CLASSIFICATION STANDARDS:
Positions allocable to this class typically report to a Senior Cook and are responsible for cooking or assisting in cooking complete meals or specific menu items and may supervise subordinate food service workers, contract employees, and/or inmate workers assisting in these duties. Incumbents are skilled in standard cooking techniques utilized in the mixing, baking, cooking, and serving of foods in an institutional environment and are responsible for supervising the cleaning of utensils and equipment, including work areas, dining areas, and kitchen storerooms. Incumbents must have the verbal and written communication skills necessary to assist in the requisitioning, receiving, and inventorying of food supplies, the keeping of records and the preparation of reports. Duties of the position require the ability to stand or walk for long periods of time along with the ability to bend, stoop, squat, and reach. Positions assigned to Probation Department are required to work in a detention facility and are distinguished by their responsibility for supervising inmate workers.

• Prepares, cooks, and serves a variety of food items including soups, meats, vegetables, and other foods, and may supervise subordinate food service and/or inmate workers assisting in these tasks.
• Prepares food items according to standardized recipes, modifying or substituting ingredients when necessary and upon approval of higher level cook supervisor.
• Operates specialized and standard food service equipment and trains subordinate food service and/or inmate workers in the proper operation and maintenance of this equipment.
• Prepares or supervises the preparation of menu items for special or medically prescribed diets.
• Performs baking duties preparing food items such as cakes, cookies, and pastries.
• Supervises and assists in the serving of food, assembles utensils and equipment needed, and ensures that food being served is maintained at proper temperatures during the duration of the meal.
• Supervises the cleaning of kitchen areas, utensils, and equipment and ensures that utensils and work areas are clean and ready for the next shift.
• Assists in the requisitioning, receiving, inventorying, and storing of foods and supplies.
• Acts as a lead person, supervising and/or instructing youth in a County-sponsored program, as needed.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
Option I: Completion of a three-year cook apprenticeship program approved by the American Culinary Federation Educational Institute (ACFEI).*
 
Option II: Completion of a certificate program* accredited by the American Culinary Federation Educational Institute (ACFEI) of at least 48 semester units in Culinary Arts from an accredited college and one year's experience in quantity food preparation and cooking of complete meals in an institutional, commercial, military, or similar establishment.
 
Option III: Three years' experience in quantity food preparation and cooking of complete meals in an institutional**, commercial***, military, or similar establishment, one year of which must have been at the journey level****.
LICENSE: A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.
PHYSICAL CLASS: 3 - Moderate: Includes standing or walking most of the time, with bending, stooping, squatting, twisting, and reaching; includes working on irregular surfaces, occasionally lifting objects weighting over 25 pounds, and frequent lifting of 10-25 pounds.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION 
*IN ORDER TO RECEIVE CREDIT FOR THE COOK APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM OR CERTIFICATE PROGRAM, YOU MUST INDICATE ON THE JOB APPLICATION AND INCLUDE A LEGIBLE COPY OF THE CERTIFICATE OR OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS FROM THE ACCREDITED INSTITUTION WITH YOUR APPLICATION AT THE TIME OF FILING OR WITHIN 15 CALENDAR DAYS OF ONLINE APPLICATION SUBMISSION OR YOUR APPLICATION WILL BE REJECTED. YOU MAY EMAIL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS TO EXAMINATIONS@PROBATION.LACOUNTY.GOV .

**Institutional experience is defined as experience in a large organization where quantity food preparation and cooking of complete meals includes soups, meats, vegetables, and other foods, such as in schools, detention facilities, hospitals or similar establishments. 

***Commercial experience is defined as experience in a place of business where quantity food preparation and cooking of complete meals includes soups, meats, vegetables, and other foods.
****Journey-level experience is defined as possessing the required knowledge, skills, and training to perform a full-range and diversity of work independently and reliably related to preparations and cooking of food. Positions at this level operate with significant freedom from day-to-day supervision and need little or no guidance on such matters as selecting appropriate problem-solving in preparation of meals and standard cooking techniques, locating appropriate regulation, or applying proper procedures to carry out work.

Experience in fast food service is not considered as qualifying for this position. Quantity food preparation and cooking of complete meals refers to experience preparing and cooking a variety of food items including soups, meats, vegetables, and other foods. 

Desirable Qualifications:

Additional credit will be given for experience beyond meeting the minimum requirements.

