Chef Aster Springs

Position Summary 

The Chef is directly responsible for the day-to-day culinary management for the clients while in treatment. Position provides leadership and oversight for food service operations, ensuring a high level of quality and safety while meeting the nutritional needs of clients. Hire, manage, schedule, coach and teach culinary team. Cover and coordinate shifts as needed in the kitchen to ensure no gap in client care.  

Relationships and Contacts 

Within the organization:  Maintains frequent and close working relationships with the Director of Nutrition Services, Dietitians, National Director of Nutrition Services, Executive Director, Business Development team members, Admissions team members, Nursing leadership, Milieu leadership, and all clinical and support staff team members.   

Outside the organization: Maintains professional working relationships with clients and their families, referral partners, clinical partners, and vendors, as needed. 

Essential Responsibilities 

• Collaborates with the Dietitians and culinary staff to create a 4-week cycle menu, based on dietary needs and restrictions. 
• Oversees budgeting, purchasing, preparation, service, and cleanliness of all client-related food activities and food service areas.  
• Selects, standardizes, and utilizes recipes to create balanced menu plans.  
• Ensures kitchens and staff maintain compliance with all regulatory and health and food-related standards. 
• Reviews menus and snacks for the clients to ensure the quality and quantity of food is ordered and stocked accordingly.  
• Works closely with the culinary team, overseeing menus, meal plans and preparation are planned out  
• Communicates with culinary staff to ensure accommodations for special diets and food allergies are prepared and served accordingly.  
• Reviews and communicates meal plans, supplementation, protocols, and special dietary needs with culinary team.  
• Consults with the Dietitians to ensure all meal plans are accurate, . 
• Meet with new clients who have food allergies and special diets, as needed.  
• Conducts weekly cooking group  
• Supervise culinary team, including hiring, onboarding, scheduling, corrective action as needed, scheduling and coaching. 
• Completes proper documentation and charting in a timely manner. 
• Avoids food waste, when possible, through accurate forecasting and ordering.  
• Keeps up-to-date inventory and budget reports, waste logs, temperature logs and other necessary reporting  

Additional Responsibilities 

• Functions within the guidelines of the facility’s Code of Ethics and in accordance with corporate compliance. 
• Represents the program within the community at local, regional, and national events, as requested. 
• Assists in promoting and ensuring the organization’s values, mission, goals, and objectives are understood and actively supported by the employees.   
• Performs other duties as assigned.  

Education and Experience 

Position requires an associate degree in Foodservice Management or equivalent and 3 years’ experience in a Food Management position within a healthcare setting, and a minimum of 1 year experience in a leadership position.  A ServSafe Manager Food Handler Certification required.  Experience in treating eating disorders is strongly preferred. 

Physical Requirements  

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be required to communicate with peers, clients, families’ other facilities and/or vendors. 

• Performs duties that require the employee to sit or remain stationary for extended periods of time.  

• Job performance will require the ability to move throughout the building and may require walking around facility grounds. 

• While performing duties may be required to sit stationary for long periods of time. 

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be required to talk or hear, sit, stand, walk, reach, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, taste, or smell.  

• Ability to move up to 50 pounds.  

Additional Requirements 

• Position requires incumbent to have a valid driver’s license, vehicle insurance and acceptable driving record.   

• Clearance of TB test, [insert background clearance requirements if applicable], and any other mandatory state/federal requirements. 

• Current CPR and First Aid certification.  

• ServeSafe Certification 

Skill Competencies 

• Demonstrates strong problem solving and analytical skills and the ability to use sound judgement. 

• Demonstrates excellent verbal and written communication skills, while building and maintaining professional relationships. 

• Demonstrates the ability to accurately assess participants utilizing the standards of care. 

• Demonstrates an elevated level of customer service. 

• Demonstrates an elevated level of organizing and prioritizing skills. 

• Demonstrates proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite. 

• Follows meal plans, supplementation, protocols, and special dietary needs. 

• Approves menus for the clients and ensures that the quality and quantity of food is adequate. 

• Includes religious, cultural, and ethnic preferences when completing menus and in the cooking process. 

• Conducts cooking groups for clients. 

• Prepares kitchen and staff for review by regulatory bodies and ensures operations are in compliance. 

• Respects participants confidentiality. 

Aster Springs Tennessee provides equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, gender identity, genetic information, service in the military, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Equal employment opportunity applies to all terms and conditions of employment. Company reserves the rights to modify, interpret, or apply this job description in any way the organization desires.  This job description in no way implies that these are the only duties, including essential duties, to be performed by the employee occupying this position.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities. This job description is not an employment contract, implied or otherwise.  The employment relationship remains “At-Will.” 

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