Job Summary
Are you a good cook but want to stay away from the restaurant business? Maybe we are the right fit for what you're looking for! We are seeking a dedicated and compassionate individual to serve as a cook at our Residential Facility. This role involves providing high-quality food service and meal preparation to residents, ensuring their nutritional needs are met in a safe and welcoming environment. The ideal candidate will have experience in food handling, cooking, and food safety, with a strong commitment to resident care and well-being.
See below for complete job description:
Cook Job Description
Position Title: Part-time Cook
Hours of Work: 16 to 24 hours per week
Work Setting: Community Residential Facility serving men on federal parole
Position Summary
The Cook is responsible for planning, preparing, organizing, and maintaining the facility’s dinner program and related food services. This position plays an important role in supporting a safe, structured, respectful, positive, and community-oriented residential environment that promotes resident well-being, healthy social interaction, and successful community reintegration.
In addition to food preparation and kitchen management, the cook is expected to interact professionally with residents, staff, and program participants, maintain clear boundaries, contribute positively to the facility culture, and help foster a welcoming and supportive atmosphere while understanding the unique dynamics of working in a residential correctional setting.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
- Prepare evening meals for each night of the week, except Saturdays.
- Prepare one-step Sunday meals in advance so weekend staff can heat and serve them.
- Coordinate and prepare larger meals for monthly socials and the facility’s two larger annual events, including the BBQ and Christmas party.
- Ensure residents have adequate food available to prepare their own breakfasts and lunches.
- Ensure there are always two frozen backup one-step meals available in the event of absence, illness, or other unforeseen circumstances. Relief cooks or staff may use the backup meals or purchase and prepare a meal they are comfortable making.
- Join the group, including residents and on-duty staff, at the dining room table once dinner service duties are complete. The cook is expected to remain with the group until at least 6:00 p.m. or until residents have cleared out, whichever comes sooner. This is an essential part of the dinner program and is intended to support a family-style environment, relationship building, and positive role modelling.
- Order food inventory and select household items online through the organization’s designated food distributors.
- Be present when food deliveries arrive to ensure items are stored immediately and appropriately.
- Keep food inventory, dry storage, refrigerators, freezers, cookware, and related kitchen supplies organized.
- Ensure deliveries generally occur once per week, preferably on Mondays, unless operational needs require otherwise.
- Ensure all kitchen equipment is in good working order.
- Arrange maintenance or repairs for kitchen equipment as required.
- Purchase new equipment when necessary. All purchases above $100.00, excluding food orders, must be authorized by the Director in advance.
- Inform the Assistant Director when tableware, cookware, utensils, or related kitchen inventory is running low.
- Report all kitchen-related issues to management as soon as possible, including concerns related to the food program, residents, staff, food storage, equipment, inventory, or the functioning of the dinner service program.
- Wash all cookware used to prepare dinner.
- Work with CHOICES participants by providing appropriate instruction and guidance on how they may assist with meal preparation, food storage after deliveries, kitchen organization, and clean-up.
- Secure the kitchen and locked dining room areas at the end of each shift.
- Read and initial weekly agenda minutes to ensure awareness of decisions, resolutions, updates, and expectations communicated by the staff team.
- Communicate as required with on-duty staff regarding the dinner program, resident-related matters, food concerns, and general kitchen operations.
- Receive and consider feedback from staff regarding food-related matters, resident needs, and the operation of the dinner program.
- Attend staff meetings as required, particularly when kitchen operations, food services, resident concerns, safety, or the dinner program are included on the agenda. Attend house meetings if any food related issues are raised by residents.
- Work with management to monitor and maintain the kitchen and food program budget.
- Participate in meetings with management regarding the budget and food program at least once every three months.
- Maintain a clean, safe, organized, and respectful kitchen environment that supports the overall safety, structure, and purpose of the facility.
Qualifications and Required Competencies
- Completion of a recognized Food Safe certification program.
- Demonstrated experience in commercial, institutional, residential, or community-based food preparation.
- Knowledge of food safety standards, menu planning, inventory management, portion control, food storage, and safe operation of commercial kitchen equipment.
- Demonstrated understanding of mental health challenges, substance use disorders, cognitive disabilities, trauma, and other barriers that may affect individuals involved in the criminal justice system.
- Knowledge of trauma-informed, client-centered, and recovery-oriented approaches when interacting with residents.
- Ability to work effectively within a residential correctional environment serving men on federal parole and supporting their successful community reintegration.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to maintain professional boundaries while fostering a respectful, supportive, and structured environment.
- Flexibility and adaptability to respond to the changing dynamics of a residential facility, including fluctuating resident populations, varying dietary needs, changing resident behaviours, and evolving operational requirements.
- Ability to work in a communal kitchen setting where residents may have access to refrigerators, cookware, utensils, dishes, shared storage areas, and other kitchen-related items.
- Demonstrated patience, professionalism, and sound judgment when addressing common challenges associated with communal living environments, including misplaced items, unauthorized use of kitchen supplies, hoarding behaviours, food storage concerns, damaged items, and occasional theft-related issues.
- Knowledge of behaviours that may be associated with institutionalization, including dependency on structure, difficulty with decision-making, challenges with personal accountability, resistance to change, boundary-testing behaviours, and difficulty adapting to communal living expectations.
- Ability to establish, maintain, and consistently enforce clear professional boundaries while remaining respectful, fair, calm, and supportive.
- Ability to respond appropriately to challenging behaviours, conflict, manipulation, verbal hostility, attempts to circumvent facility rules, or other difficult interactions while maintaining professionalism and composure.
- Understanding that all staff members serve as role models within the facility and are expected to demonstrate appropriate conduct, accountability, respect, emotional regulation, and adherence to organizational policies and Correctional Service Canada standards.
- Capacity to interact with residents in a fair, non-judgmental, and professional manner, while avoiding favouritism, dual relationships, inappropriate personal disclosures, or other boundary violations that may compromise safety, security, or program integrity.
- Ability to maintain organization and accountability of kitchen inventory while balancing resident access, resident participation, and the operational needs of the kitchen.
- Ability to de-escalate conflict, exercise sound judgment, and contribute positively to a safe, respectful, structured, and supportive residential environment.
- Ability to work independently, prioritize tasks, manage time effectively, and collaborate with management, case management, residential, and support staff.
- Ability to receive feedback, follow direction, participate in team communication, and support decisions made by the management and staff team.
- Ability to obtain and maintain required security clearance.
This position offers an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in residents’ lives through quality meal service. Candidates should be committed to maintaining high standards of hygiene and safety while delivering compassionate care.
Pay: From $28.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Dental care
- Discounted or free food
- Extended health care
- Flexible schedule
- On-site parking
Work Location: In person
