Job Description

University of Utah Job Description

Job Summary

Prepares a variety of food service items by following established hospital recipes and procedures. Some incumbents may be given responsibility to lead the activities of other cooks and perform advanced duties associated with the preparation and cooking of food products.

Qualifications

Two years of institutional cooking experience, or equivalency is required. All incumbents must possess demonstrated human relations, computer literacy, and effective communication skills. A current food service worker's permit is also required.

Previous food production experience in a health care setting is preferred. Depending on the area of assignment, up to four Previous food production experience in a health care setting is preferred. additional years of institutional cooking experience and previous supervisory experience may be preferred.

Applicants must demonstrate the potential ability to perform the essential functions of the job as outlined in the position description.

Disclaimer

This job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification.  It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to the job.

Essential Functions

Depending on the area of assignment, incumbents may be required to perform and/or supervise some or all of the following duties.

1. Bakes, roasts, stews, fries, steam-cooks, or otherwise prepares food products for cooking by following instructions and standard hospital recipes.
2. Utilizes knowledge of cooking methods and preparation time requirements to ensure that adequate amounts of properly prepared foods are provided in a timely fashion.
3. Adheres to manufacturer instructions and standard hospital kitchen procedures when operating machinery and equipment used in cooking including slicers, choppers, steamers, broilers, griddles, fryers, braziers, blenders, microwaves, etc.
4. Weighs cooking products as required to ensure proper portion delivery.
5. Cleans the work area, refrigerators, stoves, ovens, storeroom, and utensils in order to comply with hospital, county, and state sanitation requirements.
6. Performs quality checks for taste and appearance of finished food products.
7. May uses department-specific computer software to complete purchase and issue requisitions, forecasts cooking production for the cafeteria, catering, day care area, based on daily menus.
8. Sets up and stocks area for food service delivery; and assists in serving cooked items.
9. Orders, rotates, and maintains adequate stock levels required for cooking production by estimating needs according to the production schedule.
10. Assists in completing all aspects of cooking production to ensure that ordered items are delivered on time.
11. May develop, modify, or experiment with hospital recipes and/or cooking procedures to improve kitchen output or services.
12. Uses cooking knowledge and experience to adjust recipes for factors such as altitude, special diet orders, etc.
13. Assists with catering functions, including food preparation, food set-up, presentation and clean-up.
14. May participate in scheduling, training new employees, responding to employee grievances; and assisting the department supervisor in appraising work, hiring, and performing disciplinary actions.

Problem Solving

Some incumbents may be authorized to assists the department manager in making decisions regarding hiring, appropriate disciplinary actions, training, and other actions.

Major challenges encountered by incumbents might include organizing and facilitating functions with minimal notice; limiting departmental waste by proper utilization of time and resources; implementing cost-control measures whenever possible; and prioritizing duties to ensure timely preparation, cooking, and delivery of ordered items.

Comments

Incumbents face exposure to potentially dangerous cleaning chemicals utilized in sanitation procedures as well as equipment and supply hazards such as wet or hot work surfaces and sharp edges on food containers, meat slicers, and food processors. This position involves lifting and/or pushing heavy supply containers, equipment, and food carts. Incumbents must operate heavy or mechanized equipment including slicers, mixers, blenders, steam kettles, fryers, and choppers.

Incumbents must comply with departmental policies regarding attendance and periodic evaluations in order to perform the job duties acceptably.

Incumbents provide service to approximately 1600 customers daily by producing cooked goods for cafeterias, deli, day care area, and to catered events.