SENIOR COOK / NORTH COUNTY

Position/Program Information

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT:
We encourage applications from anyone.

POSITIONS WILL BE ASSIGNED TO PITCHESS DETENTION FACILITY AND NORTH COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY

FIRST DAY OF FILING:

The application filing period will begin on Thursday, July 9, 2026, at 8:00 A.M. (PT) - Continuous.
We will keep accepting applications until the position is filled. The application window may close unexpectedly once we have enough qualified candidates.

EXAM NUMBER:

J6399W

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Essential Job Functions

Supervises the work of food service staff and/or inmate workers by overseeing the setting up of meal facilities; overseeing the serving of food; planning work; assigning work; advising; monitoring; motivating; training; supporting; coaching; counseling; disciplining; approving/auditing employees’ work products; and evaluating work performance to ensure: a) products/services are delivered in an efficient and cost-effective manner and b) compliance with department policy and procedures and health and safety regulations.

Leads the workof food service staff and/or inmate workers by assigning work; inspecting the work; providing guidance and technical expertise; aligning work projects with work priorities; monitoring, reviewing, and evaluating work projects; and training, coaching, and mentoring to ensure work is in compliance with department policy and procedures and health and safety regulations.

Cooks large quantity mealsby using standard preparation and cooking techniques; preparing of a variety of food items; properly using various kitchen utensils and equipment; portioning and serving food items; preparing and setting up meal facilities; properly cleaning dishes, pots, pans, equipment, kitchen work areas, and food storage areas; etc. to feed staff and correctional inmates.

Instructs food services staff and/or inmate workers in health and safety regulations by observing and communicating with food services staff and/or inmate workers; demonstrating how to sanitize stations; providing training videos on food handling; providing opportunities to participate in food handling activities; etc. to ensure compliance with those regulations.

Ensures quality assurance by inspecting food supplies received; rejecting those supplies of poor or unacceptable quality; overseeing the proper storage of supplies accepted; monitoring the rotation of supplies to prevent spoilage; etc. to ensure that the quality of food prepared is acceptable and meets established dietary guidelines.

Coordinates workstation cooking activitieswith those of other kitchen units by organizing general inmate meals and/or medical diets; communicating with other facilities; communicating with food service staff; preparing food for two or more facilities; etc. to ensure that the quality of food prepared is acceptable and meets established guidelines (dietary, health, safety, etc.).

Ensures that utensils and work areas are clean and ready for the next shiftby inspecting utensils and work areas; when necessary...cleaning utensils and work areas; logging in daily duties; logging in water, refrigerator, freezer temperatures; etc. to: a) update next shift; b) account for all utensils; c) ensure smooth transition into the next shift.

Modifies recipes to meet changes in the number of servings and the substitution of recipe ingredients when other ingredients are unavailable by asking supervisor if there are any menu changes; checking to see if supplies are in-stock; communicating with supervisor regarding out-of-stock supplies and meal modifications; beginning prepping and cooking; etc. to meet the dietary needs of inmates and staff.

For more information, please view the classification specification: Class Specifications | SENIOR COOK | Class Spec Details

Requirements

REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY:
OPTION A:

Completion of a certificate program accredited by the American Culinary Federation Educational Institute (ACFEI) of at least 48 semester units in Culinary Arts from an accredited college* -AND- two years' experience in quantity food preparation and cooking of complete meals** in an institutional, commercial, military, or similar establishment***.

OPTION B:
Two years' journey level**** experience in quantity food preparation and cooking of complete meals** in an institutional, commercial, military, or similar establishment***.

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
Physical Class III - 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

*To receive credit for your education, include a legible copy of all relevant official documents, including your official degree/certificate or official letter and official transcripts from an accredited institution, email it to sheriffexamsunit@lasd.org , or fax it to (323) 415-2580 at the time of filing, or within seven (7) days of filing your application. The document should show the date the degree was conferred and be in English. If not in English, then translation is required. International degrees must be evaluated for equivalency to U.S. standards and indicate the number of units and unit system. Documents marked as unofficial will not be accepted. For more information on our standards for educational documents, please visit: https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/070812_PPG123.pdf

**Experience in fast food service is not considered as qualifying for this position. "Quantity food preparation and cooking of complete (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) meals" covers experience in preparing and cooking many food items. Examples include soups, meats, vegetables, and others.

