Careers @ MSU

Working/Functional Title

Montague School District Culinary Coord.

Position Summary

Michigan State University Extension is committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive organization, which requires all staff to contribute towards a vision for success. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to our work, regardless of title or position within the organization. This means that all staff at MSU Extension are dedicated to the following:

• We work together to ensure that programming is delivered to diverse audiences, produces equitable impacts for all participants, and demonstrates partnership and inclusion for all groups.
• We embrace that it is everyone’s job to create a culture that promotes diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
• We ensure that every team member is prepared with the skills and resources to contribute to our welcoming and inclusive culture.
• We foster inclusion by recognizing and valuing diverse perspectives, skills, experiences, and work to create equal access to programming for communities.
• We commit to continuous learning for diversity, equity, and cultural competency, in order to achieve inclusive excellence.
• We understand that diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential elements to our work and are vital to the organizational culture and programmatic success of MSU Extension.
• We embrace a culture of understanding, coaching and feedback towards achieving a vision of success for the entire organization and its staff.
• Together we will achieve success and we commit to these goals in our work, continued education, and ongoing efforts.

POSITION SUMMARY

Coordinates food, beverage and service activities for meals, events, special functions, and related activities by utilizing the latest trends and methods in the food industry.

As part of MSU Extension, and the Community Food and Environment Institute, this position will integrate Michigan grown agricultural products into lunch menus in the Montague Area Intermediate School District (MAISD), while also providing support to clients of the Food, Agriculture, Research and Manufacturing food processing incubator.

In this position, you will work from the Montague School District kitchen and the Food, Agriculture, Research and Manufacturing (FARM) food processing incubator located in Muskegon County, Michigan with time also spent working from the Muskegon County Extension Building. You will oversee the operational and personnel activities for the processing at the FARM accelerator and MAISD processing kitchens. You will assist with procurement, processing, training, scheduling, distribution, and food safety, while also assisting with developing and implementing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for specific fruit and vegetable processing. Working as a culinary coordinator, you will communicate with team members, food service managers, and culinary tech center students and staff regarding needs for training and production. Additional responsibilities include oversight of billing, invoicing, and reporting specifically related to the 10 cents a meal program, assistance with inventory and ordering products, and working with culinary tech program faculty and students for USDA school meals programs.

This position is a full-time, end-dated appointment, renewable annually based upon continued funding. Funding is anticipated to be available for three years.

Characteristic Duties/Responsibilities

• Supervises student, on-call, and temporary employees, and oversees the work of assigned regular employees in planning, preparing, and serving food and beverage items.
• Assists in establishing and oversees the maintenance of food service health, safety, and sanitation standards.
• Assists in maintaining personnel and payroll records.
• Determines and oversees the purchase of needed food, beverage, and related service supplies, and assists in the determination of equipment needs.
• Inspects equipment for proper use and maintenance.
• Monitors food and supply inventories in order to control costs and ensure adequate supplies.
• Interviews, hires, trains, schedules, disciplines, and evaluates student support staff.
• Conducts research into, develops, prepares, and oversees the preparation of diverse food and beverage items and menus within assigned cost parameters in order to facilitate and enhance food and beverage services.
• Calculates, maintains, and analyzes past and current information in order to forecast food and beverage consumption.
• Meets regularly with food service employees in order to review menus and service needs and oversee the preparation of upcoming meals and events.
• Develops and assists in developing systems, programs, and ideas for implementation in order to control and minimize costs.
• Prepares and serves food and beverage items during family meals, special events or at other appropriate times, for recipe testing purposes, for staff training, during emergencies, and/or when otherwise needed.
• Maintains or increases knowledge in food and beverage preparation and service through coursework, readings, workshops, seminars, or related activities.
• Researches Indigenous specialty food products and recipes including current publications, Internet, libraries, and actual contacts in the hospitality restaurant industry.
• Keeps abreast of health and safety issues pertinent to the food industry.
• Uses non-traditional and ethnic recipes that are not usual standard fare, conducts taste panels and maintains the highest level of quality control.

