COOK - EMERGENCY APPOINTMENT

Position/Program Information

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT:

OPEN COMPETITIVE - EMERGENCY

FILING PERIOD:

Applications will be accepted from Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. (PT), until Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 5:00 p.m., (PT). All applications must be received before 5:00 p.m. (PT) on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, to be accepted.

EXAM NUMBER:

F6396F - HE

The LA County Department of Human Resources (DHR) has authorized Hiring as an Emergency under Civil Service Rule 13.04 in response to Assembly Bill (AB) 2561 (McKinnor) which requires the County to report on high vacancy rates and recruitment efforts. This action supports a Countywide strategy to address persistent staffing shortages that threaten the delivery of essential public services.

We are looking for qualified and committed individuals to help strengthen the County workforce and ensure residents continue to receive critical support. If you are looking for a new opportunity where your work will make an immediate impact, this may be the role for you.

The Probation Department is seeking qualified candidates to fill emergency Cook vacancies related to the effort to stabilize critical services and accelerate hiring in high-need areas.

Under the emergency order, applicants who meet the requirements may be hired for an initial period of up to 90 days, with an opportunity for permanent County employment.

During your initial work period, you will be assessed on your work performance. This assessment will be weighted 100%.

Those who successfully pass the assessment will be considered for permanent appointment to
Cook.

Essential Job Functions

• Prepares, cooks, and serves a variety of food items including soups, meats, vegetables, and other foods, and may supervise subordinate food service and/or inmate workers assisting in these tasks.
• Prepares food items according to standardized recipes, modifying or substituting ingredients when necessary and upon approval of higher-level cook supervisor.
• Operates specialized and standard food service equipment and trains subordinate food service and/or inmate workers in the proper operation and maintenance of this equipment.
• Prepares or supervises the preparation of menu items for special or medically prescribed diets.
• Performs baking duties preparing food items such as cakes, cookies, and pastries.
• Supervises and assists in the serving of food, assembles utensils and equipment needed, and ensures that food being served is maintained at proper temperatures during the duration of the meal.
• Supervises the cleaning of kitchen areas, utensils, and equipment and ensures that utensils and work areas are clean and ready for the next shift.
• Assists in the requisitioning, receiving, inventorying, and storing of foods and supplies.
• Acts as a lead person, supervising and/or instructing youth in a County-sponsored program, as needed.

Requirements

REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY:

Option I :
Completion of a three-year cook apprenticeship program approved by theAmerican Culinary Federation Education Foundation, Inc., Accrediting Commission - (ACFEF-AC).

Option II :
Completion of a certificate program accredited by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation, Inc., Accrediting Commission - (ACFEF-AC) of at least 48 semester units in Culinary Arts from an accredited college and one year's experience in quantity food preparation and cooking of complete meals in an institutional, commercial, military, or similar establishment.

Option III :
Three years' experience in quantity food preparation and cooking of complete meals in an institutional, commercial, military, or similar establishment, one year of which must have been at the journey level.

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: 3 -- 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 culinary arts certificate, include a legible copy of your official certificate, official transcript, from an accredited institution within seven (7) days of filing your application. You may email required documents to patricia.covarruvias@probation.lacounty.gov.

We do not accept password-protected documents. Ensure documents are unlocked before attaching to your application or sending to the exam analyst.
**Journey-level experience is defined as performing a variety of routine daily food preparation and cooking of meals independently. Positions at this level are expected to perform a wide variety of tasks and possess related on-the-job experience or completion of a formal certificate, and in addition, problem solving skills with preparation of meals and standard cooking techniques, locating appropriate regulations, or applying proper procedures to carry out work.

EXAM CONTENT

During your initial work period, the appointing department will evaluate your performance. Those who achieve a passing score on this evaluation will be considered for permanent appointment.

FINGERPRINTING AND SECURITY CLEARANCE

A thorough background investigation will be conducted prior to appointment. Any false statement or omission of material fact may cause forfeiture of employment rights. Information presented on the employment application, resume, and during the examination process is subject to verification.

Candidates who are found unsuitable for employment will be removed from the eligible list pursuant to Civil Service Rule 6.04

Additional Information

Application & Filing Information :

Applications must be filed online only and will be reviewed for interview consideration on an ongoing basis. If you have not been contacted within 60 days and the recruitment remains open or reopens for filing, we encourage you to submit a new application. This will allow you to reaffirm your interest and update any relevant information.

Many important notifications will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application, so it is important that you provide a valid email address. Please add patricia.covarrubias@lacounty.gov , as well as noreply@governmentjobs.com, and info@governmentjobs.com to your email address and list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk/clutter mail.

You have the ability to opt out of emails from LA County. If you unsubscribe, you will not receive any email notification for any examination for which you apply with Los Angeles County. Regardless of whether you choose to unsubscribe, you can always check for notifications by logging into governmentjobs.com and viewing your profile inbox, which saves a copy of all emailed notices.

Plan to submit your online application well in advance of the deadline as you may be required to verify your email address. This only needs to be done once per email address, and if you already have a job seeker account on www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty , you can verify at any time by logging in and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of your online application and to ensure you do not enter an incorrect email address.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER :

Please include your Social Security Number for record control purposes. Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number.

COMPUTER ACCESS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES :

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.

FAIR CHANCE EMPLOYER :

The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except for a very limited number of positions, you will not be asked to provide information about a conviction history unless you receive a contingent offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and consider potential mitigating factors, including, but not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about a conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed.

Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI)

The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. The Department of Human Resources is committed to promoting Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst races. We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.

Department Contact Name: Probation Examinations Patty Covarrubias, Exam Analyst

Department Contact Number: (562) 940-2659

Department Contact Email: patricia.covarrubias@probation.lacounty.gov

California Relay Services Phone: (800) 735-2922

Teletype Phone: (800) 735-2929

For detailed information, please click here

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• Los Angeles County

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