Culinary Specialist - Senior Meals Program

Culinary Specialist – Senior Meals Program

Do you have a genuine love of food and enjoy the artistry behind making delicious dishes? Do you love to cook, but want to be home in time for dinner with your own family?  Are you ready to make a positive impact in the lives of others without giving up your nights, weekends, or holidays? As a Culinary Specialist at Kent County Community Action, you will play a pivotal role in providing nutritious and Latin American-inspired dishes for our dining site and Home Delivered Meals program. Our location provides an opportunity to cultivate connections with the older adults who come daily for a nutritious meal, activities, and to socialize with friends.
 
The Congregate Meals program provides hot, wholesome, Latin American-inspired meals to older adults in a group setting daily to assist with better nutrition and improved social connectedness. The Home Delivered Meals program provides nutritionally sound meals to frail and homebound older adults who find it difficult to prepare meals for themselves.
 
Your duties would include:

• Work independently preparing meals to feed 50-100 at a time.
• Overseeing the general operations of the kitchen and ensuring that meals are fresh.

• Preparing, serving, cooling, and storing food in accordance with sanitary regulations and established policies and procedures.
• Ensuring that menu items are prepared in a timely manner and that items requiring advanced preparation are prepared, cooked, and ready for assigned meal times.
• Monitoring consumption and adjusting food production levels to ensure sufficient service while minimizing waste.
• Preparing monthly menus, planning nutritionally balanced meals, packaging meals for delivery, dishwashing, and cleaning.
• Assuring that dietary service work areas, storage rooms, and equipment are maintained in a clean, safe, and sanitary manner.
• Completing inventory, ordering and stocking supplies, organizing the kitchen, and maintaining detailed records.
• Planning and preparing special meals for celebrations and events.
• Maintaining good rapport and cooperative relationships with customers and program staff.
• Keeping ServSafe certification up to date.
• Supervisory responsibilities over volunteers or interns.

High school graduate or equivalent with prior work experience cooking and preparing food on a large-scale basis or in a commercial kitchen. ServSafe certification is required and may be obtained upon employment. Requires knowledge in the use and care of kitchen utensils and equipment, food nutrition, and the preparation of special diets. Ability to speak Spanish is highly preferred. Must be able to work independently. Must be able to lift 50 pounds. Candidates with formal training in food preparation or prior institutional cooking experience are highly preferred. Basic computer skills are desired.