MONTGOMERY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Code No. 3225
ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND Grade 26

CLASS SPECIFICATION

FOOD SERVICE MANAGER

DEFINITION OF CLASS:

This is professional, supervisory work involving planning, directing, and supervising the operation of multiple correctional food service facilities. Contacts include: contractors and vendors, to resolve problems and order food and related supplies; regulatory personnel from the County Health Department, to obtain and provide information and to respond to food safety, sanitation and related issues; and correctional facility staff and inmate kitchen workers to coordinate work, answer questions, solve problems and provide guidance, technical advice, and training. Frequent contact is also maintained with medical and religious personnel, to discuss and coordinate dietary needs of prisoners with significant medical conditions and/or religious beliefs requiring special diets. Contact is maintained with corrections management employees and other supervisors in multiple Correction and Rehabilitation facilities to discuss issues of mutual concern, and to coordinate work planning. The work of this class involves providing limited and infrequent public service/assistance to the inmate population.

An employee in this class is responsible for a multi-facility correctional food service operation which prepares and serves approximately 3000 meals daily to an inmate population and correctional facility employees. This responsibility includes: daily and long range menu planning which takes into account the nutritional needs of the inmate population, seasonality/availability of food items, budget constraints, palatability, inmate preferences, and food production issues; organizing and overseeing supervision of the kitchen inmate staff, including their training; supervising the maintenance of food, utensil, and equipment inventories and ordering materials and food supplies; determining, developing the budget for, and monitoring expenditures to ensure a balanced food service budget; overseeing food preparation and serving to ensure safe and sanitary techniques and conditions; documenting nutritional adequacy of food served; preparing and managing food service and products contracts; and maintaining records for, and preparing reports of food service activities. The employee works without technical supervision, independently planning and carrying out direction of food service operations. The employee's work is reviewed in terms of meeting the organizational objectives of providing safe and nutritious food to meet inmates' needs within an allotted budget. Guidelines consist of State and County laws and codes concerning food service, health, sanitation, and fire safety; State and Federal Correctional Standards, Food Service Standards, and recipe cards; the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) of the National Research Council; various nutrition textbooks and diet manuals; and Departmental policies and procedures. The employee closely follows the large majority of these guidelines, but frequently must apply judgment in the areas of menu planning and budgeting -- i.e., determine the most cost effective means to serve the most nutritious meals, including those which must be individually planned. The complexity of the work is characterized by planning and supervising the provision of nutritious meals to a large group of inmates and staff, a portion of which have special dietary and nutritional needs; solving problems, planning, organizing, and making decisions about a wide variety of food service processes and methods; serving nutritious meals within budget limits for a fluctuating number of inmates; maintaining an efficient food service operation which incorporates food safety and sanitation considerations; analyzing and determining budgetary (food, staffing, materials and services costs) requirements; maintaining program measurement records and preparing related reports. A Food Service Manager reviews and analyzes a variety of program measures, formulates projects, and makes program changes as needed. The work of this class is essentially sedentary, and is performed in an office situated within the Montgomery County Correctional Facility's Food Service Unit. Work also includes regular inspection of additional correctional food service facility sites. This work environment presents heat from food preparation, a continuum of loud noises from numerous inmate voices and equipment being used, cleaned and stored/removed, as well as odors from food preparation and strong smelling chemicals/cleaning agents. Occasional personal inspection of operational work puts the employee within close proximity to inmate workers using sharp utensils. Safety precautions and procedures must be strictly observed.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES: (Illustrative only)

Plans and develops all menus.
Conducts nutritional analysis of menus to assure nutritional adequacy.
Approves and assures that any menu changes are of comparable nutritional value; establishes and maintains written records of all approved and implemented menu changes.
Develops plans for modified diet meal patterns, and writes menu modifications for all diet meals served.
Consults with medical personnel and outside agencies regarding inmate diet orders, and writes and revises orders as needed and appropriate in accordance with generally accepted dietetic practice.
Evaluates nutritional adequacy of all modified diet menus.
Maintains current list of all modified diets ordered.
Plans special diets which are mandated by religious practices and beliefs.
Develops specifications for bids for all food items and equipment that are purchased, and approves purchases based on inventory and menu requirements.
Provides oversight of food preparation efforts ensuring that Correctional Dietary Officers monitor time and temperature for foods received, stored, and produced so that meals served are free of contamination and bacterial hazards.
Interviews and makes selections to fill position vacancies; plans and develops training programs, and ensures that Food Service staff meet training requirements; and ensures that employees directly supervised complete effective performance plans for the staff they supervise.
Establishes employee work schedules and assignments; evaluates employee performance, and develops recommendations for special recognition or disciplinary action.
Oversees the enforcement of security measures associated with operating a food service unit.
Develops recommendations for space modifications and major equipment purchases and/or replacements.
Prepares and presents annual written budget request; implements approved budget, monitors expenditures and prepares periodic reports concerning same.
Performs related duties as required.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience: Thorough (5 years) experience in large scale institutional food service (e.g., correctional facility, hospital or other related long term care facility, armed forces, etc.), which includes menu planning, budgeting, and nutritional analysis responsibilities, two (2) years of which must have been in a supervisory capacity.
Education: Possession of a Bachelor's degree in Nutrition or a closely related field of Dietetics.
Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Thorough knowledge of nutritional requirements and menu planning.
Thorough knowledge of institutional food service management, including safety and sanitation aspects, menu planning, budgeting, and ordering and stocking supplies.
Ability to successfully complete periodic State and County mandated correctional and food service training.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, superiors, and contractors, including the ability to supervise, develop training for, and ensure that staff training requirements are met.
Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, including the ability to develop and maintain records of menus, inventories, and expenditures.
Ability to prepare written reports and correspondence.
Ability to attend meetings or perform other assignments at locations outside the office.

LICENSE:

Possession of a current certificate or other documentation indicating successful completion of the food service manager (sanitation) course required by the Montgomery County Health Department.
Possession of current registration as a Registered Dietitian by the American Dietetic Association.
Current licensure by the Maryland State Board of Dietetic Practice as a Licensed Dietitian.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD:

Individuals appointed or promoted to this class will be required to serve a probationary period of twelve (12) months, during which time performance will be carefully evaluated. Continuation in this class will be contingent upon successful completion of the probationary period.

MEDICAL PROTOCOL: Core Exam and Drug/Alcohol Screen

Class Established: July, 1988
Revised: October, 1989
October 1994 (M)
June 2003 (M)