Cook

Cook

Reports to: Food Services Manager 

Grade & FTE: USG 2, variable FTE 

Temporary Casual Contract: Start Date: Immediate Contract End Date: December 22, 2026 

Evening/weekend work required: This position is temporary casual, averaging 2-4 shifts per 2-week schedule. Starting as soon as possible and ending December 22, 2026. Must be able to work a variety of shifts, including weekends and holidays. Cooks are assigned to 7-hour shifts that start as early as 6:30 am and may end as late as 11 pm.  Cooks are required to work a variety of shifts, including weekends and holidays. Actual hours may vary depending on workload and scheduled events. 

Conrad Grebel University College is a liberal arts college founded by the Mennonite church and affiliated with the University of Waterloo. The mission and programs of Grebel are rooted in and inspired by its Christian identity and its Anabaptist/Mennonite heritage. Grebel offers undergraduate, graduate, and community education programs in peace and conflict studies, music, theological and religious studies, and Mennonite studies. It also has a residence which houses approximately 175 university students. Grebel is home to the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement (CPA). 

General Scope 

The Cooks are to provide and maintain a high standard of food preparation and service as required in a student residential and learning environment. In collaboration with the managers ensure that the student experience includes a nutritionally balanced, creative, attractive, and flexible meal service for a variety of special diets, and also meets high standards for quality and safety of food preparation. Similarly, the faculty, staff and guests expect high quality food services provided for a variety functions that occur at the college.   In addition, the cooks also provide food services to conferences and other rental groups. 

Departmental Data 

  • currently the college has 2 full time, and 7 part time cooks (5.8 fte) and 5 part time food service  assistants (3.8 fte) 

  • prepare 15,396 meals annually to residence students plus an additional 960 meals to off campus  residents in the fall term 

  • annually prepare/serve at least 188 snack nights to residents and associates, 36 community  suppers, 3 term end banquets, 1 convocation reception for 500 people, 1 Taste of Grebel bbq  for 450 people, 1 move in day luncheon for 450 people 

  • provide $75,000 worth of meals/refreshments to the summer conference program  

  • Grebel’s annual food services expenses budget is $1,076,000 (17/18   

  • internal and external sales (495 events for 15,000 guests in 2016-2017), summer conferences, meal tickets, meal plans, associate community supper and snack nights, and cash register sales annually contribute $228,000 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities  

1. Food Preparation and Service 

  • safely operating commercial kitchen equipment including deep fryers, combi oven, meat slicer, potato peeler, mixers, dishwasher, steam jacketed kettle, flat top, convection oven, propane bq 

  • performing food preparation tasks according to a pre-determined menu 

  • baking yeast breads, cookies, squares, quick breads, cakes, pies, cheesecakes, etc.  

  • preparing hot and cold entrees and side dishes for all meals, including soups, casseroles, stir fry, egg dishes, pasta etc. 

  • preparing vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, celiac, allergen free options 

  • preparing fresh vegetable or fruit salads 

  • preparing and serving foods for catered events:  breakfasts, luncheons, banquets, coffee breaks, receptions in a correct and timely fashion 

  • setting up food service line, maintaining cleanliness, replenishing foods as needed, removing, labelling and storing foods appropriately at the end of service time 

  • operating food services cash register 

  • setting up and cleaning up food service areas for special events 

  • performing food serving tasks within the cafeteria line system and during special events 

  • following safe food handling procedures, including avoiding cross contamination, checking and recording temperatures of hot foods prior to service  

  • checking and recording temperatures of fridges/freezers and informing manager of problems  

2. Planning and Organization   

  • completing weekly menu by determining the salad, vegetable and dessert options to compliment the rest of the meal 

  • organizing assigned tasks and responsibilities into daily and weekly schedules dictated by menu, production sheet and special event requests 

  • scaling recipes to appropriate quantities depending on changing daily needs 

  • managing time efficiently to meet multiple hard deadlines throughout the day 

  • assisting in inventory control, advising the food services manager when supplies are needed 

  • participating in bi-weekly food services department meetings and bi-monthly safety meetings 

  • attending monthly staff meetings 

  • directing/guiding/coaching food services assistants and student workers  

  • adapting to last minute requests from students/faculty/guests 

3. Cleaning 

  • responsible for providing and maintaining a high standard of cleanliness and organization of work spaces, refrigerators/freezer and store room 

  • cleaning and sanitizing food preparation and service areas 

  • washing dishes/pots/pans manually or using commercial dishwasher 

  • emptying garbage and compost containers into outside bins 

  • cleaning and sanitizing commercial kitchen equipment  

  • deep cleaning of kitchen including store room, exhaust hood and walk in cooler at end of term  

4. Safety and Security 

  • assisting with procedures critical for safety and security such as responding to fire alarms,  locking/unlocking doors 

  • ensuring all chemicals are labelled and stored properly in a safe condition 

  • placing wet floor signs as needed 

  • using appropriate transportation methods when moving containers of hot product 

  • employing proper knife handling skills to protect self and co-workers 

  • working in a safe manner and using protective equipment as needed  

  • participating in monthly safety inspections 

  • fostering a healthy work environment that adheres to the College’s health and safety practices as well as the Occupational Health and Safety Act 

5. Support and Collaboration 

  • working collaboratively with food services staff to complete daily/weekly tasks 

  • covering absences of other cooks/food service assistants 

  • performing other related duties as assigned 

  • interacting positively with students 

  • making recommendations that contribute to the success of the food services operation 

  • contributing to the creation of a hospitable environment for students and a collegial climate for  all members of the College community 

POSITION REQUIREMENTS: 

  1. Support for the identity and mission of Conrad Grebel University College. 

  1. Basic familiarity with Conrad Grebel policies and procedures 

Education: 

  1. Post-secondary training in a food-related program or a minimum of two-years of relevant experience is required.  
  2. Food Handler training certificate is required.

Skills and Experience:  

  1. Baking/Cooking: well-developed skills in both baking and cooking in a commercial kitchen to produce high quality product.  

  2. Interpersonal Skills: This position requires a high degree of organizational skill, interpersonal skills and problem solving ability to balance multiple priorities and deadlines. Must be a strong communicator with the ability to build relationships with staff, students, delivery personnel, and contract service personnel. Exceptional attention to detail as well as having a friendly, professional, customer service oriented personality is required. It is expected that cooks will work with a high degree of professionalism and courtesy.  

  1. Physical and Sensory Demands: This position will involve physically demanding tasks that could include but are not limited to: lifting/carrying up to 50 lbs, standing for long periods of time while operating commercial kitchen equipment, loading/unloading ovens, carts, milk machine etc.  These activities require frequent bending, stretching, lifting and carrying.  The majority of the work is performed indoors; however, cooks are required to be outside when disposing of garbage, compost and recycling materials. 

  1. Decision-Making: The cooks must be able to make informed decisions in collaboration with others but will also be required to make independent decisions related to unplanned urgent requests or equipment failure or staff absences, in the absence of the Food Services Manager.  

Working Environment: 

Cooks are assigned to 7-hour shifts that start as early as 6:30 am and may end as late as 11 pm.  Cooks are required to work a variety of shifts including weekends and holidays.  Cooks may be required to work occasional extra shifts. There are at times tight deadlines beyond one’s control and frequent unplanned service requests from a variety of stakeholders including students/staff/faculty and guests. The role involves working in close quarters with up to 20 people in an open kitchen with exposure to wide temperature swings while moving between freezers/fridges/hot cooking stations. 

Working Relationships: 

The cooks work closely with: Assistant Food Services Manager, other cooks, food service assistants, student workers and other casual kitchen staff.