KITCHEN ASSISTANT

JOB DESCRIPTION

PURPOSE

Performs all cleaning, washing, and preparation duties required in kitchens. Assists cooks and kitchen supervisors with all tasks necessary to ensure that kitchen operations run smoothly. Stocks goods, sorts ingredients, takes orders, answers phone, restocks supplies and cleans kitchen areas. Prepares pans and measure ingredients so that the chefs can easily access the materials they need. Ensures that goods on display are fresh, disposes of items that are past-date, and prepares bulk orders for customers.

KEY FUNCTIONS

Operational/Technical/Professional:

• Cleans, cuts and cooks’ food items according to menus, special dietary or nutritional restrictions, or numbers of portions to be served.
• Cleans and inspects gallery equipment, kitchen appliances, and work areas to ensure cleanliness and functional operation.
• Apportions and serves/displays products for ease of access to patrons.
• Provides incredible service and answer customer questions in a timely manner.
• Produces and replenishes menu products; handling them with care to maintain quality and freshness.
• Ensures that products are of a consistently high quality and meet the organization standards for presentation to the customer.
• Ensures needed supplies and inventory levels to ensure that stock levels are maintained at the required standard.
• Performs quality checks on ingredients and finished products to ensure all standards are met.
• Follows the chef’s plans and schedules the work of the team in accordance with set timeframes.
• Attends training sessions and work with the crew to ensure each aspect of the job is understood.
• Works with subordinates successfully displaying productive working methods with professional and disciplinary habits.
• Complies with company standards concerning food production, food presentation, food handling, controlling procedures and the kitchen sanitation and health program.
• Ensures that each customer receives outstanding service by providing a friendly environment, which includes greeting and acknowledging every customer, maintaining store standards, solid product knowledge, explaining store policies and procedures concisely when required, maintaining an awareness of all promotions and advertisements and all other aspects of customer service.
• Responds courteously to all customer questions and complaints and work hard to ensure that the customer feels satisfied after any interactions.
• Receives product deliveries, ensuring order and invoice accuracy in accordance with policy and procedure.
• Documents out of stock and waste items following departmental procedures, ensure department sanitation, cleanliness and safety standards are met.
• Executes any other duties as assigned.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

Internal:         Perishable Department, Warehousing, Kitchen Staff

External:         Suppliers and Contractors

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Education:

• Three CXC General Level Passes
• Valid Food Badge

Experience

• A minimum of (2) Two years’ experience in a similar role.
• Supermarket and Restaurant experience

JOB COMPETENCIES:

Knowledge/Skills

Knowledge of: Food health and Safety Regulations.

• Teamwork
• Service Excellence
• Communication (oral & written)
• Planning and organising
• Time management
• Technical and Professional Skills

KEY ATTRIBUTES:

• Attention to detail, requires being careful and thorough about details, recognising the impact of decisions
• Results oriented, requires establishing and maintaining challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks
• Ability to use applicable information technology and systems to meet work needs
• Ability to analyse and recommend improvements in the kitchen and menu, collect and interpret information, apply criteria, and make recommendations.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• This job operates in a professional kitchen environment. This role routinely uses commercial kitchen equipment.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; talk or hear
• The employee must lift or move products and supplies, up to 50 pounds