Cook County Jail Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Summary This recruitment will remain open until the position is filled; however, applications submitted by March 4, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. will receive first consideration. The Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD) is seeking a motivated individual to fill one full-time Cook/Baker position

The selected candidate will be responsible for providing food services to approximately 1,400 jail residents and staff, preparing three meals daily. This role is a vital part of the Food Services Section, where you will perform daily tasks within a 24/7 institutional/corrections environment. Cook/Bakers ensure that the food provided meets nutritional standards and health codes while maintaining the safety standards of their working environment.

Incumbents of this position must be able to lift, carry and move supplies weighing up to 50 pounds and stand for prolonged periods of time. The Food Services team members are assigned to either of two adult facilities, the King County Correctional Facility (Downtown Seattle, WA) and the Maleng Regional Justice Center (Kent, WA). This team has direct contact and supervision of jail resident workers within a secure correctional facility.

If you are the type of person that enjoys working both independently and as part of a group and providing exemplary customer service to a diverse group of people (both staff and jail residents), you are the type of person we're looking for. DAJD is a professional and nationally recognized organization that supports safe, vibrant, and healthy communities in partnership with other criminal justice and human service agencies. DAJD operates the largest county jail in the State of Washington.

DAJD's mission is to provide in-custody and community-based services that are data informed, advance safety, lead system change, and promote equitable outcomes for the people we serve. This recruitment will create an eligibility list which may be used to fill future Career Service, Term Limited Temporary or Special Duty Assignment vacancies. Job Duties The Cook/Baker will cook, bake, prepare and portion food/meals (three meals per day) for jail residents and staff.

Direct contact and supervision of jail residents within a secure correctional facility is required. The primary responsibilities for this position are: Estimate meal orders, plan meals, assemble ingredients and supplies, prep, cook, and bake items for meals. Supervise and train work crews or jail resident workers.

Must provide clear directions and work/training in a well-planned and organized manner. Train and help develop new hire cooks in all Cook/Baker I positions in the kitchen. Portion and serve food; supervise activities related to the serving of food.

Prepare reports and identify the amount of food used for each meal and the amounts of leftovers. Decisions must be made in a timely manner to determine if substitute foods are necessary. Maintain inventory of food, supplies, and equipment.

Maintain an organized and clean work site to ensure health and safety standards are met. Maintain health code standards and quality controls. Plan and prepare food for special diets, verify diet orders on computer, prepare tags, verify locations for meals, cook meal and serve.

Address possible conflicts and potentially dangerous situations quickly to maintain and ensure a secure and safe environment. Perform operator level maintenance of commercial food service equipment. Requires prolonged standing, ability to properly lift, carry, move supplies, boxes, bags and equipment weighing up to 50 pounds.

Prepare incident reports as required based on department policy. Provide excellent customer service to a diverse group of people (both staff and jail residents). Ability to drive DAJD kitchen vehicles for assigned activities/duties, and load/unload trucks.

Responsible for performing other duties as assigned and needed to support the Food Services Section. Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills 21 years of age or older by the closing date of this announcement Food Handler's Permit as issued by Seattle-King County Health Department High School Diploma or GED Valid Washington State Driver's License WE ARE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS: Food service equipment use and maintenance experience Knowledge of Washington State health and fire codes Knowledge of food service techniques, including but not limited to menu preparation, supply ordering, inventories, quality control and preservation Basic math and computer skills DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS INCLUDE: Demonstrated full-time paid work experience in large quantity food preparation, cooking and baking (minimum of 500 persons per meal). Experience in large-scale commercial, military or institutional setting providing full meal service.

Ability to understand, speak, read and write the English language for purposes of following and giving verbal and written instructions, reading/following menus, recipes, policies and procedures, writing reports and maintaining inventory. Physical ability to perform operator level maintenance of commercial food service equipment, prolonged standing, properly lift, carry and move supplies, boxes, bags and equipment weighing up to 50 pounds. Food service work experience in an institutional, military or corrections/criminal justice environment Knowledge of special dietary needs.

Experience cooking medical, special, and religious diets. DESIRED: This position may be eligible for additional bilingual premium pay above the base salary. Desired languages currently include Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian and Somali, but may be subject to change.

To qualify for a bilingual pay premium applicants must demonstrate sufficient language proficiency. Supplemental Information HOW TO APPLY: Completion of the full King County application and the supplemental questionnaire is required. Resumes or letter of interest alone WILL NOT substitute for a full application.

If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process, or if you have questions, please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement. Online applications are preferred.

To apply, go to: http://www.kingcounty.gov/jobs for assistance with the online application process, please contact NEOGOV (Governmentjobs.com) Customer Support toll free at: 1-877-204-4442. WORK LOCATION/SCHEDULE: This position will work a 40-hour work week and is overtime eligible. Cook/Bakers must be willing and available to work on any shift, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and overtime as needed

Assignments and schedules are subject to the staffing needs of the department; shift and work assignments are subject to the collective bargaining unit bid processes. The position will be assigned to work in the kitchen at either of two adult correctional facilities (King County Correctional Facility in downtown Seattle, WA or Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, WA). UNION MEMBERSHIP: This position is represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 117.

WHO MAY APPLY: This position is open to all qualified candidates. Internal consideration may be given to current DAJD and King County employees. Applicants requesting Veteran's Preference must provide a copy of their DD- 214, a scanned copy (pdf format) will suffice for this purpose.

SELECTION PROCESS: Initial screening will be based upon a review of application materials. The employment history detailed in your application materials must validate/support your responses to the supplemental questions. If your responses cannot be validated, you will not proceed to the next steps of the review/selection process.

Candidates determined to be most competitive based upon the initial application review will proceed to the next phase of the selection process. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: The individual selected for this position will be required to complete a thorough background investigation process. The DAJD background investigation process includes, but is not limited to: completion of an extensive Background Investigation Questionnaire, oral board interview, DCYF Neglect Founded Findings Request, fingerprinting, criminal background check, reference checks, a physical examination (pre-employment physical), and other tests as deemed necessary.

DEPARTMENT CONTACT: Questions regarding this announcement or position may be directed to Jaclyn Smith, Sr. HR Analyst, at 206-263-3379 or jacsmith@kingcounty.gov WHY IT'S WORTH TAKING A SECOND LOOK AT WORKING FOR KING COUNTY: http://kingcounty.gov/audience/employees/careers/why-work-here.aspx COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE As the only jurisdiction in the world named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation's history, King County is a vibrant international community with residents that represent countries from around the world

It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the traditions of many cultures. We have a deep commitment to equity and social justice and advancing practices, strategies, and policies that promote fairness, justice, and opportunity for all - in our workplaces and our communities. With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda to advance regional change and ensure that residents from vulnerable communities are incorporated into our emergency planning and public outreach efforts.

To learn more, please visit the King County Executive Equity & Social Justice website. Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers. Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence.

Are you ready to make a difference. Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play. Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive.

We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles - we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards.

We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans. King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.