***"Similar establishment" refers to establishments such as correctional facilities, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, and universities.

****Journey level experience is defined as possessing the required knowledge, skills, and training to perform a full-range and diversity of work independently and reliably. Positions at this level operate with fairly significant freedom from day-to-day supervision and need little or no guidance on such matters as selecting appropriate problem-solving methods and techniques, locating appropriate regulation, or applying proper procedures to carry out work.

WITHHOLD INFORMATION
No withhold will be allowed. Required experience/education must be fully met at the time of filing and clearly indicated on the application.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Credit will be given to applicants who possess DESIRABLE qualifications and indicate so on their employment application at the time of filing.

An Associate's or Bachelor's Degree in Culinary Arts or a related field from an accredited college*.

Full-time work experience*****: monitoring and arranging food inventory based on freshness and expiration dates; cooking complete (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) large quantity meals; preparing and cooking complete (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) meals in accordance with health and safety regulations; ensuring that the utensils and work areas are clean; modifying food items, as necessary, to meet changing demands/needs; preparing food items for the next shift or day.

*****Full-time work experience is evaluated on the basis of a 40-hour work week.

Culinary experience in institutional establishments (e.g., hospitals, correctional facilities, universities, schools, etc.)

Culinary experience in commercial establishments (e.g., nursing homes, restaurants (other than fast food service), hotels, catering businesses, etc.)

Culinary experience in military establishments (e.g., Army, Navy, etc.)

A valid formal culinary certification(s) (e.g., ServSafe Food Manager Certification, CFC - Certified Fundamentals Cook, CEPC - Certified Executive Pastry Chef, and Certified Fundamentals Pastry Cook (CFPC), etc.) completed within the last five (5) years.

Supervisory/Acting Supervisory****** experience training employees; motivating employees; promoting employee safety; handling employee grievances; monitoring and reviewing the work of employees; documenting and implementing disciplinary action; directing and evaluating the performance of employees; planning, assigning, and delegating assignments to employees; participating in employee hiring, appointment, and termination processes.

******Supervisory experience refers to providing direct administration and technical supervision to include planning, assigning, and reviewing work of staff (typically three (3) to ten (10) employees), evaluating employee performance, approving leaves of absence, counseling, and recommending discipline.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE
As part of this application process, applicants will be required to complete a supplemental questionnaire. The questionnaire contains a pre-investigative questionnaire which will be used as part of the background investigation process to ensure applicants meet the standards set forth by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Applicants who fail the pre-investigative questionnaire will be disqualified and will have to wait three (3) months from the date of the disqualification in order to reapply.

Additional Information

EXAMINATION CONTENT

This assessment type will evaluate the training, experience, education, and desirable qualifications you list on the supplemental questionnaire and assign a score based on a standardized scoring system. This part of the assessment is worth 100% of your total score and assesses:

• Specialized Formal Education (i.e., related to Culinary Arts or a related field)
• Work Duties
• Types of Establishments
• Culinary Certifications
• Supervisory/Acting Supervisory Experience

APPLICANTS MUST RECEIVE A PASSING SCORE OF 70% OR HIGHER ON THE ASSESSMENT TO BE ADDED TO THE ELIGIBLE REGISTER.

VETERAN’S CREDIT

If you are a veteran, you could receive military service credit. It adds 10% more points to the total passing score. Please attach your form DD214 with your application or email it to sheriffexamsunit@lasd.org promptly. This allows us to review it and include veteran's credit if you qualify before the list is available.

ELIGIBILITY AND VACANCY INFORMATION

Applicants who passed the assessment are placed on the eligible register in the order of their score group for a period of six (6) months. Applications will be processed as they are received and added to the list accordingly. We will use this list to fill vacancies within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Custody General & Specialized Division, Custody Food Services at Pitchess Detention Facility and North County Correctional Facility.

