Prep Cook

Why Kensington Senior Living? Because Our Promise to love and care for your family as we do our own. These are not just words – but something all of us at Kensington Senior Living strive to deliver each day. We’re looking for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) in Assisted Living and Memory Care to join our newest community, The Kensington Bethesda.

Join us to discover your path, grow your purpose, and embrace the unexpected: deeper connections, greater opportunities, and a stronger sense of belonging.

Salary: $18.00 – $22.00

Summary:

The Prep Cook is responsible for assisting in the preparation of hot and cold item ingredients that will be used in the cooking preparation and/ or assembly of completed menu items

Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Attends daily production meetings, tasting and menu classes to gain understanding of food production requirements of upcoming meal periods.
• Prepares ingredients for hot and cold food menu items.  Typical food preparation tasks include portioning of items to proper serving sizes, washing, peeling, and cutting vegetables, preparing garnishes, assembling salads, creating stocks, and assisting with defrosting procedures for frozen items.
• Assists in setting up equipment and conveyance for transportation of food from the production areas to dining areas in accordance with safe food handling practices.
• Properly covers, dates, and stores cooked and uncooked food items.
• Assists with labeling and storing bulk food and supply orders upon delivery.  Labels and stores “ready to eat” and prepared foods in accordance with safe food handling and HACCP requirements.
• Assists in monthly inventories of food and other supplies.
• Maintains work area and equipment in a clean and orderly condition throughout the work shift and performs required shift closing and periodic cleaning tasks as assigned.  Assists with performing utility related tasks as directed by the shift supervisor.
• Attends in-service training sessions together with co-workers to keep abreast of current knowledge in the field of nutrition and dietary needs, safe food handling, culinary skills and procedures, and operation and maintenance of equipment.
• Attends training courses and participates in other professional development activities as required.
• Report any suspicion or evidence of elder abuse, mistreatment or neglect as outlined in Personnel Policies.

Knowledge and Skill: 

• Must have excellent verbal skills and communication abilities.
• Ability to work effectively within a team based environment.
• Must know how to operate kitchen equipment and use utensils to greatest advantage.
• Must possess sound knife handling skills.
• Ability to follow diet instructions and menus, know basic methods of preparing food in quantities, and familiar with seasoning requirements

Qualifications:

• Must be able to clearly and proficiently communicate with people of all ages, while maintaining an energetic and positive attitude.
• Must be able to understand English, and follow verbal and written instructions.
• Experience in a similar position is preferred but not required.
• Ability to work flexible hours including weekends, evenings, rotating shifts, and occasional overtime.
• High school education strongly preferred
• Certified in safe food handling.

• Be in good health, and physically and mentally capable of performing assigned tasks.
• Demonstrates freedom from pulmonary tuberculosis by a health screening performed by a physician not more than prior to employment.
• Must be cleared in a criminal background check administered in the state of employment.

Mental and Physical Requirements:

• Requires ability to stand and walk short and long distances for extended periods of time.
• Must be able to lift and/or carry objects in excess of 25 pounds.
• Requires bending at knees, twisting from side to side at the waist, and reaching above, below and at shoulder length.
• The kitchen environment is subject to noise, interruptions and distractions and requires the ability to concentrate and handle a multitude of tasks.
• High degree of safety awareness as work environment involves potential physical risks that include cuts from utensils, burns, falls due to wet floors, quick temperature changes in and out of refrigeration areas and around steam tables.