Cook - FT Happy Hollow Park & Zoo - Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services

Are you ready to join a team that is “Building Community Through Fun?” Are you ready to make a difference?

The City of San José’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services (PRNS) is looking for people who want to make San José a better place to live and work. Our mission is to connect people through parks, recreation and neighborhood services for an active San José. ActivateSJ, PRNS’s 20-year strategic plan identifies the approach and projects to support healthy communities that inspire belonging by following the guiding principles of Stewardship, Nature, Equity & Access, Identity and Public Life.

The Department creates and activates thriving places near where people live and work. These places are destinations for play and learning with 48 community centers, 10 regional parks, 209 neighborhood parks, Happy Hollow Park & Zoo, and over 60 miles of trails. Our programs and services touch the lives of individuals and families in our community. We take public service seriously by working hard to earn the public’s trust by delivering fun and high-value spaces and programs. Our team is collaborative, supportive, and innovative. We are a fast-paced organization that takes decisive action after thoughtful planning.

For more information, please visit activatesj.org.

Per the City’s COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination Policy, the City requires all new hires to provide proof of vaccination as a condition of employment absent an approved medical or religious exemption. “Fully vaccinated” means the employee has received two doses of Pfizer, Moderna or Novavax or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third-party job board application system. To apply, applicants must complete an application via the City of San Jose’s website at www.sanjoseca.gov/citycareers.

Happy Hollow Park and Zoo is seeking one (1) Full-Time. The Cook is responsible for assisting the Food Service Manager in managing the Food and Beverage operations at Happy Hollow Park & Zoo's Picnic Basket restaurant, on and off-site catering, and remote concession stands. To view Happy Hollow Park & Zoo program information and details visit our website at: www.hhpz.org

General duties include training part-time food service employees, assigning work and providing direction; developing and maintaining relationships with work experience program volunteers; developing seasonal food and beverage menus; overseeing food preparation quality and safety; and developing and maintaining an attractive and consistent presentation. Additional duties may be assigned in accordance with facility management needs.

Please be advised that this position will have a schedule that may include early mornings, evenings, weekends and holidays. Additionally, the position requires long periods of standing, walking, use of a hand-held radio and some lifting.

Other Typical Duties include:

• Ensure guests are provided with quality food and beverage items presented in a professional manner that achieves positive reviews and growing sales
  Interact with park guests to identify, develop, and implement menu items that appeal to San José's diverse visitors.
• Assist in planning, coordination, and conduct catering for special events, private rentals, birthday parties and evaluate food service program trends.
• Ensure staff and facilities are compliant with County Health Department standards and that all food safety certifications are maintained.
• Enforce proper food preparation and handling procedures, in compliance with all Health Department and Food Service Department policies regarding sanitation.
• Assist in preparation and servicing of food.
• Provide direction to kitchen staff and volunteers, train, assign and monitor work.
• Coordinate and place orders with food and beverage vendors to ensure that a proper level of inventory is maintained.
• Assist in maintaining cashiers with training and best practices for revenue security.

The actual salary shall be determined by the final candidate’s qualifications and experience. The Cook classification is subject to the City’s pay floor rate $25.15 hourly for the full-time Cook positions. This hourly rate consists of a base amount and an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing compensation pay.

Salary range: $46,824.96 - $56,893.20 annually.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Qualifications

Education: Successful completion of High School, G.E.D. Certificate, or California Proficiency Certificate.
Experience: One year of experience in cooking and delivering food services for large groups.
Acceptable Substitutions: None

Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San José will not prepare or file a labor condition application with the Department of Labor.

State law requires all employees to provide medical verification of negative tuberculosis test results within the last two years.

Background Check: Candidates will be required to undergo a background check, including a criminal history records check, before being considered for a position.

Competencies

The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated in past and current employment history. Desirable competencies for this position include:

JOB EXPERTISE - Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies and federal and state rules and regulations.

• Experience in a high volume and fast paced food service facility
• Experience preparing meals for catered events
• Experience preparing menus for a diverse clientele
• Ability to plan menus and execute them within budget
• Ability to keep accurate inventory and financial records
• Ability to maintain high standards of food service, safety and sanitation
• Exhibits schedulable hours that are broad and flexible enough to fill multiple shifts within a 7 day week and willing to work holidays
• Ability to stand for long periods of time; good hearing and vision; capable of lifting a 35 pound steam table pan and 50 pound flour sack.

LEADERSHIP - Leads by example; demonstrates high ethical standards; remains visible and approachable and interacts with others on a regular basis; promotes a cooperative work environment, allowing others to learn from mistakes; provides motivational supports and direction.

TEAMWORK & INTERPERSONAL SKILLS - Develops effective relationships with co-workers and supervisors by helping others accomplish tasks and using collaboration and conflict resolution skills.

CUSTOMER SERVICE - Demonstrates the ability to anticipate customers' needs and deliver services effectively and efficiently using professional demeanor.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS - Effectively conveys information and expresses thoughts and facts clearly, orally and in writing; demonstrates effective use of listening skills; displays openness to other people’s ideas and thoughts.

COMPUTER SKILLS - Experienced with common business computer applications including but not limited to: MS Outlook, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Access, and MS Excel

Selection Process

You will be prompted to answer the following job-specific questions during the online application process. Please note that there is a 4,000-character limit, including spaces, for each text response.

• Please list where you obtained the experiences you selected above. Your response must correspond to the detailed information provided in your resume/application.
• Describe your experience preparing meals in a high volume and fast paced environment, such as a cafeteria. Please include the following details in your response: your experience including setting, types of meals, and number of people served. Please include employment dates.
• Describe your catering experience including setting, types of meals, and number of people served. Please include employment dates.
• Describe your experience planning menus for a diverse clientele while keeping the food costs down? Describe a typical menu you would plan and at least three strategies you would use to keep food costs down.
• Describe your role and responsibilities as a lead/supervisor providing direction, training, and assigning and monitoring work, the number of years' experience, and the number of people you led/supervised.

If you have questions regarding the duties of the positions, please contact Tony Daly via email at tony.daly@sanjoseca.gov.

If you have questions regarding selection or hiring process, please contact Jaine Davies PRNS Employee Services Analyst at jaine.davies@sanjoseca.gov.

To learn more about City Benefits, click here.

To learn more about the California Equal Pay Act, click here.

The application deadline is 11.59 pm on August 9, 2023. Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov and we will research the status of your application. Please contact Human Resources at (408) 535-1285 or via email at Human.Resources@sanjoseca.gov if you have any questions.