Cook

COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES PROBATION DEPARTMENT

EXAM NUMBER

F6396E

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT

Open Competitive Job Opportunity

FIRST DAY OF FILING

Friday, May 31, 2024, at 8:00 a.m., (PT)

This examination will remain open until the needs of the service are met and is subject to closure at any time without prior notice.

CLASSIFICATION STANDARDS:

Positions allocable to this class typically report to a Senior Cook and are responsible for cooking or assisting in cooking complete meals or specific menu items and may supervise subordinate food service workers, contract employees, and/or inmate workers assisting in these duties. Incumbents are skilled in standard cooking techniques utilized in the mixing, baking, cooking, and serving of foods in an institutional environment and are responsible for supervising the cleaning of utensils and equipment, including work areas, dining areas, and kitchen storerooms. Incumbents must have the verbal and written communication skills necessary to assist in the requisitioning, receiving, and inventorying of food supplies, the keeping of records and the preparation of reports. Duties of the position require the ability to stand or walk for long periods of time along with the ability to bend, stoop, squat, and reach. Positions assigned to either the Sheriff's or Probation Department are required to work in a custody/detention facility and are distinguished by their responsibility for supervising inmate workers.

• Prepares, cooks, and serves a variety of food items including soups, meats, vegetables, and other foods, and may supervise subordinate food service and/or inmate workers assisting in these tasks.

• Prepares food items according to standardized recipes, modifying or substituting ingredients when necessary and upon approval of higher-level cook supervisor.

• Operates specialized and standard food service equipment and trains subordinate food service and/or inmate workers in the proper operation and maintenance of this equipment.

• Prepares or supervises the preparation of menu items for special or medically prescribed diets.

• Performs baking duties preparing food items such as cakes, cookies, and pastries.

• Supervises and assists in the serving of food, assembles utensils and equipment needed, and ensures that food being served is maintained at proper temperatures during the duration of the meal.

• Supervises the cleaning of kitchen areas, utensils, and equipment and ensures that utensils and work areas are clean and ready for the next shift.

• Assists in the requisitioning, receiving, inventorying, and storing of foods and supplies.

• Acts as a lead person, supervising and/or instructing youth in a County-sponsored program, as needed.

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS:

Option 1:

Completion of a certificate program accredited by the American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACFEF) of at least 48 units in Culinary Arts from accredited college and one year's experience in quantity food preparation and cooking meals in a hospital, school, military, correctional facility, hotel, restaurant, or similar institution.

Option 2:

Three years' experience in quantity food preparation and cooking meals in a hospital, school, military, correctional facility, hotel, restaurant, or similar institution, one year of which must have been at the journey level.

NO OUT-OF-CLASS EXPERIENCE WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR THIS POSITION.

LICENSE:  A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.

PHYSICAL CLASS:  3 -- Moderate: This class requires that the incumbent stand or walk most of the time with bending, stooping, squatting, twisting, reaching, working on irregular surfaces, occasional lifting of objects weighing over 25 pounds, and frequent lifting of 10-25 pounds.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION

• IN ORDER TO RECEIVE CREDIT FOR THE CULINARY ARTS CERTIFICATE, YOU MUST INDICATE ON THE JOB APPLICATION AND INCLUDE A LEGIBLE COPY OF THE CERTIFICATE OR OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS FROM THE ACCREDITED INSTITUTION WITH YOUR APPLICATION AT THE TIME OF FILING OR WITHIN 7 CALENDAR DAYS OF ONLINE APPLICATION SUBMISSION OR YOUR APPLICATION WILL BE REJECTED.  YOU MAY EMAIL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS TO EXAMINATIONS@PROBATION.LACOUNTY.GOV.

Journey-level experience is defined as performing a variety of routine daily food preparation and cooking of meals independently.  Positions at this level are expected to perform a wide variety of tasks and possess related on-the-job experience or completion of a formal certificate, and in addition, problem solving skills with preparation of meals and standard cooking techniques, locating appropriate regulations, or applying proper procedures to carry out work.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:

Additional points will be given to qualified applicants beyond meeting the requirements and who possess the following desirable qualifications:

• Experience in safe food handling and cooking methods to ensure prevention of food borne illness in accordance with health and safety food regulations.

• Experience in kitchen sanitation and safety measures used in the operation (e.g., cleaning utensils, equipment, and work areas).

