Lead - Dietary Cook, Weekends

Job Description

Job Description

The Dietary Cook - Lead is a senior-level operational role responsible for maintaining continuity of dietary workflows across food production, service, and daily kitchen operations. This position provides consistent leadership coverage during weekend operations and supports weekday transitions to ensure uninterrupted dietary services. This role maintains full proficiency in all Dietary Cook functions while supporting expanded operational coverage needs, including workflow direction, task assignment, and real-time issue resolution. The position is process-driven and focused on operational continuity, accountability, and consistent execution of standard work.

The schedule for this role is 10-hour shifts Saturday and Sunday, with the other 2 days being flexible.

Role Scope Clarification:
All standard duties and responsibilities of the Dietary Cook role apply to this position, up to and including food preparation, service, sanitation, and daily kitchen operations. The duties and responsibilities listed below are in addition to core Dietary Cook functions and are intended to define the expanded leadership, accountability, and operational coverage expectations of the Lead position.

• Operational Leadership: Direct workflow and assign responsibilities to dietary staff during assigned shifts to ensure completion of all required tasks.
• Weekend Operations Continuity: Independently maintain kitchen operations during weekend shifts, ensuring consistent execution of food production, service, and closing/opening responsibilities.
• Food Preparation: Demonstrated working knowledge of food preparation methods, recipe execution, and ticketed meal production sufficient to independently prepare menu items, follow modified diet requests, and maintain service flow without basic cooking instruction.
• Task Ownership & Accountability: Establish clear ownership of tasks as needed across team members and ensure completion in alignment with established standards.
• Performance Oversight: Identify workflow gaps or performance issues in real time and ensure appropriate follow-through to resolve issues and prevent recurrence.
• Shift Coordination & Handoffs: Maintain clear communication and documentation to support continuity between weekday and weekend operations, particularly during Monday and Friday overlap with the Dietary Manager.
• Weekend Coverage & Flexibility: Step into opening or closing cook responsibilities as needed to maintain operational continuity during call-offs, PTO, or coverage gaps on weekends.
• Operational Workflow Proficiency: Maintain full working knowledge of all Dietary Cook functions and kitchen workflows to support seamless coverage across all roles.
• Food Production & Safety Compliance: Ensure adherence to food safety, sanitation, and regulatory standards across all shifts.
• Formula Process Support: Support formula preparation processes during weekend operations as needed to maintain continuity of care.
• Professionalism and Alignment with Mission: Uphold the mission and values of Ranken Jordan through professional conduct and a patient-centered approach to dietary services.
• Other Duties as Assigned: Perform additional duties as needed to support dietary operations and hospital needs.
  

Education:

• High school diploma or equivalent required

Experience:

• Minimum of 3 years of experience in food service or dietary operations
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate workflow and operate independently with minimal supervision

Skills:

• Strong organizational and time-management skills
• Ability to direct workflow and assign tasks effectively
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making capabilities
• Knowledge of food safety and sanitation standards
• Effective communication and collaboration skills

Includes standing, walking, bending, lifting (up to 50 lbs), and other physical activities consistent with kitchen operations.