Chef - Promotional

Position Information

This recruitment is promotional only. You must presently be a full or part-time regular or probationary County of Sonoma, Community Development Commission, Sonoma County Fairgrounds, or Sonoma County Water Agency employee in order to apply for this position.

The Sheriff's Office has requested a department promotional certification to fill a Chef position. Only qualified permanent and/or probationary Department employees on the eligible list may be eligible for referral to the department for the advertised position . This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time or part-time positions as they occur during the active status of the list.

The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Chef will oversee daily kitchen operations within the Sheriff’s Office detention facilities, ensuring safe, compliant, and efficient food service. This position supervises cooks, monitors incarcerated work crews, maintains constant situational awareness, and coordinates with contracted food service providers. Additional responsibilities include:

• Scheduling, assigning tasks, conducting evaluations, and assisting with hiring and training
• Ensuring regulatory compliance with sanitation, safety, housekeeping, nutritional standards, and Title 15 requirements
• Conducting regular inspections of food service operations
• Managing diets and food quality, including substitutions, responding to diet-related requests or grievances, and recommending improvements
• Supporting budgeting and purchasing by maintaining equipment, coordinating repairs, recommending industrial equipment purchases, and ordering food and supplies
• Preparing documentation and assisting with policy related to kitchen operations and procedural updates
• Exercising independent decision-making while collaborating with management and other detention division units

The ideal candidate will have experience in high-volume kitchen operations, preferably in a detention, commercial, or industrial setting, and the ability to lead effectively in a fast-paced, constantly changing environment. They will demonstrate the ability to maintain professionalism while supporting staff and will possess many of the following:

• Proficiency in cooking techniques with strong knowledge of food safety and sanitation standards
• Leadership and supervisory capability with experience in training, mentoring, delegating tasks, and guiding staff
• Attention to detail with experience in record-keeping, inventory, data review, and basic budget tracking
• Basic computer skills, including knowledge and/or experience with Microsoft Office
• Food Manager Certification is highly desirable
  

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience: Any combination of experience that would provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, three years of recent experience in the preparation and cooking of a variety of foods in an institutional or commercial kitchen such as a medium sized hospital or detention facility, including the responsibility for ordering food and supplies would provide such opportunity. One-year experience in a supervisory capacity is highly desirable.

Education: The ability to speak, read and write English and make arithmetical calculations at a level commensurate with the above knowledge and abilities. Successful completion of special courses in institutional food preparation is highly desirable.

License: Possession of a valid driver's license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California, may be required depending upon assignment to perform the essential job functions of the position.

The position advertised on this announcement does not require possession of a valid California Driver’s License.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Thorough knowledge of: methods, procedures and equipment involved in the large-scale preparation of foods.

Considerable knowledge of: sanitation and safety measures pertinent to institutional food services; inventory control methods and procedures; methods, procedures and techniques of ordering, receiving, inspecting, storing, and issuing food and supplies; principles and standards for menu planning, food values, nutrition, and food costs.

Working knowledge of: principles and procedures of effective supervision and training; and cost containment measures related to institutional food service.

Ability to: supervise all phases of operation in a large institutional kitchen; plan nutritious menus; prepare and cook food in large quantities; prepare modified diet items; effectively train and supervise other staff; supervise, train, and utilize inmates or wards as workers effectively and appropriately within a security environment; follow and enforce specific, detailed instructions, rules and regulations; coordinate work being performed at several locations; establish and maintain effective working relationships with coworkers, inmates, wards, supervisors, and staff of other departments; prepare and maintain appropriate records and reports; estimate in advance the food and supply requirements for a non-stable population; calculate costs on a per serving or per item basis; work under stress and to work for long periods of time while standing and under conditions of high temperature; lift, push and pull heavy equipment and supplies; and work early morning shifts, evenings, holidays, and weekends.

Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying

• Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
• You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
• You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
• Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

Please visit Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.

