Apply By: Tuesday, June 10, 2025 11:59 pm EDT
Competition Status: Application Screening

Approximately 84 individuals applied for this opportunity.

We are screening ALL applications received on or before the closing date and rating them against the qualifications outlined in the job ad. Applicants whose resume and cover letter best demonstrate how they meet the qualifications to do the job will be invited to continue in the hiring process.

To learn about our recruitment process, visit our Hiring Process.

Food Services Officer (Cook)

Job ID:
229387
Organization:
Ministry of the Solicitor General
Division:
Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre
City:
Hamilton
Position(s) language:
English
Job term:
1 Permanent
Job code:
C50214 - Cook 2 (COR)
Salary:
$25.62 - $27.70 Per hour*
*Indicates the salary listed as per the OPSEU Collective Agreement.

Are you a seasoned food service professional eager to showcase your culinary skills in a high-volume environment?

Join us at the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre and make a difference with your expertise.


Please note: This position requires you to work with and provide direction to inmate helpers

About the job

Our dedicated food service team and play a vital role in preparing nutritious meals for inmates while ensuring the kitchen remains safe and spotless.

Discover more about our work locations and opportunities by clicking Opportunity Overview. Although the meal schedule is consistent, our menus are diverse and tailored to meet various dietary needs.

As a valued member of our Food Service Team, you will:
• Efficiently produce meals during your shift
• Ensure meals meet standards, follow menus, and are served on time
• Maintain cleanliness, safety, and security
• Prepare a variety of foods using standard cooking methods
• Guide and support inmate helpers

Discover more about the Food Service Officer role and the working environment at Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre in our 1-hour online Job Preview Information Session on Friday, June 6 at 12 PM. Click Job Preview Information Session to register. Attendance is voluntary and will not affect your candidacy. We look forward to seeing you there!

What you bring to the team

Mandatory requirements

You currently hold these certifications (or can complete or renew them upon hire):

•A Cook's certificate issued by appropriate Ministry or demonstrated equivalent acceptable experience in volume cooking
•A Valid First Aid and Heartsaver Certificate

Food Services Knowledge and Skills

You have:
• Knowledge of general and volume cooking/baking methods
• Experience with food preparation, storage, and portion control
• Ability to prepare various foods and restricted diets
• Familiarity with food safety practices and kitchen equipment
• Understanding of health and safety standards (e.g., OHSA, WHMIS, Public Health Act)
• Ability to follow workplace policies to ensure kitchen safety and security

Communication and Team Leadership Skills

You can:
• Guide inmate helpers in cooking methods and kitchen cleanliness, and evaluate their performance
• Use tact and diplomacy to collaborate with ministry staff, inmate helpers, and service providers
• Prepare reports with strong written communication skills

Other Essential Skills

You can:
• Analyze and resolve equipment malfunctions, supply shortages, and food service issues
•Use basic computer skills to input, track, and record data

Don't meet every qualification?

If you are excited about this position and meet most, but not all, of the listed qualifications, please still consider applying. We recognize that no one person might have every qualification in this job ad, and you just might be the right candidate!

How we support diversity, inclusion and accessibility

We are building an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We encourage everyone interested in working with us to apply, including people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black and racialized individuals, as well as people from all ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.

Our hiring process is accessible, consistent with Ontario's Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. We are working to prevent and remove barriers in our hiring processes and can offer accommodation to address specific needs related to Code-protected grounds such as disability, family status and religion. For more information about accommodation during the hiring process please contact us.

Learn more about the work the OPS is doing to create an inclusive, anti-racist, accessible and diverse workplace:

• diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
• accessibility
• Anti-Racism Policy

What we offer

The Ontario Public Service is one of Ontario's largest employers. Employees work for a wide range of ministries, with offices in more than 70 cities across the province. We offer:
•a career that can grow across ministries and job functions
•flexible learning and developmental opportunities, including education and mentorship programs
•many employee networks offering support for and education about underrepresented groups
•tailored work arrangements, including opportunities like flex hours, self-funded leave and more

Our comprehensive compensation and benefits package includes:
•a defined-benefit lifetime pension plan (guaranteed, ongoing inflation-protected income after retirement)
•group health, dental, life and disability benefits
•a range of vacation and leave options
•an Employee and Family Assistance Program, which provides confidential counseling services

Additional information:

Apply by:
Tuesday, June 10, 2025 11:59 pm EDT
Position details:
  • 1 English Permanent, 165 Barton St E, Hamilton, West Region, Vulnerable Sector Check, Credit History Check, Local Police Databases Search, PIP/NICHE/RMS
Compensation group:
Ontario Public Service Employees Union
Work hours:
Category:
Corrections and Enforcement
Posted on:
Tuesday, May 27, 2025

Note:

  • •About security checks:
    A criminal or other federal offence record does not automatically disqualify you from the position. We consider each situation based on the position's responsibilities.
    If a check is needed and you've lived outside of Canada in the past 5 years for 6 or more months in a row, or if you are not a Canadian resident, you'll need to provide an out-of-country police clearance certificate from the country you lived in.
    Employment screening checks are only reviewed and evaluated by the Transition and Security Office, which also maintains them and keeps them strictly confidential.
    •Employees working in congregate living settings may be required to provide proof they are fully vaccinated, meaning they are fully vaccinated as defined by the Ministry of Health (refer to: COVID-19 Fully Vaccinated Status in Ontario), including 14 calendar days have passed since receiving their final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Furthermore, employees working in congregate living settings may be required to undergo regular rapid antigen testing, regardless of vaccination status, as determined by the Employer.


Language requirements and assessment:
All external Ontario Public Service (OPS) job ads are posted in English and French. Check the "position(s) language" section at the top of each job ad for the language requirements. For all roles, candidates are assessed in English, the business language of the OPS. If the position is bilingual (English/French), you'll also need to pass a French-language proficiency test.

Exigences en matière de langue et évaluation:
Toutes les offres d'emploi externes de la fonction publique de l'Ontario (FPO) sont affichées en français et en anglais. Consultez la section « Langue du ou des postes » en haut de chaque offre d'emploi pour connaître les exigences linguistiques. Pour tous les postes, les candidats sont évalués en anglais, la langue d'affaires de la FPO. Si le poste est bilingue (anglais/français), vous devrez également passer un test de compétences linguistiques en français.


Strengthening Ontario, together