Head Cook - Thrive Childcare. Head Cook.

General responsibilities:

The Head Cook maintains the café and kitchen, provides food that is healthy, well-balanced and meets Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) regulations. Creates monthly and weekly menus. Keeps an effective flow of communication going between the kitchen and the administrative team. The Head Cook maintains appropriate records, resources, and files. Serves as a Christian role model for the staff, children and families.

Accountability:

The Head Cook is accountable to the Administrator.

Key Responsibilities:

Kitchen Operations:

Maintains a clean, organized, inspection-ready kitchen. Maintain food temperatures and food safety. Maintain sanitation standards. Organize storage areas. Rotate inventory. Maintain equipment and supplies. Ensure kitchen cleanliness exceeds health department expectations.

Nutrition & Meal Preparation:

Prepare healthy, nutritious breakfasts, lunches, and snacks. Plan monthly and weekly menus using KidKare. Accommodate allergies and dietary restrictions. Ensure meals meet CACFP requirements.

Stewardship:

Order food and supplies responsibly. Manage kitchen budget wisely. Minimize waste. Maintain required records.

Team Collaboration:

Partner with administrators. Support classroom schedules. Build positive relationships. Serve as a ministry partner to the entire Thrive team.

Qualifications/Attributes/Education Needed:

Attends professional training seminars to meet CACFP requirements and health department regulations (ServSafe certification). Excellent time management and organizational skills. Clear written and verbal communication ability. Restaurant or cooking experience and/or ministry background. Budget-minded. Shows initiative, is self-directed and is an effective communicator that possesses an ability to interact well with parents, peers, and administrative staff. Must be able to manage confidential information.

About Thrive Childcare:

At Thrive Childcare we are committed to providing high quality, faith-based childcare and educational services to families in Oregon, Perrysburg and the surrounding communities. To ensure that children will be loved, cared for and well educated, we uphold the highest of standards for our employees. Our hope is that our employees are excited and motivated to make a difference in the lives of the children and families we serve. We serve children from 6 weeks old through 12 years old. We focus on spiritual, cognitive, physical, social and emotional growth. We recognize and value the uniqueness of each child and meet them where they are at. We believe that parents are their child's primary teacher, but our desire is to come alongside them on the journey to nurture, support and care for their children. Staff positions are viewed as a ministry that transforms the lives of our children and families through the love of Jesus Christ. All prospective employees of Thrive Childcare must agree to a criminal records check which includes fingerprint analysis, a reference check and a signed non-conviction statement. All employees must possess a high school diploma or GED and complete 15 hours of in-service training per year.