Lead Cook

Job DescriptionJob DescriptionDescription:At Caritas we believe every life deserves LOVE! If you agree, then please consider joining our team!! Caritas Family Solutions is seeking a talented and dependable Lead Cook with proven leadership skills to serve at our Caritas Senior Assisted Living Center at Fox River in Olney, IL. This isn't "just cooking" food. In this role, when you lead the preparation of a meal, you're ensuring that our wonderful residents receive the vital nourishment they need to live healthy lives. Additionally, mealtimes offer our residents essential opportunities for socialization. So, we want to make sure they have a tasty meal that keeps them talking! If "cooking that makes a difference" appeals to you, please apply today!At Caritas, we know were competing with other employers for your services, and we want to win! It is our goal to offer competitive compensation and affordable benefits to all eligible employees. Caritas currently offers the following benefits to full-time employees: 403 B Retirement Plan (5% Employer Match) Generous Paid Time Off Health, Dental and Vision Insurance Coverage 12 Employer Paid State & Federal Holidays Telehealth Services Employer Paid Life Insurance Health Saving Account Employer Paid Short- & Long-Term Disability Tuition Assistance Program Real Work/Life BalanceThe Lead Cook is responsible for making monthly menus for meals, ensuring residents find the food that is being served satisfactory, cleaning and maintenance of the kitchen and dining area, and ordering the necessary supplies and food to keep up with the demands of the building/program. This position reports to the Assistant Residential Manager.ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned. Flexibility to work when needed. Rotating weekly on-call shift. Investigate and resolve complaints regarding food quality, service, or accommodations. Ensure freshness of food and ingredients by checking for quality, keeping track of old and new items, and rotating stock. Order and purchase equipment and supplies. Test cooked food by tasting and smelling it to ensure palatability and flavor conformity. Ensure food is stored and cooked at the correct temperature by regulating the temperature of ovens, broilers, grills, and roasters. Perform food preparation or service tasks, such as cooking, clearing tables, and serving food and drinks when necessary. Monthly food service meeting. Ensure sanitation guidelines are followed by all employees. Ensuring proper cleaning and maintenance of the kitchen and dining area. Keeping inventory of all food related productSUPERVISORY DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACTIVITIES: Oversee the Part-time Cook and USW staff when management is out of the building.DIRECT REPORTS: Part-time Cook and USWQUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE REQUIRED/PREFERREDDegree/Field Required: High school diploma (Related fields will be considered.)Degree/Field Preferred: High school diploma (Related fields will be considered.)Additional Fields of Knowledge Important for the Role: Computers and Electronics Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming. Customer and Personal Service Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. Education and Training Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects. English Language Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. Food Production Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques. Mathematics Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications. Production and Processing Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods. Public Safety and Security Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.Experience Required: Minimum 1 year in foodservice.Licenses/Certifications Required: Food SanitationLicenses/Certifications Preferred: Food Sanitation Manager CertificationSKILLS REQUIREDBasic: Active Learning Understand the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making. Active Listening Give full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. Critical Thinking Use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems. Learning Strategies Select and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things. Mathematics Use mathematics to solve problems. Monitoring Monitor/Assess performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action. Reading Comprehension Understand written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. Science Use scientific rules and methods to solve problems. Speaking Talk to others to convey information effectively. Writing Communicate effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience. Language Able to read and write in English.Social: Coordination Adjust actions in relation to others' actions. Instructing Teach others how to do something. Negotiation Bring others together and trying to reconcile differences. Persuasion Persuade others to change their minds or behavior. Service Orientation Look for ways to help people. Social Perceptiveness Be aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.Problem Solving/Decision-making: Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Complex Problem Solving Identify complex problems and review related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions. Time pressure decision-making Make decisions without much analysis or time to consider alternatives. Time pressure planning Plan and be responsible for regularly meeting strict deadlines. Judgment and Decision Making Consider the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one ensuring that decisions made have an impact on others, the image/reputation of Caritas, and/or the financial resources. Systems Analysis Determine how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes. Systems Evaluation Identify measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.Technical: Equipment Maintenance Perform routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed. Operations Monitoring Watch gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.Proficient Computer Skills In: Outlook, WordExpert Computer Skills In: Outlook, WordMENTAL EFFORT/COGNITIVE ABILITIES REQUIRED: Mathematical Reasoning Choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem. Memory Remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures. Performance of job tasks rely on memorization of tasks or sequences of events. Consider amount and type of information. Number Facility Add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly. Oral Comprehension Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. Oral Expression Communicate information and ideas in speaking to others.Written Comprehension Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. Written Expression Communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Medium work. Exert up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 30 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES REQUIRED: Climbing/Heights a factor Ascend or descend ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Body agility is emphasized. This factor is important if the amount and kind of climbing required exceeds that required for ordinary locomotion. Balancing Maintain body equilibrium to prevent falling and walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. This factor is important if the amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium. Stooping/Kneeling/Crouching/Crawling Bend body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. This factor is important if it occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles. Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees. Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine. Crawling. Moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet. Reaching Extend hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction. Lifting Raise objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. This factor is important if it occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles. Fingering/Grasping Pick, pinch, type or otherwise work, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling. Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.Feeling Perceive attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.Standing Particularly for sustained periods of time.Walking Move about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another. Pushing Use upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward. Pulling Use upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion. Speech Clarity/Talking Express or exchange ideas by means of the spoken word. Those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly. Includes the ability to understand the speech of another person. Hearing Perceive the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discriminations in sound. Repetitive motion Substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers. Coordination including eye/hand, hand/feet. Necessity to distinguish colors to perform job functions. Smell Rely on smell to perform job functions safely.VISUAL ACUITY: The worker is required to have visual acuity to perform an activity such as: operate machines; perform mechanical or skilled trades tasks of a non-repetitive nature.WORK CONTEXT/ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.Subject to environmental conditions. Protection from weather conditions but not necessarily from temperature changes.Other PPE Required: N/AVEHICLE RELATED REQUIREMENTS:Access to reliable transportation to get to/from work: Required.Access to a reliable automobile: Not required, but preferred.Must provide proof of auto liability insurance (and continue to while working in this position): Not required, but preferred.Must possess a valid driver's license: Not required, but preferred.Additional license requirements that are necessary: Food SanitationRequirements:

Created: 2025-04-05