Cook

Housing Matters partners with individuals and families to create pathways out of their homelessness into permanent housing. We are a leader in working to end homelessness – and we want you to be part of our team! We are looking for individuals eager to make a difference and willing to enthusiastically commit to join in our vision that homelessness in Santa Cruz County should be rare, brief and non-recurring.

Working under the supervision of the Kitchen Manager, the cook is responsible for maintaining a clean kitchen while prepping, cooking and providing meals for Housing Matters residential participants. The ideal candidate will be able to work alongside volunteers and be immersed in the day-to-day operations involved with running an institutional kitchen while practicing safe food handling standards and procedures.

Hours and Benefits

• The cook is a full-time, hourly, non-exempt position, eligible for medical, dental, vision, 403b, and our generous PTO plan.
• Regularly scheduled shifts will be Friday through Tuesday, 11:00 am to 7:00 am. Occasional holidays may be required. 

Wages

Cook Pay Band

$19.57, $20.55, $21.58, $22.66, $23.79, $24.98

Cook Starting Wage (DOE):

$19.57, $20.55

Preferred Experience

• Minimum of 1 year of prior institutional cooking experience (school cafeteria, prison, shelter) preparing food for large volumes of people preferred.

Special Requirements

• Requires Regular standing, walking, sitting, crouching, stooping, and communication. 
• Requires manual dexterity for regular repetitive finger motion and frequent reaching, pulling, pushing and lifting objects and operating equipment. 
• Requires ability to lift 60 lbs. 
• Must be Serve-safe certified.

Thorough knowledge of:

• Properly operating kitchen equipment
• Kitchen cleaning and safety procedures 
• Kitchen organizational skills
• Food handling 
• Customer service skills

Typical Job Duties:

• Preparing, cooking and serving meals. Food prepared must meet quality and Serve-safe standards for taste, temperature (doneness) and visual appeal.
• Use all equipment in a safe manner according to proper procedures – stove, title skillet, kettle, convection ovens, can openers, knives, steam tables, ice wands, trash compactor, carts).
• Wash dishes and kitchen equipment. 
• Taking inventory and checking orders that arrive from the warehouse; organizing storage.
• Following opening and closing procedures.
• Maintaining and following cleaning and sanitizing protocols to ensure a safe environment.
• Supporting shelter programs and day services; may occasionally be asked to assist with sanitizing showers in the event of staff shortage. 
• More duties assigned 

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

Housing Matters provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.