NO PERSON MAY COMPETE IN THIS EXAMINATION MORE THAN ONCE EVERY SIX (6) MONTHS.

SPECIAL INFORMATION

AS PART OF THE HIRING INTERVIEW PROCESS, CANDIDATES MUST SUCCESSFULLY PASS THE CUSTODY FACILITY SECURITY CLEARANCE. UPON SUCCESSFUL CLEARANCE, A TOUR WILL BE PROVIDED.

CANDIDATES MUST COMPLETE A DETAILED BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION, INCLUDING A LIVE SCAN FINGERPRINT SEARCH. Examples of disqualifying factors include: Any felony convictions; job related misdemeanor convictions; certain serious traffic convictions or patterns of traffic violations (3 moving violations in one year; failure to appear; at fault accidents; suspended license; driving under the influence); poor credit history; poor employment history; substance abuse; anyone on probation.

ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY IF HIRED
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (Department) has a "zero tolerance" policy for its employees for the following:

• use of narcotics, controlled substances, and/or prescription drugs without a prescription.

Any employee found in violation of this policy will be subject to discharge.

AVAILABLE SHIFT: Any Shift

APPOINTEES MUST BE WILLING TO WORK ANY SHIFT, INCLUDING EVENINGS, NIGHTS, WEEKENDS, AND HOLIDAYS.

WORK CONDITIONS

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department operates seven (7) days a week, 24-hours a day. Appointees MUST be willing to work:

• at the following Sheriff's Department jail facilities within Los Angeles County: Pitchess Detention Facility and North County Correctional Facility.
• various shifts, including days, nights, weekends, and holidays.
• in a jail facility where you will be working with and monitoring the work of inmates.
  

APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION

We only accept applications filed online. Applications submitted by U.S. mail, fax, or in person are not accepted. Apply online by clicking on the "Apply" green button at the top right of this posting. This website can also be used to get application status updates. Your application and supplemental questionnaire must be submitted electronically.

Please fill out the application completely. Provide relevant job experience including employer's name and address, job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, and description of work performed.

We may verify information included in the application at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made. Falsification of information could result in refusal of application or rescission of appointment. Copying verbiage from the Requirements or class specification as your work experience will not be sufficient to demonstrate meeting the requirements. Doing so may result in an incomplete application and may lead to disqualification.

We will send notifications to the email address provided on the application, so it is important that you provide a valid email address. If you choose to unsubscribe or opt out from receiving our emails, it is possible to view notices by logging into governmentjobs.com and checking the profile inbox. It is every applicant's responsibility to take steps to view correspondence, and we will not consider claims of missing notices to be a valid reason for re-scheduling an exam part. Register the below domains as approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk mail.

• cwhwang @lasd .org
• info@governmentjobs.com
• noreply@governmentjobs.com

New email addresses need to be verified. This only needs to be done once per email address and can be done at any time by logging in to www.governmentjobs.com and following the prompts. This is to improve the security of the online application and to prevent incorrectly entered email addresses.

NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED OUTSIDE OF THE OFFICIAL APPLICATION FILING PERIOD, NO EXCEPTIONS.

TO ENSURE THAT YOUR APPLICATION HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY SUBMITTED, YOU MUST HAVE RECEIVED A CONFIRMATION EMAIL AS VERIFICATION.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER: Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number, so include yours when applying.

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 public libraries throughout Los Angeles County.

NO SHARING OF USER ID, EMAIL AND PASSWORD: All applicants must file their application online using their OWN user ID and password. Using a family member or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record.

California Relay Services Phone: (800) 735-2922
ADA Coordinator Phone: (213) 229-1621
Teletype Phone: (213) 626-0251
Department Contact Name: Professional Examinations Unit
Department Contact Phone: (323) 526-5611
Department Contact Email: sheriffexamsunit@las d.or g

For detailed information, please click here

Closing Date/Time: Continuous

Los Angeles County

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