Kitchen Supervisor

Job Summary:

Supervises the daily operations, growth, and mission of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) unaccompanied children residential programs kitchen in a safe, compliant and cost-effective manner. This includes kitchen staff supervision and professional development, kitchen program development, meal planning, ordering and inventory, equipment maintenance, health code compliance, and State Licensing and Health Inspection documentation. Position will assist the cooks to ensure kitchen cleanliness, preparation of meals, oversight of dietary needs (allergy/medical/religious), and will work closely with each program’s leadership team to adjust menus based on client needs and feedback.

Duties and Responsibilities: (Essential functions include the following duties and responsibilities, core competencies and other characteristics. The incumbent in this position is required to perform the following duties but not limited to, which is representative to the level of work appropriate to this position.)

• Supervises all aspects of employee relations for the Cook position, including hiring, developing, coaching, mediating, recognizing, and evaluating team members
• Oversees the day to day operation of the kitchen, and the distinct needs of the two program’s clientele.
• Ensures that nutritious meals are prepared in accordance with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutritional guidelines, program contracts, and State licensing requirements.
• Incorporate menu recommendations from program staff and work closely with the programs to adjust menus based on client feedback.
• Establish procedures to accommodate dietary restrictions, food allergies, health issues, and religious or spiritual requirements.
• Order dry and fresh goods and determine whether food meets quality standards and or needs to be rejected; approve invoices of food delivered.
• Train Cook team in cooking methods and mentor to develop advanced skills (this may also include training basic food safety concepts to non-kitchen staff, such as the Milieu Counselors).
• Analyze and recognize any deficiencies or problem areas and provide corrective action to accomplish desired results.
• Works with Program Supervisors and Business Team to control financial operating expenses of the Kitchen including, but not limited to, budget, P&L, labor costs, controllable expenses, and cost of goods.
• Maintain the highest quality food products and service for our clients, assuring that meals are satisfying in taste, nutritionally balanced, and meet the cultural needs of the clients in care at the residential programs
• Maintain kitchen sanitation and safety standards and ensure compliance with state, local, and regulatory agencies.
• Prepare and cook meals for clients, as needed.

Core Competencies: (required to hold this position):

• Understand federal and state laws and regulations governing child nutrition programs.
• Knowledge of food safety compliance requirements.
• Provide quality, nutritional food service, and menu planning for youth in care. Openness to try new menus and cuisine, based on the input from clients.
• Able to stay within allocated budget.
• Communicate clearly and effectively orally and in writing in English.
• Able to communicate verbally and orally in a trauma informed manner with a wide variety of people including management, milieu staff, clients and outside vendors.
• Work independently to meet schedules and timelines, as well as self-manage assigned projects.
• Experience working in a commercial kitchen.

Education and Work Experience:

Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

• 2 years of commercial food service experience
• 1-year experience managing and supervising in a professional environment.
• ServSafe Food Handler Certification (or ability to obtain immediately).
• Understanding of, and competency, in computer skills and some nutrition software programs.

Valued but not required skills and experience:

• Fluent in the Spanish language, written, read and spoken
• Experience and knowledge to maintain kitchen budgets
• Experience in a residential facility and with National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or similar programs

Other Requirements:

• Pass a DHS criminal history background
• Meet agency driving requirements
• CPR/First Aid certification within 30 days of hire and kept current
• Work 40 hours a week Monday through Friday at either the Downtown Portland site, with some irregular hours outside of normal business hours. 

Physical demands and work environments: (The essential functions of this job represented below are required and must be successfully met by an employee to perform this job.)

• Physical demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee frequently is required to sit, stand, use hands and fingers, reach with arms, talk, hear, and lift up to 40lbs.
• Work environment: You will be exposed to a kitchen environment which includes the following but not limited to: sharp objects, open flame, hot food service equipment, wet floors at times.