Lead Cook - Healthcare

Statement of Purpose
Assists in planning, directing, and coordinating the activities of the Food Service Department to provide dietetic services to patients as well as employees and guests; establishes policies and procedures to provide administrative direction for cafeteria menu formation, food preparation, distribution and service, purchasing, sanitation standards, safety practices, staffing, and staff development. Assists dietitian with nutrition assessments as needed.
Major Tasks, Duties & Responsibilities

• Determines the quality and quantity of food required, and controls food costs.
• Directs and supervises food production and service programs as well as departmental personnel involved. The chef is responsible for the staff’s productivity, workflow, ongoing training, and development.
• Ensures food preparation for optimal nutrition and economic handling of food as well as efficient usage of time and prepared in prescribed manner.
• Purchases food, and assigns duties for special meals or special occasions, such as medical staff buffets, board meetings, recognition dinners, and other related hospital functions.
• Checks food for flavor, temperature, and appearance on a regular basis.
• Checks routine maintenance and other repairs requested by work orders.
• Interviews applicants for employment; evaluates employees on a regular basis according to prescribed guidelines; terminates employees according to standard procedures as required.
• Prepares work schedules, vacation schedules, etc.; maintains records of tardiness and absenteeism.
• Maintains professional growth and development through seminars, conferences, and professional affiliations.
• Attends Safety, Quality Improvement, and other hospital meetings as directed.
• Performs and documents all purchasing, receiving and inventory control of food and supplies while controlling costs and staying within the established budget.
• Performs and documents all purchasing, receiving and inventory control of food and supplies while controlling costs and staying within the established budget.
• This position performs any and all of the duties in the kitchen, tray line, cafeteria, and dish room as required.
• Keeps dietitian/FSD informed of department activities, needs, and problems.
• Conducts patient and staff Quality Surveys to monitor job performance, menus acceptance, and customer service levels.
• Reviews department performance and institutes changes in techniques or procedures to improve services, simplify workflow, assure compliance with regulatory requirements, and promotes the more efficient operation of the Food Service Department.
• The individual is able to relate to and care for the age-specific patient population, adolescents or adults and geriatric patients.

The above statements reflect the general details considered necessary to describe the principal functions of the job as identified, and shall not be considered as a detailed description of all work requirements that may be inherent in the position.
Qualifications

• Graduate of an associate degree program in food service, Accredited Culinary Arts Program (CDM) or
• Hotel/Restaurant Apprenticeship.
• Should have a thorough knowledge of nutrition, dietetics, administration, and operation of hospital food services. Must be able to apply principles of personnel management of selection and placement of employees. Must have knowledge of purchasing practices, formulation, and standardization of procedures applicable to all aspects of food service. Considerable initiative and judgment involved in planning work sequences, selecting most suitable methods or procedures and delegating work assignments to provide most efficient operation of the unit, determining amounts, kinds of foods and other supplies to be procured.
• Ability to maintain good working relations among personnel supervised. Tact and cooperation involved in person-to-person relationships with personnel of other departments, other hospitals, and professional associations. Considerable initiative and judgment involved in planning and directing procedures in all dietary processes.
• Stands and walks intermittently throughout the day. Must be able to handle and manipulate equipment and utensils in demonstrating techniques to employees. Must be able to take over other physical duties in the kitchen when short-staffed.