Casual Cook Jobs

First United is a social service agency working in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver supporting vulnerable community members struggling with issues such as poverty, addiction and mental health. If it is your desire to make a difference for people, this is the purpose filled work for you. We look forward to speaking with you about this opportunity.

This position requires that you have a valid BC Drivers' License. We do the cooking at 628 Clark Drive and take food to our Emergency Shelter on Alexander Street and also serve from a Food Truck on Hastings Street.

Effective June 24, the new wage for this role is $24.08 per hour. This position comes with generous health and welfare benefits following the completion of a probationary period.

POSITION TITLE: Cook

DEPARTMENT: Food Services

REPORTS TO: Food Services Manager

DATE: July 2023

Our Vision

A neighborhood where every person’s worth is celebrated, and all people thrive.

Our Mission:

We seek a just society, nurturing spirits through ministry, housing, advocacy and community services.

Each job within the First United Church should in some way promote our accomplishment of this vision and mission.

POSITION OBJECTIVE

The Cook position works within the Food Services Department in providing consistent and good quality food and service. The Cook position is responsible for not only large volume food preparation but also the transporting of food (large quantities) to various locations where the food is served directly to community or to residents of the shelter. Transporting food is done via the Food Truck or with another of First United’s vehicles.

General Duties And Responsibilities

• Attend work as scheduled, give sufficient notice for absences to Food Services Manager.
• Strive to uphold a safe working environment and be Health and Safety conscious and actively involved in maintaining and improving a safe work environment.
• Carry out other related duties which may be assigned from time to time.
• Ensure food is stored in appropriate containers, labeled, and rotated to ensure high standards of freshness, minimizing waste and maximizing quality.
• Ensures smooth operation of kitchen services during absence of Food Services Manager.
• Ensure that the kitchen area is maintained at the highest level of cleanliness at all times, especially during food production. This includes: any food spills are cleaned immediately; all equipment is cleaned on a daily basis and there is no buildup of grease or other stains on all equipment.
• Actively participate in the environmental program and department specific initiatives in working towards sustainable operations.
• Maintain professional work habits.
• Follow any and all recipes as they apply to any food products that you prepare or assist with, as determined by the Food Services Manager.
• Liaise with outside groups/volunteers and donors as required.
• Ensure the proper use of scales and measurements in all recipes, portioning, and food production.
• Help to ensure that food deliveries have been delivered and stored according to the standards set by the Food Services Manager.
• Completes cleaning according to daily and weekly schedules and dishwashing/pot washing as needed.
• Ensure that volunteers’ possessions are stored away from the kitchen area.
• Manage access to dry storage area.
• Adhere to all First United Guidelines, Policies, Rules and Regulations.
• Maintain up to date Food Safe Certification.
• Practice proper grooming, personal hygiene, and uniform standards.
• Maintains cleanliness and sanitation of equipment, food storage, and work areas.
• Maintain integrity of kitchen and supplies by managing access to kitchen by volunteers and non-kitchen staff.
• Conduct yourself in a professional and positive manner.
• Ensure refrigerators and storerooms are kept organized and maintained in the various kitchen areas on a daily basis and that all food products are stored in accordance with health regulations.

Kitchen And Cooking Duties And Responsibilities

Food Truck Duties and Responsibilities

• Carry out other related duties which may be assigned from time to time.
• Be able to work in varying weather and temperature conditions.
• Prep food items prior to food service
• Consistently follow sanitizing and food safety protocols
• Provide excellent customer-oriented food service to community.
• Work alongside volunteers and Program Staff to ensure smooth food service.
• Drive or meet the food truck at the designated area and participate in the food service

Shelter Duties And Responsibilities

• Ensure food is stored in appropriate containers, labeled, and rotated to ensure high standards of freshness, minimizing waste, and maximizing quality.
• Follows menu specifications, preps, cooks, and presents all food products with care and quality.
• Works various shifts including weekends
• Loads transit van with meals for shelter, stow safely and delivers to shelter
• Carries out other related duties which may be assigned from time to time.
• Works collaboratively with our tenant neighbors at Clark Kitchen; providing assistance or meals when required.
• Ensure that Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and any other supplies are delivered on time to the shelter.
• Returns to the kitchen with used serving dishes and unloads and cleans dishes, ensures the transit van is in clean condition for the next shift
• Communicates effectively with shelter team to ensure supplies are brought from the kitchen to the shelter in a timely manner.
• Unloads transit van and works with shift supervisor and or shelter staff to serve the shelter lunch and or dinner
• Pick-Up food and other food service donations donations
• Washes dishes as required, maintains kitchen prep area especially during food production. This includes: any food spills are cleaned immediately, and all equipment is cleaned daily to avoid buildup of grease or stains on equipment.

SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY

Latitude

The incumbent works with the Food Services Team. If clarification is required, it is expected that the incumbent will request further direction from the Food Services Manager.

INTERNAL/EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS

• Cooks are to seek input or to exchange information about regular duties with the Food Services Manager, while at the shelter cooks can seek input and exchange information with the Shift Supervisor
• Cooks, while serving food, will regularly interact with community and shelter residents and be required to maintain a sense of order and calm in line – ups of those being served.

Education, Work Experience, And Skills And Abilities Requirements

• Standard First Aid and Naloxone Training
• Having a valid driver’s license and clean drivers abstract is required.
• Experience in a non-profit related environment, e.g. shelter, group home, recovery house
• Ability to drive a cargo van and/or a food truck.
• High school diploma or GED
• Excellent organizational skills, with strong attention to detail, exceptionally resourceful, with the ability to effectively problem-solve.
• Current Food Safe Level 1 certification
• Completion of a culinary arts program or an equivalent combination of education and experience combined.
• Proven ability to offer exceptional customer/client service(s) in person.
• Ability to stand for extended periods of time.
• Strong sense of giving back to the community; and working alongside folks experiencing mental health, addictions and homelessness.
• Comfortable using a computer, navigating Windows, Microsoft Office, and Outlook Email
• Ability to safely lift 23 kilograms (50 pounds) Repeatedly.
• Ability to prioritize, manage time, and engage in multiple tasks effectively and efficiently.
• Minimum two (2) years of hospital, institutional, or restaurant cooking experience to include food preparation
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.