Cook 2 | Reynolds Reentry Center

Cook 2 | Reynolds Reentry Center On-Call Location: Reynolds Reentry Center | Seattle, WA Salary Range: $4,132 - $5,523 Monthly

This on-call position is represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees bargaining unit.

The candidate of choice must be comfortable working in a Reentry Center environment as you will be required to work in the facility for each assigned shift.

Do you believe that a successful transition back into the community starts with meeting basic needs? Join the Washington State Department of Corrections as part of the Reentry Center food service team as a Cook 2! The goal of this position is to provide residents with nutritious, and quality meals that support their health and successful transition into the community.

In this position, you’ll plan, order, prepare, and serve meals for residents while ensuring food meets the nutritional standards outlined in the Department’s certified meal plan. You’ll be responsible for providing meals in a timely manner while maintaining high standards for food quality, safety, sanitation, and compliance with applicable state and federal regulations.

You’ll also help manage food service resources within established budget requirements, ensuring residents have consistent access to healthy and nutritionally balanced meals throughout their time at the Reentry Center.

Your work goes beyond preparing meals. By helping meet the nutritional needs of residents, you’ll contribute to a supportive environment where individuals can focus on building the skills, stability, and resources they need to successfully return to their communities. Join DOC and make a meaningful impact—one meal at a time.

A completed application packet will include:

• A cover letter regarding your interest in this position with our agency
• A detailed resume
• Three professional references

We are looking for teammates who share our vision of public service and are committed to an equitable and inclusive culture that fosters and inspires excellence, while promoting innovation, engagement, and safety, leading to better outcomes for our incarcerated population, our agency, and our community. As a Cook 2, some of your duties will include:

• Participating in the preparation and service of all food on a shift which could look like:• Performing mathematical calculations by converting recipes to determine the appropriate quantity of food products required to meet menu requirements and populations to be served

• Ensuring adherence to appropriate portion control protocols

• Checking food product during and after preparation, ensuring appropriate quality standards are met and adequate quantity has been prepared

• Understanding and applying rethermalization of food process/procedures

• Practicing and performing progressive cooking techniques for quality control and to decrease waste within the food service area

• Following basic safety practices to preclude hazards and accidents

• Preparing special diets as required (medical or religious)

• Maintaining and modeling the highest standards of personal hygiene

• Keeping work surfaces and equipment clean and in compliance with state and local Health Department sanitation standards

• Following basic safety practices to avoid hazards and accidents

• Maintaining and tracking knife and tool inventory

• Performing ordering, inventory, storage, use and reporting tasks

• Monitoring residents, ensuring safe and secure operations

• Other

What we need (required qualifications):

• Two (2) years’ cooking experience in a large-scale food service or culinary operation• Completion of a course in large-scale cooking may be substituted for one year of experience

• Current food handler permit

OR

• One (1) year as a Cook 1 in State service
• Current food handler permit

The candidate of choice will have the ability to:

• Cook a variety of foods
• Follow written and oral instructions
• Write clearly, factually, and concisely
• Read, understand, estimate quantities and follow recipes with minimal waste
• Effectively communicate verbally
• Schedule and organize daily work
• Operate and demonstrate the safe handling and operation of kitchen equipment, e.g., mixers, ovens, choppers, slicers, grills, steam kettles
• Role model appropriate behavior to residents
• Supervise, coach, train, and provide constructive feedback to residents in general kitchen operational practices

The candidate of choice will have knowledge of:

• A variety of foods
• Alternate food preparation methods i.e., cook/chill and cook/freeze
• Basic arithmetic, e.g., adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing
• Food service practices, food preparation, and production methods and procedures
• Food service record keeping
• HACCP protocols, practices, and tools for food service

The candidate of choice will have the understanding of:

• Weights and measures and differentiate between applications
• Rethermalization of food process/procedures

To qualify as a Cook 1 in-training: Cook 1 Salary Range: $3,768 - $5,003 Monthly

• Current food handler permit
• One year of experience in food preparation or cooking, in an institutional or commercial food service setting
• Completion of a course in large-scale cooking may be substituted for one year of experience

What will make your application stand out (preferred qualifications):

• High School Diploma or GED
• Three (3) or more years’ cooking experience in a large scale food service or culinary operation

Vision: Working together for safer communities. Mission: Improving public safety by positively changing lives. Our Commitment: To operate a safe and humane corrections system and partner with others to transform lives for a better Washington. Our Core Values:

