State of Maryland

A Cook II is the full performance level of food preparation work at State hospitals, residential facilities or correctional institutions.  Employees in this classification may train, assign and review the work of lower-level employees engaged in food production.

Employees receive general supervision from a Chef or other designated staff member of the food service program.  Employees may be required to work on weekends and holidays, may be assigned to one of two shifts and may be subject to call-in.  Work performed in the central kitchen may require employees to work in areas of extreme heat or cold.

Positions in these classifications are evaluated using the Classification Job Evaluation Methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of a class specification.

The Cook I and Cook II are differentiated on the basis of degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees.  The Cook I performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed while the Cook II performs the full range of duties under general supervision. 

Prepares food items such as vegetables, salads, meats and beverages by baking, frying, broiling, steaming and mixing in accordance with recipes and dietetic guidelines;

Applies food service principles and methods related to food handling, proper food storage and temperature control;

Operates kitchen equipment and appliances, such as mixers, cookers, ovens, stoves, toasters, coffee urns, microwaves and related equipment;

Cleans and maintains utensils and work area in accordance with applicable safety and sanitary standards;

Protects equipment, utensils, food and other items from contamination, spoilage and pilferage;

Keeps records of supplies used and number of persons served;

May train, assign and review the work of Dietary Workers or Food Service Assistants in cooking techniques;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of methods of food preparation;

Knowledge of the operation and care of institutional kitchen equipment, appliances and implements;

Knowledge of proper storage, preparation and serving of food;

Knowledge of the cleaning and care of utensils and equipment;

Skill in operating food equipment, appliances and handling kitchen utensils;

Ability to perform arithmetic computations;

Ability to follow menus and recipes;

Ability to measure by weight and by volume;

Ability to follow production schedules and maintain records and reports;

Ability to instruct and supervise workers engaged in food preparation

Experience: Three years of experience in food preparation at a public or governmental establishment, such as a restaurant, hospital or comparable institution involving the cooking of meats and vegetables and the preparation of salads and beverages.

Note:       Graduation from an accredited vocational/technical high school with a major in food service or a related field may be substituted for up to two years of the required experience.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies.  Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.