system.
• Complete necessary paperwork, tray counts, and meal reconciliation tasks daily.
• Submit all hours worked by clocking in and out in ADP or by submitting an edit sheet for any missing time.
• Notify DNS 24 hours in advance of inability to cover an assigned shift; in an emergency, notify DNS as soon as feasibly possible.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Physical and Visual Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, squat, climb, balance, kneel, crawl, push, pull, grasp, feel, taste, smell, talk, hear, and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally exert over 60 pounds of force and frequently lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required include concentrated attention, depth perception, the ability to bring objects into sharp focus, and color vision.

Working Conditions

Work is performed both inside and outside. The employee frequently works around moving mechanical parts and is often exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, extreme heat, loud noise, and occasionally toxic or caustic chemicals, extreme cold, and wet environments.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED (preferred) or up to one month related experience, training, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Skills

• Language Skills: Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos; write simple correspondence; effectively present information in one‑on‑one and small‑group situations.
• Mathematical Skills: Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals; compute rates, ratios, and percentages; draw and interpret bar graphs.
• Reasoning Ability: Ability to apply common‑sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions; deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations.

Equipment

• Dishwasher, steamer/kettle, mixer, oven, stove, fryers, slicer, thermometers, gauges, knives, box cutters.
• Meal counting software, desktop PCs, calculator, telephone, fax, scanner, copier, printer.