Responses to supplemental questions may be scored using position-specific criteria. Please provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for a thorough assessment of your qualifications. Responses that state, "See Resume" or "See Application" may be considered insufficient and therefore may not be scored.

The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:

An Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant's application and supplemental questionnaire for satisfaction of minimum qualifications (pass/not pass); and for educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities which relate to this position. Personally identifiable information (PII) is removed from the standard application fields and applicable attachments. This PII blind screening practice redacts a candidate’s personal information that could potentially influence or bias the scoring process. Personal information includes the applicant’s name, former last name, address, phone number, email, driver's license number, school name, education start and end dates, age, date of birth, gender, and race. This PII blind screening practice helps contribute to a fair and equitable examination process.

Each applicant will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevance of work history, related experience, and achieved level of education and/or training as described in the application and responses to the supplemental questions.

Candidates demonstrating possession of the minimum qualifications will be placed on an employment list in order of most qualified to least qualified based on the achieved score received in the Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination. Scores may be adjusted based on such factors as the number of candidates, anticipated vacancies, past practice, and natural breaks in the scores achieved by this group of candidates.

Additional Information

Being part of the Sheriff's Office and being expected to keep the public safe requires a thorough background investigation process. This process includes an assessment of prior work history, verifying educational experiences, court reports, public records searches, and understanding past patterns relating to drug usage, financial patterns, etc. This entails gathering a significant amount of information from job candidates and speaking to former employers, friends, family members, etc. Polygraphs, drug tests, and medical and physical examinations are also part of this process. Candidates must be honest and forthcoming about information that may arise during the background process. Deception during any portion of this process is grounds for disqualification, even after employment. This process can take anywhere from 3-5 months. Many factors are taken into consideration and one should not assume a credit issue or prior drug use is automatically disqualifying. Candidates will be given the opportunity to present mitigating information they feel should be considered. You are encouraged to be as responsive as possible while this process is taking place to help expedite the timeline, and we encourage you to stay patient and interested in this great career opportunity while this process is taking place.

You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.

Please read the Sheriff's Office Pre-Employment Drug Use Guidelines for further information.

How to Apply

Applications are accepted online at www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org . Paper applications may be submitted by person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job announcement must be received by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.

The County of Sonoma values diversity and is dedicated to creating a workplace environment that provides individuals with a sense of belonging. We are committed to having a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. The County is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer where all aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance, and business need.

HR Analyst: KK

HR Technician: VH

Important Note: Benefits described herein do not apply to Extra Help positions.

County of Sonoma Benefits: General*

These are some of the excellent benefits the County offers:

Paid Time Off: Competitive vacation accrual and sick leave accruals; additional management leave annually; 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year; and may be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) of Paid Parental Leave after 12 months of County employment.

Health Plan: Choose from nine health plans (three HMOs, three deductible HMOs, and three HSA-qualifying plans) with a generous County contribution to the premium (the contribution amount varies by bargaining unit). For more information, please see the appropriate MOU.

Retirement: Fully integrated with Social Security. For more information regarding eligibility, retirement contributions, and reciprocity with prior public service, please visit https://scretire.org/active-/-deferred/when-you-are-hired .

IRS 457 Plan: Pre-tax employee contribution up to the IRS annual maximum.

Retiree Medical: County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits.

Student Loan Debt Relief: County employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education.

Plus, excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, professional development, and more.

For answers to specific questions regarding the employment process and more details about benefits or retirement, please contact Human Resources at (707) 565-2331. Additional details about benefit and compensation packages can be found in the MOUs located at Labor Agreements & Salary Resolution . For specific information about health and welfare benefits, including plan options, coverage, and premium amounts, go to Human Resources or contact the Human Resources' Risk Management-Benefits Office at benefits@sonomacounty.gov or (707) 565-2900.

*Important Notes: Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.

Closing Date/Time: 6/8/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

• 

• County of Sonoma

• 707-565-8059

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