Kitchen Staff

Overview

This position involves preparing breakfast and/or lunch dishes and supporting serving lines, with occasional participation in catering events. The role requires performing various kitchen tasks to ensure food quality and service.

Key Responsibilities

• Set up serving lines daily, maintaining food at correct temperatures and ensuring milk coolers are stocked.
• Prepare food items following prescribed menu plans and recipes, including planning ahead for next-day menus.
• Operate kitchen equipment such as slicers, mixers, and grinders with proper certification.
• Maintain cleanliness and organization in work areas, kitchen, cafeteria, and storage spaces.
• Manage inventory stock using First In/First Out (FIFO) procedures and keep storage racks clean.
• Clean and manage dishwashing equipment, removing and storing clean dishes appropriately.
• Request food and supplies through the Kitchen Manager as needed.
• Prepare baked goods like bread, cakes, and cookies as per menu requirements and present them attractively.
• Perform batch cooking to preserve food quality and presentation standards.
• Ensure serving lines and condiment stations are well-stocked, clean, and food is held at proper temperatures.
• Serve food items with correct portions and utensils, emphasizing quality and hospitality.

Compliance and Safety

• Adhere strictly to menu plans and recipes to ensure consistent, high-quality meals.
• Understand and follow reimbursable meal guidelines and meal patterns per HHFKA and CACFP regulations.
• Accurately maintain daily production records categorized by grade group.
• Follow HACCP guidelines including keeping food safety logs and monitoring temperatures of hot and cold foods.
• Comply with safety procedures outlined in the Safety Procedure Manual; report unsafe conditions promptly.
• Engage in safety incentive programs and participate in daily briefing sessions (“Daily Dish”).
• Attend all mandatory meetings, in-service trainings, and complete required annual training hours as per HHFKA.
• Demonstrate commitment to Opaa!'s Core Values emphasizing honesty, service passion, and continuous improvement.
• Strictly adhere to the company’s timekeeping policies.

Administrative Duties

• Handle customer payments during service including making change and operating registers or computer POS systems, ensuring only reimbursable meals are processed.
• Complete required paperwork, including tray counts and meal reconciliations daily.
• Submit accurate work hours by clocking in/out using ADP or submitting edit sheets for missing time.
• Provide 24-hour advance notice to the DNS in case of inability to cover scheduled shifts or notify as soon as possible in emergencies.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Physical Demands and Working Environment

• Work involves standing, walking, sitting, squatting, climbing, balancing, kneeling, crawling, pushing, pulling, grasping, feeling, tasting, smelling, talking, hearing, and reaching.
• Must be able to occasionally exert force over 60 pounds and frequently move objects up to 25 pounds.
• Requires specific vision abilities including focused attention, depth perception, ability to focus sharply, and color vision.
• Work environment varies between indoor and outdoor settings, with exposure to moving machinery, wet or humid conditions, extreme heat or cold, toxic or caustic chemicals, and loud noise levels.

Qualifications

• Preferred: High School Diploma or GED, or equivalent combination of education and up to one month related experience or training.
• Language skills sufficient for reading and writing simple instructions and correspondence, and effectively communicating with others in one-on-one or small group settings.
• Mathematical ability to perform basic arithmetic operations and interpret simple graphs.
• Reasoning skills to apply common sense in carrying out straightforward oral or written instructions.

Tools and Equipment

• Experience using dishwashers, steamers, mixers, ovens, stoves, fryers, slicers, thermometers, and gauges.
• Proficiency with knives, box cutters, meal counting software, desktop computers, calculators, telephones, fax machines, scanners, copiers, and printers.

Additional Information

Opaa! Food Management operates across multiple states with pay rates varying by location and position. Applicants will discuss salary details with hiring managers upon application. The company promotes diversity and equal opportunity employment without discrimination.