POSITION: COOK II
DESCRIPTION
The employee in this position provides supervisory and general duty cooking at a school institutional kitchen. Work in this class differs from that of Cook I primarily in the greater degree of responsibility for planning and scheduling food preparation. General supervision is received from the Kitchen Manager who prescribes menus, but the employee is expected to use knowledge acquired through training and experience in making independent decisions with regard to type of meals served, method of food preparation, and supervising employees in the kitchen.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (NOT ALL INCLUSIVE)
- Supervises and participates in the preparation of various types of meals for large numbers of persons at a school.
- Prepares and seasons food for cooking; cooks food, prepares or supervises the preparation of meals according to instructions from the Kitchen Manager.
- Instructs subordinate cooks in the preparation of certain portions of a menu, and in the proper performance of their duties.
- Assists the Kitchen Manager in estimating food needs and in requisitioning supplies.
- Operates large gas and electric cooking ranges, and ensures that they are properly used and maintained.
- Lifts heavy pots and caldrons while preparing food.
- Performs related work as required.
FACTOR I: KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES REQUIRED
- Considerable knowledge of the equipment, utensils, and materials used in preparing and serving of large quantities of food.
- Knowledge of the care and cleaning of kitchen equipment.
- Knowledge of the practices and techniques of large-scale kitchen management.
- Knowledge of food values and nutrition.
- Ability to plan, supervise and coordinate the work of cooks and food service workers engaged in preparing and serving meals.
- Ability to make time and material estimates for food preparation and service.
- Ability to follow oral and written instructions.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with all persons contacted in the course of the work.
- Ability to work for long hours while standing.
- Ability to lift up to 70 (seventy) pounds or more.
- Good physical condition, sufficient to permit working long hours in the kitchen, and the performance of moderately heavy lifting. Skill in cooking a wide variety of foods.
FACTOR II: SUPERVISORY CONTROLS
- The Cook II works under the supervision of a kitchen manager who assigns work, advises of changes of procedures, and is available for assistance when required;
- Routine work is performed, with some degree of independence, or under the direction of the kitchen manager who also evaluates the work through inspection of cooking process and quality of foods prepared.
FACTOR III: GUIDELINES
- Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) laws and guidelines must be followed.
COOK I PAGE 2
FACTOR IV: COMPLEXITY
- The work is not complex. However, proper planning is essential to meeting preparing and serving large quantities of food.
FACTOR V: SCOPE AND EFFECT
- The purpose of the work is to provide meals, as mandated, to the student population of the United States Virgin Islands’ schools.
FACTOR VI, VII: PERSONAL CONTACTS AND PURPOSE OF CONTACTS
- Contacts are with coworkers, custodial workers, school administrators, students, faculty and staff at assigned schools.
Contacts with the Nutrition Program Assistants occur on a weekly basis; contact with the School Lunch Director occurs on a monthly basis, or when otherwise required.
- Contacts with school personnel are made to provide meals; contacts with the Nutrition Program Assistants and School Lunch Director provide assistance to the Cook I with the planning of meal menus.
FACTOR VIII: PHYSICAL DEMANDS
- The work involves long hours of standing, bending, pushing, lifting (up to 70 pounds or more) and exposure to extreme heat while cooking on gas stoves and retrieving food from chill box or freezer, in some instances.
FACTOR IX: WORK ENVIRONMENT
- The work is performed in a school kitchen, where there is exposure to extreme temperatures, heat from a gas stove, and in some cases, exposure to cold temperatures in a chill box or walk-in freezer.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Completion of high school or its equivalent, and two years’ experience in cooking a variety of foods for a large population, including some experience in large scale institutional cooking;
- Valid food handler’s health certificate.
“No person shall be discriminated against in employment or in any educational program or activity offered by the Virgin Islands Department of Education on account of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, handicap or age.”
Complainant may write to: |
Director |
Director |
|
Division of Human Resources |
Division of Human Resources |
|
2133 Hospital Street |
44-46 Kongen’s Gade |
|
Christiansted, VI 00820 |
St. Thomas, Virgin Islands 00802 |