Job Description Summary

Prepare and cook meals for Youth in the Pima Juvenile Detention Center and perform duties in the achievement of Pima County Juvenile Court's mission, vision, and values.

Under the supervision of the Support Services Management staff, the Corrections Cook prepares and delivers food to detained youth in a safe, efficient, and healthy manner consistent with procedures regarding proper food handling, sanitation, safety, and cleaning schedules in accordance with the AZ Detention Standards. May perform laundry duties to include operating commercial machinery and loading washers with soiled laundry, loading dryers, and hand-folding clean dried laundry.

Job Description

Hiring Pay $17.90 - $19.46 Hourly Depending on Experience

This position will remain open until filled. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and the posting may close without notice once a candidate is selected. This is a continuous recruitment. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and will be reviewed as vacancies occur. ​

Do you love to prep and cook?  Help support our community and have a

positive impact. Apply today!

Distinguishing Characteristics: 

This is a classified position that reports to the Manager, Detention Support Services and performs duties under direct supervision.   This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Minimum Qualifications:

A High School diploma or equivalent G.E.D. certificate, and one year of cooking experience in large-scale institutional food preparation or volume cooking; OR any equivalent combination of experience, training and/or education approved by Human Resources. Part of the one year of experience may be substituted by completion of coursework from an approved school in quantity food preparation, nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, or a closely related subject area.  
Note - a minimum of 21 years of age is required to work in the Pima Juvenile Detention Center.

Important Notice Regarding Multiple Applications:

Once a candidate formally accepts a job offer with Superior Court, Juvenile Court, or Justice Court (Tucson and Ajo), all other active applications within these courts will be inactivated.

Essential Duties & Functions:

• Maintains sanitation, health, and safety standards in work areas.

• Prepares nutritious meals to be cooked and ready in accordance with meal schedules. 

• Reviews daily menus and meal counts, ensures necessary food items are stocked and fresh, and prepares food items for use as appropriate (washing, peeling, chopping/dicing, seeding, etc.)

• Utilizes various kitchen utensils, appliances, and heavy equipment in food preparation (including knives, peelers, dicers, slicers, mixers, ovens, and steamers.)

• Secures and assures safe usage of knives, cleavers, and other utensils stored in a locked cabinet.

• Assists in meal and food items preparation for delivery to units. 

• Prepares/provides sack lunches for youth attending their scheduled appointments and/or who are being housed in various areas and or programs.

• Loads meals and food items onto carts and transports to and from the designated units pushing the cart.   

• Participates in the inventory and restocking of clothing, supplies, and food.

• Assists in maintaining cleanliness of kitchen and laundry workspace.

• Operates commercial washing machines and clothes dryers.

• Picks up and delivers laundry to various areas of the Detention Center. 

Additional Responsibilities/Duties:

• Receives and verifies supplies with purchase orders. Assists in maintaining proper inventory levels.

• Performs related duties and projects as assigned

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Must have knowledge of kitchen safety, hygiene and sanitary methods used in food preparation, health regulations, and related activities.

• Must have skill in operating food preparation equipment safely.

• Able to prioritize competing demands and to be flexible, proactive, and effective under pressure in a fast-paced environment.

• Must establish trust and cooperation with coworkers within a team while maintaining an appropriate level of professionalism, assertiveness, and leadership.

• Must have the ability to effectively communicate with the supervisor, coworkers, youth, and other personnel.

• Highly accountable, reliable, and prompt, with a strong work ethic. 

• Must gain knowledge of security and custody procedures and practices.

• Must have basic computer knowledge and the skills to operate Windows based software. 

• Must be able to fill out forms by hand or utilizing software on computer.  

• Must have skill in reading, comprehending, and following instructions and recipes. 

• Must comprehend work directions and able to follow them closely. 

• Must be able to learn assigned tasks and adhere to requirements; able to adopt to changes in procedures.  

• Must be able to gain basic understanding of concepts as a Juvenile Court employee (PREA, ethical standards, security etc.)

• Must be able to follow common departmental requirements such as judicial employee continuing education compliance as mandated by The Committee on Judicial Education and Training (COJET).

​Physical/Sensory Items:

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, protected veteran status, political interest, or any other characteristic or category protected by local, state, or federal law.