Kitchen Staff

About the Role

Prepare breakfast and/or lunch offerings and assist with serving lines. Participate in occasional catering functions. Perform all positions within the kitchen at Opaa! Food Management, Inc., which operates across 10 states.

Responsibilities

• Assist with the set-up of serving lines daily and ensure all food is held at the required temperature.
• Stock milk coolers and prepare them for service.
• Prepare foods in accordance with the menu plan and Opaa! recipes.
• Plan and prep ahead for the next day's menus.
• Operate slicers, mixers, grinders, and other equipment with proper certification.
• Maintain neat, clean, and organized work areas.
• Clean kitchen and cafeteria areas, including equipment and dishes.
• Organize inventory stock and practice First In/First Out (FIFO) procedures.
• Maintain clean cooler/storage racks free from debris.
• Clean, 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 and present them appealingly.
• Perform batch cooking to maintain quality and presentation.
• Set up serving/bar lines, ensuring proper food temperatures, and clean/restock as needed.
• Serve items with proper serving sizes, utensils, and hospitality; keep serving lines supplied with food, napkins, silverware, and dishes.
• Prepare foods in strict compliance with the menu plan, Opaa! recipes, and reimbursable meal regulations (HHFKA, CACFP).
• Convert and follow standardized recipes for consistency.
• Maintain accurate daily production records per grade group.
• Follow HACCP processes and food safety logs; record temperatures of all hot and cold food.
• Adhere to safety rules outlined in Opaa’s “Safety Procedure Manual” and report unsafe conditions.
• Participate in the safety incentive program and the “Daily Dish.”
• Attend required meetings, in-services, and complete yearly continued training hours.
• Demonstrate and promote Opaa!’s Core Values.
• Handle customer monies, operate cash registers/computers, and ensure only reimbursable meals are processed through the POS system.
• Complete daily paperwork, tray counts, and meal reconciliation tasks.
• Submit hours worked via ADP or edit sheets for missing time.
• Notify DNS 24 hours in advance of inability to cover an assigned shift (or as soon as feasible in emergencies).
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED preferred; or up to one month of related experience, training, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, correspondence, and memos.
• Ability to write simple correspondence and present information in one-on-one or small group settings.
• Basic mathematical skills: add, subtract, multiply, divide, compute rates, ratios, percentages, and interpret bar graphs.
• Ability to apply common-sense understanding to carry out detailed written or oral instructions and deal with standardized problems.

Physical Demands

• 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.
• Must exert over 60 pounds of force occasionally and/or frequently lift, carry, push, pull, or move objects up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required: concentrated attention, depth perception, sharp focus, and color vision.

Working Conditions

• Inside and outside working conditions.
• Frequently works around moving mechanical parts, wet/humid conditions, and extreme heat.
• Occasionally exposed to toxic or caustic chemicals and extreme cold.
• Noise level is usually loud.

Tools and 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.