Specific Duties

• Supervise food services production and distribution operations.
• Coordinates and directs kitchen staff and students for day-to-day food production activities in production and commissary kitchens.
• Operate production software to receive customer orders and ensure compliance.
• Coordinates and assists staff in hand- on food production, storage, and distribution, ensuring proper food safety and sanitation of work spaces.
• Orders and receives food and supplies, manages inventory, verifies food quality and safety with HACCP procedures.
• Verifies compliance with state and federal regulations for the National School Lunch Program and for Michigan’s 10 Cents A Meal for Kids and Farmers grant.
• Inspects food items for the purpose of verifying quantity, quality, and specifications of orders to meet preparation needs and comply with mandated health and food safety standards.
• Ensures compliance with all U.S. Department of Agriculture, State of Michigan Departments of Education and Health, Child Nutrition program, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) procedures, policies, and standards.
• Ability to identify potential food safety hazards and verify compliance with state and federal regulations.
• Demonstrates courteous and cooperative behavior when interacting with students, clients, visitors, and staff, including working with socially and economically disadvantaged youth.
• Promotes and enforces safe work and food safety practices.
• Safe use of knives, kitchen tools and equipment, and specialized food safety testing and analysis tools.
• Recipe development, food cost analysis, time management, and project management.
• Training and supervising staff, delegating tasks, and evaluating performance.
• Maintains confidentiality of work-related issues, student behaviors, records, and information.
• Assist with operation of processing equipment at FARM and related processing spaces.
• Develop and review Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for MSU Product Center clients operating at FARM and related processing spaces.
• Assist in preparation of inspections and audits for facilities and MSU Product Center clients.
• Responsible for cleaning and sanitation of equipment owned, leased, and/or operated by MSU and FARM.
• Assist with movement of equipment.
• Schedule delivery of produce and equipment coming into FARM and related spaces and scheduling pick up of finished products for delivery.
• Assist with MSU Product Center trainings related to processing and food safety.
• Ability to manage and meet deadlines.
• Other duties or projects as assigned.

Minimum Requirements

• Knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in Hotel Restaurant and Institutional Management, Dietetics, Food Systems and Economics Management, Nutrition, or a related field.
• Three to five years of progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in customer relations, specialty food service production and service, and food sanitation and safety procedures, and experience working with food preparation equipment and food service accounting procedures.
• Or an equivalent combination of education and experience. May require certification in the area of employment.

Desired Qualifications

• Certificate in Food Processing Technology and Safety.
• Current ServSafe Manager Certification or equivalent.
• Experience in processing and institutional food service.
• Current HACCP Certification.
• Current PCQI Certification.
• Experience with large scale food production methods, procedures, and efficiencies, including environmentally responsible and resource-efficient food preparation and distribution methods.
• Knowledge of procedures for institutional food preparation, cost control, inventory management, purchasing, and cost-effective resource management.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local codes and regulations governing food handling and public nutrition services.
• Familiarity with safety and sanitation practices for food receiving, storage, preparation, and distribution.
• Experience with scratch-cooking, local food systems, and production of minimally processed foods.
• Familiar with principles of record keeping and records management.
• Effective oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to develop and maintain positive working relationships intra- and inter-organizationally.
• Able to demonstrate sensitivity, knowledge, and use of appropriate approaches, skills, and techniques, which reflect an understanding and awareness of social, cultural, and economic diversity of the target population served.
• Ability to maintain collaborative relationships and effectively communicate with diverse staff, partners, and participants.
• Proven ability in establishing and working with a diverse network of constituents and community members across race, color, gender, national origin, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, veteran status, socioeconomic class, and other differences.
• Self-starter who can effectively work both independently and in a team environment with the ability to serve in both leadership and contributor roles.
• Understand and support the Community, Food and Environment Institute’s efforts in diversity, equity, inclusion, and Civil Rights, with a special emphasis on removing barriers from participation and reaching diverse populations, including but not limited to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status, socio-economic class and other human differences in rural, suburban, and urban communities.
• Experience in successful contract and grant writing, including securing and managing grant funds and resources.
• Proficiency in use of technology (e.g., Zoom, Qualtrics, Microsoft Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook for mail/calendaring, spreadsheets, scheduling, virtual learning platforms, Internet browsers/web research, etc.), and ability to learn new skills.
• Other skills and/or physical abilities required to perform duties of the position.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Application Materials

Current resume/CV.

Cover letter.

Four (4) professional references including two (2) current or previous supervisors.

Work Hours

STANDARD 8-5

Description of End Date

This is an off-dated position funded for three years from the date of hire with possible extension contingent upon funding renewal.

Website

https://youtu.be/KjG34cLt9a8