KITCHEN COORDINATOR
The mission of the Downtown Women’s Center (DWC) is to provide permanent supportive housing and a safe and healthy community fostering dignity, respect, and personal stability, and to advocate ending homelessness for women. Founded in 1978, DWC was the first organization to exclusively serve mentally ill and elderly homeless women on Los Angeles’ Skid Row. The DWC Day Center now offers 75,000 meals, case management, and other supportive resources on a drop-in basis to 5000 homeless women each year, while the DWC Residence provides a permanent home and a range of services to 71 women who were once without safe, affordable housing. In 2010, DWC relocated to provide expanded and enhanced services to many more women in need. Please visit www.DWCweb.org for more information.

POSITION SUMMARY
The Downtown Women’s Center seeks a full-time Kitchen Coordinator to lead the implementation of the healthy meals program in our drop-in Day Center. This position is responsible for coordinating well-balanced meals (planning, shopping and preparing) with the support of participants, staff, interns and volunteers, and providing nutrition education (one-on-one counseling, workshops and staff/volunteer trainings). The Kitchen Coordinator manages the resources of the meals program, including budget and inventory, and is responsible for creating and maintaining effective collaborations both internally and externally. Additionally, this position serves as part of a multi-agency collaborative to address the incidence of diabetes, obesity and behavioral health issues in the Skid Row community. This position reports directly to the Director of Program Services.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
• Oversee meal design, planning, preparation and service of breakfast, lunch and snack for approximately 125+ women daily; prioritize health and nutrition as the foundation for the meals program to address chronic health issues
• Directly responsible for managing food inventory, including order placement, delivery/pick-up, and monitoring program budget and expenditures. Assist with food donation drives as needed
• Schedule, supervise, train and mentor program participants, staff, interns and volunteers (individuals and groups) in activities, including planning, preparing and cooking meals. Maintain adequate coverage of kitchen and activities
• Train individuals assisting in the kitchen on food and kitchen safety regulations, enforce expectations as necessary and ensure that food storage areas are in compliance with current Health Department standards
• Provide crisis intervention, conflict resolution and mediation as necessary
• Support the development of measureable outcomes and the implementation of ongoing data collection and evaluation
• Develop and maintain relationships with local service providers, food vendors, donors and other stakeholders
• Collaborate with other staff to meet the goals of the Meals Program and the organization as a whole
• Provide monthly written reports to the Director of Program Services; additional reports as assigned
• Provide one-on-one nutrition counseling and group workshops to 20+ participants monthly with the assistance of interns and volunteers; develop tools and materials that are responsive to the needs of the community
• Other duties as assigned to support the mission of the organization

NECESSARY SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS
• Bachelor’s degree in dietetics, food science, nutrition health studies or culinary arts strongly preferred or equivalent combination of education/experience required
• 2+ years experience in kitchen and/or program management preferred; direct service provision a plus
• Experience in restaurant services or culinary arts and customer service
• Knowledge of the complexity of poverty and women’s homelessness, mental illness, trauma, substance abuse and older adults and the impact on individual and community health
• Strong interpersonal, written and oral communication skills and ability to lead a diverse group of individuals
• Ability to exercise and model good judgment, especially in crisis situations
• Able to: climb ladders, stand, bend and/or walk for an extended period of time, and lift up to 50 pounds on a regular basis without physical limitations required
• Detail-oriented, highly organized, able to manage multiple tasks and priorities, and set and meet goals and deadlines
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook) required
• Current valid California state driver’s license, insurance, and vehicle with good driving record
• ServSafe Certification required
• Oral and written fluency in Spanish and English a plus

SCHEDULE & SALARY: This is a full-time, exempt position, scheduled Monday — Friday: Mon & Tues 6:30 am — 3 pm and Wed — Fri 8:30 am — 5 pm; with flexibility to work evenings, weekends and holidays when necessary. Salary range $30,000 – $35,000 annually depending on qualifications and experience. TO APPLY: Email cover letter and resume to the email address provided with this advertisement, and please include “Kitchen Coordinator” in the subject line of your email.

• Location: Downtown Women’s Center
• Compensation: $30,000 – $35,000 annually
• This is at a non-profit organization.
• Principals only. Recruiters, please don’t contact this job poster.
• Please, no phone calls about this job!
• Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.