Probation Juvenile Hall Chef

Position Information

Become a Juvenile Hall Chef with the County of Sonoma's Probation Department !

Starting salary up to $38.63 / hour ( $80,625 /year) plus a competitive total compensation package!*

The Probation Juvenile Hall Chef is responsible for overseeing kitchen operations for the Sonoma County Juvenile Hall by supervising and training multiple cooks, supporting health and nutrition inspections, managing NutriKids recipe input, coordinating inventory-based food and supply orders, collecting invoices, ensuring budget-conscious purchasing, and maintaining required certifications. They are also responsible for making independent decisions on the oversight of the kitchen, and when necessary, consulting with Juvenile Hall Administration. This position does not typically work weekends, but will assist outside of scheduled hours as needed. Being a 24-hour facility, some holiday work is required.

The ideal candidate for this position will possess many of the following:

• The principles and practices of large-scale institutional cooking, meal production, and safe food handling
• Experience in a lead or supervisory role overseeing kitchen staff
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local regulations related to food safety, sanitation, and health inspections
• Experience in inventory management, cost control practices, and budgeting in a correctional or residential facility environment
• Knowledge of basic nutrition guidelines for youth populations, including special diets and medical dietary accommodations
• Experience with menu-planning, food-service software (e.g., NutriKids), and basic computer applications for ordering and documentation
• Knowledge of safety protocols specific to secure facilities, including tool control, equipment security, and interaction guidelines with detained youth
• Patience and professionalism when handling stressful or fast-paced situations
• The ability to provide feedback and document staff performance and behaviors in a concise, clear, objective, and strength-based manner
• Experience coordinating inspections, maintaining compliance documentation, and updating food safety certification
• A culinary school certificate or associate degree in culinary arts, food service management, or a related field is preferred

What We Offer

Working at the County of Sonoma offers expansive opportunities for growth and development, the ability to be a part of a challenging and rewarding work environment, and the satisfaction of knowing you're working to better our communities. You can also look forward to flexible work arrangements and excellent benefits* including:

• Salary Advancement - A salary increase after 1,040 hours (6 months when working full-time) for good work performance; eligibility for a salary increase for good performance every year thereafter, until reaching the top of the salary range
• Paid Time Off - Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year
• County Paid Health Premium Contributions - 100% premium contribution for the majority of employee-only and employee + family health plan options
• Post-Retirement Health Reimbursement Arrangement - County contributions to help fund post-retirement health insurance/benefits
• Retirement - A pension fully integrated with Social Security
• Paid Parental Leave - May be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) after 12 months of County employment
• Additional Benefits -Excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, employee assistance program, professional development, and more
• Student Loan Debt Relief - County employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education

*Salary is negotiable within the established range. Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found in th e Service Employees International Union Local 1021 Memorandum Of Understanding (SEIU MOU) and our Employee Benefits Directory .

This recruitment is currently being conducted to fill a Probation Juvenile Hall Chef position. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time, part-time, or extra-help (temporary) positions as they occur during the active status of the list. Qualified County employees who wish to be considered for future positions should consider applying to this recruitment. The Civil Service title for this position is Chef.

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 application, examination, and department selection processes.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire be completed.

Responses to supplemental questions will 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 and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination which evaluates the education, training, experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, and other qualifications that you demonstrate in your application and/or response to the supplemental questionnaire. Please be aware that resumes and cover letters are not typically evaluated in the Application and 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.

Background Investigation

It is the policy of law enforcement and legal offices and departments, in the County of Sonoma, that candidates complete a thorough background investigation process prior to employment. This policy is imperative to keep the department’s employees and the public safe and to maintain high standards in the law enforcement community. Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation. Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy. Reference information will not be made available to applicants.

The background investigation will include a thorough assessment of a candidate’s personal, employment, educational, criminal, and credit history. The investigation may include but is not necessarily limited to: the use of prescription and/or other drugs, reports from former employers, friends, family members, educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, credit reports, court reports, public records search, and/or other relevant sources. 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.

All candidates will be required to take a pre-employment medical examination. The pre-employment medical examination will include drug testing as part of the medical examination for all applicants and for all current employees who are offered employment with the Offices/Departments. Additionally, candidates may be required to take a pre-employment psychological examination. The results of these examinations and the background investigation shall be confidential and shall not be available to the candidate for review. Failure to pass the background investigation will eliminate a candidate from the employment process. You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.

Issues that arise during the investigation process will be assessed, and judgment and discretion will be used to determine the employability of the candidate. Where there is evidence of a candidate’s past use of controlled substances, many factors shall be used to determine the employability of the individual such as a pattern of use, kind of drug used, circumstances of the start of the drug use, treatment, behavior, and attitude since discontinuance, etc. Please note that a history of using controlled substances does not result in automatic disqualification from the selection process. Prior to disqualifying any candidate whose profile falls within the provisions of the policy, the candidate shall be given the opportunity to present any and all evidence of mitigating facts that the candidate feels should be considered by the hiring authority.

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 bulletin 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: PPB

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: 1/5/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

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• County of Sonoma

• 707-565-8059

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