EXAMINATION CONTENT
This examination will consist of an Evaluation of Experience based on application information and supplemental questionnaire, weighted 100%.
Candidates who do not achieve a passing score of 70% or higher on the Evaluation of Experience will be notified by mail or email. SCORES CANNOT BE GIVEN OVER THE PHONE.
Candidates must achieve a passing score of 70% or higher on the Evaluation of Experience in order to be placed on the eligible register.
ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
The names of candidates receiving a passing grade in the examination will be placed on the eligible register in the order of their score group for a period of twelve (12) months following the date of promulgation.
No person may compete in this examination more than once every twelve (12) months.

SPECIAL INFORMATION
FINGERPRINTING AND SECURITY CLEARANCE
A thorough background investigation will be conducted prior to appointment. Any false statement or omission of material fact may cause forfeiture of employment rights. Information presented on the employment application, resume, and during the examination process is subject to verification. 
Candidates who are found unsuitable for employment will be removed from the eligible register pursuant to Civil Service Rule 6.04.
COVID-19 VACCINATION:
All County workforce members must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Successful candidates for this position will be required to submit proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or request an exemption for qualifying medical or religious reasons during the onboarding process.Candidates should not present proof of vaccination until instructed to do so by the hiring department.
 
VACANCY INFORMATION
The resulting eligible register for this examination will be used to fill vacancies located in the Los Angeles County Probation Department.
AVAILABLE SHIFT
Any
APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION

Applications must be filed online ONLY. Applications submitted by US Mail, Fax, or in person will not be accepted.All applicants must enter a current/updated mailing and email address at the time of filing as NOTICES MAY BE SENT BY MAIL OR EMAIL. Entering an invalid mailing/email address may result in the rejection of your application during the examination process. To update information, applicants must make changes to their profile at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty.Many important notifications including results letters will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application. It is important that you provide a valid email address. Please add examinations@probation.lacounty.gov and info@governmentjobs.com to your email address and list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk/clutter mail.Applicants have the ability to opt out of emails from LA County. If you unsubscribe, you will not receive any email notifications for any examinations for which you apply with Los Angeles County.Regardless of whether you choose to unsubscribe, you can always check for notifications by logging into governmentjobs.com and viewing your profile inbox, which saves a copy of all emailed notices.To apply for this examination, click on the green "Apply" button located on this posting. Your application must be submitted electronically before 5:00 p.m., PT, on the last day of filing. Visit the website athttps://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacountyPlan to submit your online application well in advance of the filing deadline as you may be required to verify your email address. This only needs to be done once per email address, and if you already have a job seeker account on governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty, you can verify at any time by logging in and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of your online application and to ensure you do not enter an incorrect email address. Applicants may upload required or additional documents (i.e. copy of degree, certification, etc.) as attachment(s) at the time of filing. If you are unable to attach the required and/or additional documents at the time of filing, you may email to examinations@probation.lacounty.gov within 15 calendar days of online application submission or your application will be rejected. Please include your name, examination number, and examination title.Fill out your application completely. The acceptance of your application depends on whether you haveCLEARLY shown that you meet the MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS. Provide any relevant job experience in the spaces provided so we can evaluate your qualifications for the job. For each job held, give the name and address of your employer, your job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, and description of work performed. If your application and/or supplemental questionnaire is incomplete, it will be rejected.IMPORTANT NOTES:

• ALL information included in the application materials is subject to VERIFICATION. Applications may be rejected at any stage of the selection process. 
• FALSIFICATION of any information may result in DISQUALIFICATION.
• Utilizing VERBIAGE from Class Specification and Minimum Requirements serving as your description of duties WILL NOT be sufficient to meet the requirements. Doing so may result in an INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONand you may beDISQUALIFIED.
• Test results cannot be given over the telephone.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER:Please include your Social Security Number for record control purposes. Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number.NO SHARING OF USER ID AND PASSWORD: All applicants must file their application online using their own user ID and password. Using family member or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record and will result in an automatic rejection of your application.COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES:For Candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County. LA County Public Library has announced they are reopening some libraries with limited hours and may require prior reservation to use their computers. Please visit the following link at https://lacountylibrary.org/reopening/ for more information.Department Contact Name:Probation Examinations & Recruitment Unit, Non-Sworn ExamsDepartment Contact Number:(562) 940-2659Department Contact Email:  examinations@probation.lacounty.govCalifornia Relay Services Phone: (800) 735-2922ADA Coordinator Phone:(562) 383-6799
Teletype Phone: (877) 988-7800