What are the responsibilities and job description for the Cook position at Town & County of Nantucket?
Town of Nantucket
Our Island Home
Cook
ESSENTIAL DUTIES: The Town’s nursing facility, Our Island Home, seeks a Cook to help prepare and handle resident meals and will be responsible for oversight of the dietary aides, ensuring proper preparation/delivery of all meals. The position reports to the Food Service Supervisor.
QUALIFICATIONS: High School degree or GED equivalent. Completed ServSafe course. Knowledge and skill in using common kitchen equipment such as various utensils, appliances, and cleaning devices. Ability to perform standardized tasks on a regular basis, often repetitively with frequent interruptions. Interest in working with the elderly is essential.
Full Time; Benefits; SEIU Union
Starting Hourly Rate: $27.92 (new hires) - $35.33 (employees with 18 years of service with the Town of Nantucket)
The Town of Nantucket offers a retirement pension through Barnstable County Retirement, 90% employer-sponsored health insurance plan options, and a diverse selection of supplemental insurance policies.
Application Deadline: Sunday, October 11, 2026 at 4 pm
Apply online at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/nantucket
The Cook assists the Food Service Supervisor with the preparation and handling of food and leads all dietary aides, ensuring proper preparation and delivery of all meals. Employee is required to perform all similar or related duties.
Supervision Required: Under the general supervision of the Food Service Supervisor, the employee is familiar with the work routine and uses initiative in carrying out recurring assignments independently with specific instruction. The supervisor provides additional, specific instruction for new, difficult or unusual assignments, including suggested work methods. The employee is expected to recognize instances which are out of the ordinary and which do not fall within existing instructions; the employee is then expected to seek advice and further instructions. Reviews and checks of the employee’s work are applied to an extent sufficient to keep the supervisor aware of progress, and to ensure that completed work and methods used are technically accurate and that instructions are being followed.
Supervisory Responsibility: The employee, as a regular part of the job, is required to lead other employees assisting them in the completion of their assigned work. The employee also performs non-supervisory work that is of the same kind and level as is done by subordinates being supervised. The employee is not responsible for taking any disciplinary action.
Confidentiality: Has access to some confidential information obtained during the performance of regular position responsibilities in accordance with the state public records law and HIPAA.
Accountability: Consequences of errors, missed deadlines or poor judgment may include adverse public relations, missed deadlines, personal injury and danger to public health/safety.
Judgment: Well-defined or detailed rules, instructions, and procedures cover all aspects of work. Judgment involves choosing the appropriate practices, procedures, regulations or guidelines to apply in each case.
Complexity: The work consists of a variety of duties which generally follow established, standardized practices, procedures, regulations or guidelines. The sequence of work and/or the procedures followed vary according to the nature of the transaction and/or the information involved, or sought, in a particular situation.
Work Environment: The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of a nursing home and kitchen environment including having to work with sharp utensils as well as mechanical or electrical hazards. Noise or physical surrounding may be distracting and involve frequent interruptions but conditions are generally not unpleasant. Often required to work beyond normal business hours.
Nature and Purpose of Public Contact: The majority of interaction is with internal co-workers and Town employees and requires ordinary courtesy and tact. Employee interacts with co-workers to give and receive information regarding work. Contact with the public takes place on an occasional basis.
Occupational Risk: The employee is exposed to personal injury when performing duties in a kitchen environment where the employee is exposed to sharp utensils, hot stoves as well as mechanical and electrical hazards personal injury could occur, however, through employee failure to properly follow safety precautions or procedures. Examples of injury include minor bruises from falls, minor cuts or burns, or minor muscular strains from lifting or carrying heavy equipment or materials.
Essential duties/ responsibilities/ functions
- Oversees the setting up of resident and staff dining rooms for meals.
- Orders food and non-food items as needed/requested.
- Follows facility conduct standards, policies and procedures in a drug and alcohol-free work environment.
- Assists with the preparation of meals using standard recipes in accordance with sanitary regulations, dietary specifications and follows the established tray identification coding system to ensure that residents are served the correct food tray/diet.
- Oversees and leads the aides in the delivery and serving of meals to residents and staff following dietary specifications where appropriate and keeping delivery times and food temperatures in accordance with designated state and/or federal regulations and guidelines.
- Assists in the following of notifications received from nursing department related changes in the resident's diet, meal service, NPO orders, restrictions and/or drug and food interactions, holding of trays or when absent for a meal, eating habits, preference, condition, etc.
- Monitors and performs cleaning of kitchen work areas, equipment used and nourishment centers including the restocking and retrieval of dishes, and dish and pot washing.
- Prepares and assists in the preparation of carts for resident snacks, complimentary trays for consultants or during staff training as requested or other dietary food requests that may be presented to the department.
- Follows necessary infection control and proper hand washing techniques.
- Maintains safe work practices and follows facility safety procedures.
- Follows facility conduct standards and policies and procedures performing all work alcohol and drug free.
- Meets facility hygiene and dress codes standards of appearance. Keeps and maintains a neat and pleasant appearance such as wearing appropriate clothing, apron and hair net at all times when in the kitchen.
- Maintains appropriate attendance records; arrives on time for work and is ready to perform assigned tasks.
- Maintains all required certifications and meets requirements for all in-service education requirements and meeting attendance per facility policy as well as state and federal requirements.
- Performs other duties as assigned in accordance with job functions.
Required minimum qualifications
Education and Experience: High School diploma or equivalent; one to three (1-3) years prior work experience or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job.
Special Requirements: SERV Safe certification required. Pass all required background checks.
Knowledge, Abilities and Skill
Knowledge: Knowledge of food handling rules and good hygiene practices. Knowledge of local, state and federal laws and regulations pertinent to position functions. Knowledge of common kitchen equipment such as various utensils, appliances and cleaning devices (infection control procedures in kitchen operations).
Abilities: Ability to deal with the residents in a patient and understanding manner on a daily basis; ability to multi-task; ability to be sensitive to the needs of clients. Ability to manage multiple tasks in a detailed, timely and safe manner with frequent interruptions. Ability to take initiative to carry out job duties. An interest in working with the elderly. Works with others in a helpful, respectful, and courteous manner; must be able to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with co-workers, supervisors and residents/family members. Able to work in an interdisciplinary team environment.
Skill: Proficient written and oral communication skills, mathematical skills, recordkeeping and good organizational skills. Proficient customer service skills.
Physical and Mental Requirements
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 position’s essential functions.
Physical Demands: Little or no physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves standing in order to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing. There may also be some occasional lifting of objects such as food tray delivery, books, office equipment and computer paper. Must be able to lift a minimum of 30lbs.
Motor Skills: Duties may involve assignments requiring application of hand and eye coordination with finger dexterity and motor coordination. Examples include operating standard kitchen equipment and working with sharp utensils.
Visual Demands: Position requires the employee to routinely read documents and reports for understanding. The employee is required to routinely determine color differences.
Salary : $28 - $35