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Position Title:Cook II

Job Group:Merit

Required Minimum Qualifications:• Two years of experience as a Cook I or outside experience in quantity and quality food preparation comparable thereto.

Preferred Qualifications:Food service/production experience in a restaurant, retail, or residential dining center

Food service supervisory experience

Experience creating and updating recipes, more specifically working with large quantity food production

Job Description:

Ready to take your kitchen skills to the next level in a whole new way?

Iowa State University Dining is hiring a Cook II team member. We’re looking for a detail-minded and creative food service professional to join our culinary team in a unique Cook II role. In this test kitchen-based position, you won’t just follow recipes—you’ll help write and refine them. From analyzing yield outcomes to crafting scalable instructions for any of our four residential dining locations, your work will directly impact the food served across campus.

What You’ll Do

+ Develop, test, and modify large-scale recipes based on product availability, location needs, and operational constraints

+ Work collaboratively with dining leadership to assess recipe performance across all ISU residential Dining locations

+ Coordinate test runs, evaluate results, and prepare documentation for successful recipes

+ Support training efforts for new culinary staff using standardized culinary checklists

+ Provide input and recommendations for kitchen setup, ingredient prep, and cooking process improvements

+ Adapt your schedule and approach based on testing needs, including occasional PM shift work

What You’ll Get

+ Insurance benefits (medical, dental, and vision) starting on your first day — with timely enrollment

+ Competitive retirement options with generous university contributions

+ Free meal with every shift

+ Paid time off, sick leave, and holiday pay – Enjoy Holidays OFF!

+ Consistent, full-time schedule to support work-life balance

+ Steady work that supports the campus community

About ISU DiningISU Dining is a nationally recognized campus dining program committed to culinary innovation and excellent service. From residential dining centers and cafés to catering and retail outlets, we serve thousands daily, offering variety, consistency, and quality. This position plays a key role behind the scenes, ensuring every meal starts with a strong foundation.

As a member of the dining team, you’ll be part of a fast-paced, high-volume kitchen unlike anything most have experienced. Every day is different as you help manage large-scale meal prep, fine-tune recipes, and keep things running smoothly. If you enjoy leading a team, learning on the job, and working with talented students and full-time workers, this role could be a perfect fit!

Watch Our Team in Action! (https://youtu.be/4FWrKb-rYPw?feature=shared)

Characteristic Duties and Responsibilities

+ Supervises, instructs, and trains the work of others in the preparation of large-scale meals and diets.

+ Assists supervisor in the planning of menus as related to production of unit as required.

+ Maintains maximum standards of sanitation and safety.

+ Requisitions, receives, stores, freezes, labels, and maintains food supplies and related kitchen products.

+ Reports deficiencies in quality of quantity of food supplies or kitchen products.

+ Recommends equipment repairs or improvements.

+ Tests new or revised recipes and recommends changes.

+ Tests all prepared foods to maintain standards.

+ Participates in preparing and serving menu items as required.

+ Performs other related duties and responsibilities as required or assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

+ Ability to judge final food product for quantity (yield) and quality (color, taste, texture, etc.).

+ Ability to determine the freshness and quality of raw and cooked food products by sight and taste.

+ Knowledge of safe temperatures for serving food and storage of refrigerated and frozen storage of raw and cooked foods.

+ Knowledge of principles of food sanitation, health hazards, and the necessary precautionary measures.

+ Ability to stand for long periods of time.

+ Ability to lift up to 50 pounds.

+ Ability to provide on-the-job training in food preparation to lower level employees.

+ Ability to maintain effective working relationships with others.

+ Knowledge of weights, measures and food measurement techniques.

+ Ability to perform basic mathematics (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and percentage conversion to decimals and count) as related to calculating or converting units of measure for determining proper amounts of food ingredients for mass food production.

+ Knowledge of food preparation, food presentation and transportation methods.

+ Ability to estimate quantity needs and maintain food production records.

+ Ability to plan, assign, and direct others in work activities.

+ Knowledge of sources of food contamination and infection.

+ Knowledge of common safety practices and safe operation of equipment.

+ Ability to maintain food production records.

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship. Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position.

Appointment Type:Regular

Number of Months Employed Per Year:12 Month Work Period

Time Type:Full time

Pay Grade:07

Application Instructions:

To apply for this position, please click on “Apply” and complete the Employment Application.

Please be prepared to enter or attach the following:

+ Resume/Curriculum Vitae

+ Letter of Application/Cover Letter

If you have questions regarding this application process, please email [email protected] or call 515-294-4800 or Toll Free: 1-877-477-7485.

Why Choose ISU?Iowa State Employees enjoy comprehensive health and work-life benefits, including medical and dental; as well as:

+ Retirement benefits including defined benefit and defined contribution plans

+ Generous vacation, holiday and sick time and leave plans

+ Onsite childcare (Ames, Iowa)

+ Life insurance and long-term disability

+ Flexible Spending Accounts

+ Various voluntary benefits and discounts

+ Employee Assistance Program

+ Wellbeing program

Original Posting Date: July 21, 2025

Posting Close Date:August 3, 2025

Job Requisition Number:R17420

By focusing on the future and providing the best student experience possible, Iowa State University (http://www.iastate.edu/) attracts students and faculty who want to make a difference. With a comprehensive land-grant mission of education, research, extension and outreach, we produce scholars whose ideas change the world. And through Innovate at Iowa State, we provide innovative and entrepreneurial opportunities for students of all backgrounds. Located just 30 minutes north of Des Moines, the city of Ames was recently named one of the Top 10 cities in the U.S. for campus life and career opportunities.

Iowa State University is a welcoming community of students, faculty, and staff. Campus community members have a wide range of backgrounds and experiences and are committed to engaging with each other respectfully as outlined in the university's Principles of Community (https://www.iastate.edu/principles-community) . Iowa State recognizes that diverse intellectual and philosophical perspectives are vital to innovation, critical thinking skills, and a dynamic academic community that fosters the land-grant ideals of putting science, technology, and human creativity to work.

All offers of employment, oral and written, are contingent upon the university’s verification of credentials and other information required by federal and state law, ISU policies/procedures, and may include the completion of a background check and/or a consumer credit check.

Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Veteran. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to Office of Equal Opportunity, 2680 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, Ames, Iowa 50011, Tel. 515-294-7612, email [email protected].

If you have questions about the application process please email [email protected] or call 515-294-4800 or Toll-Free at 1-877-477-7485. Iowa State University provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should email [email protected] or call (515) 294-4800 or Toll-Free: (877) 477-7485. TTY users are welcome to use the Iowa Relay Service number by dialing 7-1-1 or (800) 735-2942.

General ISU compensation information can be found on the University Human Resources (https://www.hr.iastate.edu/careers/compensation) website. Please note that this is only a list of ranges and individuals will be paid commensurate with qualifications.