• Experience in utilizing software application systems such as, Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, etc. for maintaining accurate records of medical diet, and to communicate effectively.

EXAMINATION CONTENT:

This examination will consist of an Evaluation of Experience based upon the application information, desirable qualifications and supplemental questionnaire weighted 100%.

Candidates who do not achieve a passing score of 70% or higher on the Evaluation of Experience will be notified by email.  SCORES CANNOT BE GIVEN OVER THE PHONE.

Candidates must meet the Selection Requirements and achieve a passing score of 70% or higher on the examination in order to be placed on the eligible register.ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION:

Applications will be processed on an as-received basis and promulgated to the eligible register accordingly.  The names of candidates receiving a passing grade in the examination will be placed on the eligible register in the order of their score group for a period of twelve (12) months following the date of promulgation.

No person may compete in this examination more than once every twelve (12) months.

SPECIAL INFORMATION:

FINGERPRINTING AND SECURITY CLEARANCE

A thorough background investigation will be conducted prior to appointment.  Any false statement or omission of material fact may cause forfeiture of employment rights. Information presented on the employment application, resume, and during the examination process is subject to verification.

Candidates who are found unsuitable for employment will be removed from the eligible list pursuant to Civil Service Rule 6.04.

VACANCY INFORMATION

The resulting eligible register for this examination will be used to fill vacancies located in the Los Angeles County Probation Department.

AVAILABLE SHIFT

Any

APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION:

Applications must be filed online ONLY. Applications submitted by US Mail, Fax, or in person will not be accepted.

To apply for this examination, click on the green "Apply" button located on this posting. Your application must be submitted electronically on the last day of filing.  Visit the website at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty.

All applicants must enter a current/updated email address at the time of filing as NOTICES WILL BE SENT BY EMAIL. Entering an invalid email address may result in the rejection of your application during the examination process. To update information, applicants must make changes to their profile at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty.

Applicants may upload required or additional documents (i.e. copy of degree, certification, etc.) as attachment(s) at the time of filing.  If you are unable to attach the required and/or additional documents at the time of filing, you may email to examinations@probation.lacounty.gov within seven (7) calendar days from date of online application submission or your application may be rejected.   Please include your name, examination number, and examination title.

Many important notifications including results letters will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application. It is important that you provide a valid email address. Please add examinations@probation.lacounty.gov and info@governmentjobs.com to your email address and list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk/clutter mail.

Applicants have the ability to opt out of emails from LA County. If you unsubscribe, you will not receive any email notifications for any examinations for which you apply with Los Angeles County.

Regardless of whether you choose to unsubscribe, you can always check for notifications by logging into governmentjobs.com and viewing your profile inbox, which saves a copy of all emailed notices.

Fill out your application completely. The acceptance of your application depends on whether you have CLEARLY shown that you meet the SELECTION REQUIREMENTS. Provide any relevant job experience in the spaces provided so we can evaluate your qualifications for the job. For each job held, give the name and address of your employer, your job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, and description of work performed. If your application and/or supplemental questionnaire is incomplete, it may be rejected.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• ALL information included in the application materials is subject to VERIFICATION.  Applications may be rejected at any stage of the selection process. 

• FALSIFICATION of any information may result in DISQUALIFICATION.

• Utilizing VERBIAGE from Class Specification and Minimum Requirements serving as your description of duties WILL NOT be sufficient to meet the requirements. Doing so may result in an INCOMPLETE APPLICATION and you may be DISQUALIFIED.

• Test results cannot be given over the telephone.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER:

Please include your Social Security Number for record control purposes. Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number.

NO SHARING OF USER ID AND PASSWORD:

All applicants must file their application online using their own user ID and password.  Using family member or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record and will result in an automatic rejection of your application.

COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES:

For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at local public libraries throughout Los Angeles County.

LA County Public Library may require prior reservations to use their computers. Please visit the following link at https://lacountylibrary.org/library-locator/ for more information.

Department Contact Name: Probation Examinations & Recruitment Unit, Non-Sworn Exams

Department Contact Number: (562) 940-2659

Department Contact Email: examinations@probation.lacounty.gov

California Relay Services Phone:  (800) 735-2922

ADA Coordinator Phone:  (562) 383-6799

Teletype Phone:  (877) 988-7800