Cook - Helpings Cafe & Catering

Cook – Helpings Café & Catering

Supervisor: Residential Dining Manager or Helpings Café and Catering Manager

Classification: Non‑exempt

Hiring Salary Range: $21 – $22 per hour

Job Location: UMOM New Day Centers, Phoenix, AZ

About UMOM New Day Centers: Founded in 1964, UMOM is Arizona’s largest provider of services for families experiencing homelessness. Our mission is to end family homelessness by restoring hope and rebuilding lives. With an annual operating budget of $20 million, UMOM provides shelter, supportive services, and housing programs to families and individuals experiencing homelessness in Maricopa County. UMOM serves over 15,000 unique individuals across all our services annually, including those families receiving support at the Family Housing Hub, Maricopa County’s family coordinated entry system.

UMOM New Day Centers serves over 300,000 meals each year to clients experiencing homelessness who are temporarily living in our emergency shelters. The Cook position contributes to UMOM’s mission to restore hope, rebuild lives, and end homelessness by cooking and creating meals in the areas of Residential Dining or Helpings Catering and Café. This is an intermediate‑level position requiring knowledge and skills of best practices in a kitchen, experience in basic and intermediate‑level cooking methods, and the ability to prepare and organize all aspects needed for meal service.

• Performs culinary skills and techniques including roasting, sautéing, sauce production, batch cooking, gourmet salads, and common side dishes.
• Leads kitchen tasks of ingredient preparation, labeling and proper storage of food, and counter top cleaning. Stocks and maintains sufficient levels of food products at all stations to assure a smooth service period.
• Exhibits knowledge of proper food storage, rotation, and disposal in accordance with food safety standards.
• Demonstrates working knowledge of all kitchen equipment and experience in menu modification.
• Ensures food production at UMOM kitchens maintains quality, accurate portion control, consistency of recipes, and timely delivery in accordance with established meal schedules/menus.
• Maintains well‑organized kitchens reflective of the safety standards established by UMOM and in accordance with all safety and sanitation standards per Maricopa County Health codes.
• Assists with the back‑of‑house training portion of the Homegrown student program.
• Operates with speed, efficiency and consistent mindfulness towards kitchen organization and sanitation in a fast‑paced production‑kitchen environment.
• Communicates daily with kitchen staff to gain continuous feedback.
• Assists with inventory of all program supplies and works with Culinary Enterprise and Residential Dining Managers to manage all related expenses as needed.
• Articulately represents UMOM to trainees, community, businesses, and social service organizations.
• Assumes 100 % responsibility for quality of products served.
• Attends all scheduled employee meetings and brings suggestions for improvement.
• Other duties as assigned by Leadership.

• Education and Experience
  • High school diploma or GED equivalent, preferred.
  • Minimum two years of experience in kitchen preparation and cooking in a fast‑paced food service environment required.
  • Experience with inventory process and procedures preferred.
• Computer Skills
  • Familiarity with, or ability to learn, basic applications such as Microsoft Word and Outlook for email communication and documentation responsibilities.
• Compliance
  • Current Maricopa Food Handler’s card or the ability to obtain one.
  • Valid Level One Fingerprint Clearance Card or the ability to obtain one.
  • Ability to clear the Central Registry Screening from the Department of Child Safety & Adult Protective Services.
  • Ability to comply with and pass all required background check and drug screening requirements, including but not limited to pre‑employment and random drug screening as required/requested.
  • This position is classified as a safety‑sensitive position.
• Physical Activities and Working Conditions
  • This position is very active and requires standing,…