Food Service Specialist

Food Service Specialist

This position works within the Residential Treatment division. Plans, purchases, stores and prepares nutritionally balanced meals, box lunches, and snacks for on-site consumption for consumers and staff, seven days a week. Additionally, cleans the kitchen, dining room, cooking utensils, and maintains a safe and sanitary kitchen environment ensuring compliance with state and county health code requirements for food service establishments. Residential treatment programs serve individuals with substance use and co-occurring mental health issues. Residential treatment programs vary in number of consumers served and varying length of stay depending on location. This is a full-time merit position. Must be flexible with work hours that would include evenings, weekends, and holidays. The position requires Food Handler’s Certification. Must have a valid driver’s license. Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds. Evening, weekend, and/or holiday coverage is required. This position is considered emergency personnel.

Fairfax County is home to a highly diverse population, with a significant number of residents speaking languages other than English at home — including Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and many others. We encourage candidates who are bilingual in English and another language to apply for this opportunity. A foreign language skills stipend of up to $1560/year (full-time) may be given for qualified bi-lingual employees.

Illustrative Duties

• Oversees the preparation and serving of food
• Supervises in preparations and serving of food, cleaning the kitchen and dining area, and maintaining appropriate health standards in the kitchen and dining area
• Serves as a guard for trustees working in the kitchen and dining room
• Controls and accounts for all hardware items used in the kitchen and dining areas
• Receives stocks and rotates food and beverage deliveries
• Inventories food and beverage and paper items
• Monitors equipment and safety products for food and beverage department
• Performs related work as required
• Develops and updates menus that meet dietary standards and guidelines for U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Education
• Develop alternative menus for resident’s who have dietary needs
• Responsible for cleanliness and sanitation of kitchen and dining room in compliance with regulating authorities
• Orders and maintains food and food service supplies within budget guidelines
• Maintains all required documentation including daily meal records, recipes, food guidelines, temperature charts, kitchen equipment inventory, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) Plan, Wellness Plan, copies of all prepackaged food labels, health/sanitation reports, and purchase food inventories

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities

• Ability to make independent decisions relative to food preparation, food serving, and menu item substitutions
• Ability to supervise trustees
• Knowledge of U.S. Department of Agriculture lunch program guidelines
• Knowledge of Department of Education lunch program guidelines

Employment Standards

Minimum Qualifications

Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the following:

High school or GED issued by a state department of education, plus two years of experience in cooking and/or planning meals, in a small to medium kitchen operation, specifically in food preparation.

Certificates and Licenses Required

Certification as a Certified Food Manager (CFM) within 60 days of hire

First Aid and CPR certifications obtained within 30 days of hire and recertification annually thereafter.

A valid driver’s license

Necessary Special Requirement

The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check, a Child Protective Services Registry check, a driving record check, and sanction screening to the satisfaction of the employer. A TB skin test is required if the appointee has not had one within the year, and annually thereafter.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience or training in food preparation in an institutional setting or residential program for adults with behavioral health challenges.

Food Handler’s Certificate.

Physical Requirements

Must be able to lift 50lbs. Ability to push/pull weight up 35 lbs. with wheels; twist/rotate at the waist; continuous standing and walking; frequently reach at or above the shoulder height, handling full/empty pot and pans; and bend at the waist. Ability to transport supplies. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

Selection Procedure

Panel interview and may include a practical exercise. Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce. Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act.