Job Description

TC Café Prep Lead

Come join the Tillamook Team, one of the fastest-growing dairy brands in the US, where we Play to Win to create over 200 dairy products in 7 different categories: cheese, ice cream, yogurt, sour cream, butter, cream cheese and frozen meals. Our Uncompromising Quality has led us to become the #1 Cheddar, #2 Cream Cheese and #3 Family Size Ice Cream brand, but we’re not stopping there. We’re loading up for our best years to come and want you to join us.

As a farmer-owned cooperative since 1909, we know that being Good Stewards for our stakeholders and doing a little extra always pays off. We’re looking for team members with a One Team and Genuine Care mindset who are inspired to share the delight of the Tillamook brand with each other and others every day.

What you will do:

The TC Café Prep Lead works hand and hand with Tillamook managers to lead and drive all aspects of the foodservice program while maintaining the high standards of quality put forth by the foodservice guidelines. This position works cross functionally across all areas of foodservice. This role is responsible for on the ground support, training, and directing of the foodservice team. The TC Café Prep Lead upholds Tillamook’s Shared Values, performance, and behavior standards, leading their team to do the same. This position will be responsible for opening and closing procedures, ensuring the team is adhering to all food and sanitary guidelines, assisting with inventory, and stocking items, as well as all other responsibilities directed by the management team. 

Here’s a day in the life:

• Ensure all company standards for quality, customer service, health and safety are met within the core values of Good Stewards, Uncompromising Quality, One Team, Play to Win, and Be adaptive to business needs by being flexible with work duties and working cross functionally across the business.

• Be willing to take on responsibilities and challenges, establish and achieve goals, and learn and master job duties.

• Demonstrate outstanding customer service when responding to customer comments and concerns

• Provide training to new employees on their assigned duties.

• Build professional and respectful working relationships with all internal and external vendors, customers, coworkers, and management.

• Work closely with BOH & FOH employees to provide real time, candid, and honest feedback to ensure their success. Partner with management with trends or challenges as appropriate.

• Assign Prep tasks and set goals for the day; ensure the team stays on task. Address and resolve difficult situations in a proactive, objective, professional, and solution-oriented manner.

• Take an active role in improving Prep Cook processes by providing feedback and suggestions to management.

• Manage labor usage (i.e., calling crew in when needed, temporarily assigning crew to other areas, etc.) to support business needs with Creamery management approval. Create daily break schedules that aligns with the break policy with Creamery Management approval.

• Perform the duties of the crew in assigned area. Set the Prep team up for success, maintaining clean and well stocked workstations. Verifying uniforms are in order and on brand.

• Utilize a computer with intermediate skills using Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Excel.

• Assist with ordering TCCA dairy products through internal departments. Order all other inventory items from vendors. Create and maintain professional and positive relationships with vendors.

• Supports and steps in with BOH & FOH department operations/ duties as needed by Creamery management

• Communicate effectively with other leads and cafe management to ensure the department has everything they need for all menu items.

• Help to ensure we have the product needed to serve guests by tracking and ordering, inventory. Receives, stores and maintain all storage facilities in an orderly manner to meet brand and food safety standards.

• Uphold the integrity of the food and beverage program with brand standards, techniques, and adhering to local and state law. Assist your team to ensure they have the tools and knowledge to meet these food safety standards.

• Maintain up-to-date knowledge on all menu items and products to answer customer questions, provide information, and resolve all inquiries.

• Lead team to adhere to all recipes, recipe book used with 100% compliance when prepping food, safe knife skills practiced and effective task management.

• Lead prep cooks with preparation of food for day ahead. Ensure team transfers all prep food into clean containers, proper dating and labeling, take dirty containers to dish pit and record all waste.

• Lead team with 100% compliance with thermometers used for every hot item or cooling process, cooling and heating charts used as a daily best practice.

• Responsible to maintain proper inspection of all product prior to prepping if any inferior product present it is documented and recorded to support proper inventory counts.

• Ensure proper food safety and sanitation of team in the prep area which includes prewashing produce.

• Responsible for ensuring team maintains temperature compliance which includes inspections of all temps and thermometers. Informing management if temp issues arise. Check refrigeration temperatures in accordance to TCCA temperature check procedure.

• Rotate and organize walk in, freezer and dry storage.

• Assist with putting orders away and correctly rotate product in dry storage, freezer and walk-in.”FIFO” rotating old product to front and new product in back.

• Maintain a clean and sanitary work area. Sanitary solution changed hourly. Floor swept hourly. Prep counters cleaned with soap and water and then sanitized.

• Ensure refrigerator is restocked with properly rotated prep product.

• Responsible for prep team maintaining clean prep department- prep area, walk-ins, counters, sinks, walk-in refrigerator, freezer, dry storage neat, clean and organized and well swept floors throughout shifts.

• Have intimate knowledge of the Break Policy, Attendance Policy, Opening/Closing Building Policy, Disruptive customers in the VC policy, emergency response policy, unattended bags in the VC policy, guns in the VC policy, missing child in the VC policy, reporting visitor incidents/accidents policy, and all other future policies that have to do with the Tillamook Creamery.

• Establish and maintain effective relationships with employees, supervisors, and the general public.

• Assist with catered events.

• Support line cooks when re-stocking is needed.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• High school diploma or GED is preferred.

• Minimum 1 year of experience with commercial food preparation and equipment preferred.

• 2+ years of customer service is required

• Knowledge of health regulations.

• Pallet jack certification required.

• Must obtain and provide a Food Handler’s Certification within 30 days of hire.

• Obtain an OLCC (18+ years of age).

Physical requirements:

• Sitting

• Standing and/or walking

• Lifting 35 lbs.

• Vision for machine or computer operations

• Hearing

Industry leading benefit and reward programs:

We are committed to creating a culture of inclusion where all employees are heard, valued and feel a sense of belonging. We rely on different perspectives, thoughts, backgrounds and cultures to inform our work, to help us be better as a brand and as an employer and to fuel our success. We are seeking talent from a wide range of diversity, perspectives, and backgrounds to join our exceptional organization and help us build our future.

Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA) is a Drug-Free Workplace. EEO

TCCA prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to age, race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, disability status (including those related to pregnancy and childbirth), protected veteran status, membership/non-membership in a labor organization, or any other characteristic protected by law.