Summary: Responsible for the preparation and service/delivery of meals and snacks for children in accordance with established menus and each child’s specific dietary needs. Follows organization policies and procedures in food handling, preparation, and storage.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Ensures meals and snacks are served to individuals as scheduled, always adhering to meal and snack times.
• Prepares meals and snacks by following established menu, supporting recipes, and production schedule. Makes modifications based on written dietary needs and restrictions of each child.
• Ensures ingredients and final products are fresh, properly prepared and maintained at proper temperature for serving.
• Serves meals and snacks following all safety standards. Meals and snacks are delivered and served in a manner that is appealing not only in taste but in presentation.
• Operates equipment needed in food preparation including blenders, mixer, oven, stove, and steamer.
• Ensures all safety and sanitation standards are met from delivery and storage of food to preparation and serving of food.
• Follows all ServSafe and USDA cleaning procedures for maintaining clean and sanitary kitchen and serving line including cleaning and sanitizing of all equipment, dishes, counters, prep areas, freezer, walk-in refrigerator, etc.
• Follow daily and monthly cleaning schedules.
• Replenishes items used in daily operations.
• Reports items low in stock.
• Takes inventory of food and supplies, and puts away properly after labeling, dating, and securing. Checks for dented cans and reports findings to Dietician or designee.
• Organizes stock and rotates product while continuously ensuring freshness and quality of products.
• Complies with all regulatory rules and regulations including the Office of Long-term Care, Arkansas Health Department and local food and sanitation laws.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

None.

Compliance/HIPAA:

While performing the duties of this job, employee will comply with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations pertaining to Easterseals Arkansas.

Employee has access to client protected health information in the nutrition working file for persons directly served by this position. Employee will not attempt to access any other protected health information unless otherwise approved by Supervisor or Privacy Officer.

Qualifications:

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 accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Must have a reliable source of transportation and willing to travel within the three separate facilities.

Education and/or Experience:

High school diploma or general education degree (GED) or equivalent; and minimum of one year in general institutional type cooking or related field.

Competencies

• Ability to work and collaborate as part of a team.
• Ability to follow detailed instructions related to menus, recipes, dietary restrictions, and production schedules.
• Knowledge of safety procedures, including safe temperatures at which ingredients must be kept and to which food must be prepared to avoid foodborne illness.
• Knowledge of the methods of cooking and preparing foods.
• Ability to operate and clean equipment used in food preparation.
• Strong attention to daily schedule and to meeting deadlines.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:

ServSafe Certification or the ability to obtain within first 90 days of employment.

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.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; talk or hear and taste or smell. The employee is frequently required to walk. The employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and /or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and 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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to moving mechanical parts. The employee is occasionally exposed to extreme cold and extreme heat. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Easterseals Arkansas has designated this position as a “non-safety sensitive” position under the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment.