Lead Cook - Helpings Café and Catering

Job Overview

• Job Title: Lead Cook


• Supervisor: Helpings Café and Catering Manager


• Classification: Full-time, Non-exempt


• Hiring Salary Range: $23.50 - $25 per hour

About UMOM New Day Centers:

Founded in 1964, UMOM is Arizona's largest provider of services for families experiencing homelessness. Our mission is to end family homelessness by restoring hope and rebuilding lives. With an annual operating budget of $20 million dollars, UMOM provides shelter, supportive services, and housing programs to families and individuals experiencing homelessness in Maricopa County. UMOM serves over 15,000 unique individuals across all our services annually, including those families receiving support at the Family Housing Hub, Maricopa County's family coordinated entry system.

Position Description:

UMOM New Day Centers serves over 300,000 meals each year to clients experiencing homelessness who are temporarily living in our emergency shelters. The Lead Cook position contributes to UMOM's mission to restore hope, rebuild lives, and end homelessness by cooking and creating meals in the areas of Residential Dining or Helpings Café and Catering. The Lead Cook is an advanced-level position requiring supportive leadership in a fast-paced kitchen setting, trade tests/certifications and/or varied work experience with advanced cooking methods and the ability to lead and help develop the skills of the kitchen team. The Lead Cook has demonstrated experience in inventory, purchasing, training, and staff supervision, as well as, a working knowledge of catering, baking, pastry cooking, and simple butchering tasks. This position will create a sanitary and organized environment and will practice and abide by Maricopa County Health codes to ensure food is safe for our clients and customers. The Lead Cook understands a positive, team-focused approach is the best way to keep a fast-paced kitchen running smoothly and is excited to take a leadership role in contributing to ensuring this type of work environment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Performs culinary skills at an advanced level, including all cooking methods, baking, pastry cooking, and leading of catering meal cooking.


• Ensures food production at UMOM kitchens maintains food quality, accurate portion control, consistency of recipes, and timely delivery in accordance with established meal schedules/menus.


• Provides training for kitchen staff.


• In collaboration with the kitchen managers, updates and organizes all training materials, policies and procedures related to kitchen functions.


• Leads the back-of-house training portion of the Homegrown student program, in collaboration with the Culinary Training Manager.


• Manages inventory of all program supplies and works with Culinary Enterprise & Residential Dining Managers to manage all related expenses.


• Learn different cooking styles from specialized chefs in the kitchen.


• Articulately represents UMOM to the trainees, community, businesses, and social service organizations.


• Maintains well-organized kitchens reflective of the safety standards established by UMOM and in accordance with all safety and sanitation standards per Maricopa County Health codes/the health department.


• Operates with speed, efficiency and consistent mindfulness towards kitchen organization and sanitation in a fast-paced production-kitchen environment.


• Communicates daily with kitchen staff to gain continuous feedback.


• Understands the importance of data, reporting, and outcomes to running an impactful program.


• Assumes 100% responsibility for quality of products served.


• Attends all scheduled employee meetings and brings suggestions for improvement.


• Other duties as assigned by leadership and/or executives.

Qualification and Competency Requirements:

Education and Experience

• High school diploma or GED equivalent preferred


• Minimum 3 years of experience in kitchen preparation and cooking in a fast-paced food service environment required


• Catering and café or barista experience preferred


• Experience in kitchen training and/or instructing preferred


• Working knowledge of hospitality operations specifically product and equipment procurement and budget management preferred

Computer skills

• Proficiency with applications including Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook

Compliance

• Current Maricopa Food Handler's card or the ability to obtain one


• Valid Level One Fingerprint Clearance Card or the ability to obtain one


• Ability to clear the Central Registry Screening from the Department of Child Safety & Adult Protective Services.


• Ability to comply with and pass all required background check and drug screening requirements, including but not limited to pre-employment and random drug screening as required/requested.


• This position is classified as a safety sensitive position.

Physical activities and working conditions

The physical demands and working conditions described here are representative, but not exhaustive, of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

This position is very active and requires standing, moving, bending, stooping, lifting, and reaching all day. The duties of this job require regular exposure to kitchen conditions including heat, cold, humidity, wet, smoke, and loud noises.

Additional Attributes

• Willingness to embrace and actively support the unique culture and values of UMOM


• Ability to focus on the tasks and details relevant to the position and the organization, while also switching quickly between tasks


• Ability to exercise excellent independent judgment and take ownership of decisions


• Ability to think on a broad, systems-level relative to the scope of the position


• Ability to work independently and self-manage to achieve goals while being a strong team player


• Ability to organize, meet deadlines, prioritize and delegate appropriately


• Ability to cope with and embrace change, risk, and uncertainty


• Ability to develop strong relationships within a fast-paced, collaborative setting that values diverse opinions; enthusiasm for helping drive change as UMOM becomes a more data-driven organization.

Work Schedule:

This position must have flexibility to work days, evenings, weekends, and holidays. This full-time position typically works 5 days each week (40 hours) with 2 consecutive days off. Shifts typically fall between the hours of 5am and 7pm.

Other Duties: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Background Screens

This position requires the selected candidate to have the ability to obtain, maintain and possess a valid Arizona Department of Public Safety Class One Fingerprint Clearance Card (FPCC). If the selected candidate does not currently possess an FPCC, UMOM will cover the cost of obtaining a card.

In addition, all UMOM employees must pass a Central Registry Background Check (CBC) through the Department of Child Safety (DCS) and Adult Protective Services (APS).

Drug Screening

All new hires must successfully pass the required drug screening.