Cook - Sesisej

Beacon is hiring a cook for a brand-new nature-based child care center that will create 84 licensed childcare spaces, including full-time infant toddler care, full-time and part-time group care (ages three to five) and a unique evening after-school program.

The name of the center SESISEJ (SAW-she-such) translates to Little Forest, which was gifted to School District 63 by the WSANEC Elders.

The SESISEJ Childcare Centre is centred on “the WSANEC ways of knowing and being" and will assist children in establishing a sense of community, place and belonging while supporting their growth and learning needs.

Our team is the heart of our community’s well-being and Beacon’s success. We offer a competitive salary, a comprehensive benefits package, and a rewarding, stimulating career environment where your skills, knowledge, and work make a difference every day.

**Days/Hours of Work**: Monday - Friday 8:00 am -2:30 pm (with 30 min unpaid break) 30 hours per week

**Closing Date**: Applications will be accepted until noon on April 26th.

**JOB SUMMARY**:
Reporting to the Facility Site Supervisor, the Cook is responsible for preparing and delivering nutritionally balanced meals for children attending the new SESISEJ child care center. They play a vital role in the well-being of the children in the program creating menus catering to their dietary needs. This position is a dynamic role involving creative menu planning and strong culinary skills.

**DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES**:

- Provide nutritionally balanced morning meals lunch and snacks based on meeting the unique nutritional needs of children attending SESISEJ
- Using the current "Canada’s Food Guide" assists in developing a 3-week rotational seasonal menu plan and recipes that take into consideration special diets, and food allergies
- Provide weekly grocery needs to the SESISEJ Facility Site Supervisor
- Organize food in a timely and well-accounted-for manner. Keeps track of food and labels food with date. Use the first in, first out system
- Follow FoodSafe guidelines, and adhere to Beacon Community Services' Health and Safety Program, Beacon Policies and Procedures, and childcare licensing practices
- Maintains safe hot handling food temperatures. Checks and records internal temperatures of prepared food before being served
- Follow sanitation guidelines, schedules and procedures to perform cleaning duties such as cleaning food preparation equipment, kitchen and storage areas, ovens and freezers
- Performs all and any combination of the following duties to maintain kitchen work areas, including but not limited to kitchen equipment, kitchen space, appliances, cupboards as well as utensils in a clean and orderly fashion: Sweeps floors, washes worktables, cupboards, walls, refrigerators, stove and freezers daily and maintains/defrosts fridge/freezers as required
- Loads/cleans dirty dishes from morning meal and lunch into commercial sanitizer and returns clean contents of sanitizer to its location upon completion of the cleaning cycle
- Checks and documents the temperatures of freezers and fridges twice daily, ensuring that they are meeting the required temperature standards. Report to the Facility Site Supervisor if temperature standards are not met

**QUALIFICATIONS and EXPERIENCE**
- Experience in kitchen settings and ability to prepare quality food for children aged newborn to ten years.
- Experience cooking for large groups - meals for 50+
- Previous experience working within a childcare setting
- FOODSAFE Certification (to be renewed every 3 years)
- First Aid as outlined by BC Childcare Regulations (to be renewed upon expiry)
- BC ECE License to practice or BC ECE A License to practice. Or Responsible Adult under Childcare Regulations considered an asset

**SKILLS and ABILITIES**:

- Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing
- An energetic, nurturing and sensitive attitude that encourages development
- Ability to work individually and as a member of a team
- Ability to maintain professional composure and attitude, particularly in high-stress situations
- Skilled at creating respectful workplace relationships
- Skilled in the use of MS 365 (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams)

**ADDITIONAL INFORMATION**:
Beacon Community Services serves vulnerable populations including seniors, people with disabilities and children. Protecting these people and our teams on whom they rely is critical to us. Accordingly:

- All successful applicants must consent to a Solicitor General’s Criminal Record Check.
- All successful applicants are required to disclose their COVID-19 vaccination status upon hire. Vaccination is a requirement in some of our facilities. Depending on future public health developments, Beacon may implement a vaccination requirement as a condition of ongoing employment for all our workplaces.

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