• Cultivate an environment of integrity and trust: Corrections values partnership and trust. We foster openness and support courageous conversations. We are committed to doing what we say we are going to do by being accountable and taking personal ownership in our actions.
• Respectful and inclusive interactions: Corrections appreciates and values individuals by promoting an inclusive and diverse environment, which encourages safety. We respect, value, and listen to the thoughts, feelings, and perspectives of our stakeholders and consider the impact on those we serve as well as each other.
• People's safety: Corrections believes in creating an environment that values physical, mental, and emotional security and well-being. We honor those who advance safety for all.
• Positivity in words and actions: At Corrections, we assume positive intentions and believe there is a shared desire for the best outcome. We consistently demonstrate positive behavior and always put forth our best effort.
• Supporting people's success: Corrections is committed to our community – understanding individuals, instilling hope, embracing change, and providing opportunities.

DOC is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, honorably discharged veteran, veteran status, genetic information, or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• DOC complies with the employment eligibility verification requirements for the federal employment eligibility verification form I-9. The selected candidate must be able to provide proof of identity and eligibility to work in the United States consistent with the requirements of that form. https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents

• DOC does not use E-Verify; therefore, we are not eligible to extend STEM-Optional Practice Training (OPT). For information, please visit www.uscis.gov.

• This recruitment may be utilized to fill more than one position.

• Please include a minimum of three (3) professional references with your application. A professional reference is defined as an individual who has been paid to supervise your work and can attest to your work performance, technical skills, and job competencies. If you do not have any or sufficient professional references, please include non-related professionals, such as educators or other professional associates. **Please note: Phone number AND email address are required for all professional references.

• A background check including criminal record history will be conducted prior to a new hire. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant’s suitability and competence to perform in the position.

• Employees may work directly with or near incarcerated individuals in a potentially hazardous setting. Please consider this when deciding whether to apply.

• We are committed to maintaining a drug and alcohol-free work environment, and our employees are expected to comply with all state and federal laws. A pre-employment drug test may be administered as part of the selection process, and applicants who test positive for any controlled substances, will be disqualified from consideration.

• Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) is an aerosol pepper spray made available as a means of self-defense and/or de-escalation. Applicants with sensitivities or allergies are encouraged to ask about the level of exposure they could expect in this position.

• Animal care projects are a common component of most Washington State prisons, including dog and cat programs. Applicants with animal sensitivities or allergies are encouraged to ask about the level of exposure they could expect in this position.

• Tuberculosis (TB) is a priority health issue for DOC employees. The successful candidate may be required to provide valid proof of a baseline TB skin test within 60 days from the date of hire. When positive tests result, further information, testing and treatment will also be required. Employment is not contingent upon test results.

• Foreign equivalent degrees awarded outside the United States must have a credential evaluation report attached to your application. You may request the required evaluation/documentation from www.wes.org and www.aice-eval.org. Until this documentation is provided, you will not be selected to move forward in the hiring process.

Telework Details This position may be allocated for telework. If authorized for the role, work may be performed from your home or another offsite location within the state of Washington using a reliable internet or cellular hotspot service at that time. Employees are expected to perform assigned duties in a safe manner, to take proper care all state-issued equipment, and maintain confidentiality of all information in possession while working offsite. Employees will be required to commute to a Department of Corrections facility or field office as business requires, to potentially include components of the onboarding process. Some offices will have a “drop in” area available, however, a dedicated workspace within a DOC facility will not be provided.

What We Offer: As an employee of the Department of Corrections, your work-life integration is a priority. Washington State employees are offered one of the most inclusive and competitive benefits packages in the nation. Besides comprehensive family insurance for medical, dental, and vision, these perks also may include:

• Remote/telework/flexible schedules (depending on position)
• Up to 25 paid vacation days a year
• 8 hours of paid sick leave per month
• 12 paid holidays a year
• Generous retirement plan
• Flex Spending Accounts
• Dependent Care Assistance
• Deferred Compensation and so much more!

*Teamsters 117 represented positions receive 3 days of bereavement leave.

PERS: State Employees are members of the Washington Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). New employees have the option of two employer contributed retirement programs. For additional information, check out the Department of Retirement Systems' web site.

For questions about this recruitment, or to request reasonable accommodation in the application process, please email [email protected] or call us at 509-630-9160. For TTY service, please call the Washington Relay Service at 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.