Heart of House Specialist

POSITION SUMMARY

Our Heart of House Specialists play an important role in support of a number of vital hotel functions. At our hotels these associates may work across departments (e.g., kitchen, food and beverage) to support cleaning needs. Whether preparing fresh clean linen and spotless dining ware for guests to enjoy, operating and maintaining cleaning equipment and tools (e.g., dish washing machines, hand wash stations), or transporting dishware across the hotel, these associates do whatever it takes to get the job done. 

No matter what position you are in, there are a few things that are critical to success – creating a safe workplace, following company policies and procedures, upholding quality standards, and ensuring your uniform, personal appearance, and communications are professional. Ensure adherence to quality expectations and standards, develop and maintain positive working relationships with other employees and departments, support team to reach common goals, and listen and respond appropriately to the concerns of other employees. Report accidents, injuries, and unsafe work conditions to manager. Perform other reasonable job duties as requested by Supervisors.

CRITICAL TASKS

General Kitchen

• Follow appropriate personal hygiene procedures to ensure food served to guests is safe for consumption, including disinfecting hands prior to handling food and wearing a hat/hairnet and proper footwear.
• Report maintenance issues immediately to appropriate personnel (i.e., management or maintenance).
• Receive deliveries, store perishables properly, and rotate stock. 

Dishwashing Activities

• Ensure clean wares are stored in appropriate areas.
• Clean the dishwashing machine, including removing trash and spraying the inside of the machine, cleaning and unclogging the spray arms and jets, cleaning the outer surfaces of the machine and troubleshoot dishwasher malfunctions as required.
• Use detergent, rinsing, and sanitizing chemicals in the 3-compartment sink at the appropriate levels to clean dishes, ensuring the chlorine levels are between 50 and 100 parts per million and that the water temperature is sufficiently hot.
• Ensure water temperature, and chemical levels are appropriate to run the dishwashing machine, and complete proper documentation.
• Rack dirty items (silverware, plate ware, etc.).
• Sort silverware with eating surfaces facing up into separate cylinders and wash/re-wash.
• Inspect, pull, and stack cleaned items, send soiled items back for re-scrubbing and re-washing.
• Spray all racked items with hot water to loosen and remove food residue.
• Breakdown dirty bus tubs.

Maintenance, Sanitation, and Cleaning Activities

• Follow and ensure compliance with sanitation and cleaning procedures and pest control guidelines, reporting pest control issues to appropriate personnel.
• Empty trashcans, ensuring each can is clean, relined, and covered, and maintain dumpster area.
• Wash and disinfect kitchen and linen store room areas, tools, utensils and equipment.
• Clean and mop all areas in assigned departments (e.g., sink area, shelves and counters, tops of chemical bottles, outside of the dish machine, dish room door and walls, bus carts).
• Clean and maintain sanitation areas and organize cleaning supplies including hanging up mops and brooms.
• Organize cleaning chemicals and supplies and ensure they are stored appropriately and kept separate from food products.
• Keep hand wash stations maintained (for example, supplied with soap, towels, step-on trashcan, gloves, and proper signage) and fully functional.
• Ensure proper and safe handling and storage of equipment, returning equipment to appropriate location.

Working with Others

• Support all co-workers and treat them with dignity and respect.
• Develop and maintain positive and productive working relationships with other employees and departments.
• Exchange information with other employees using electronic devices (e.g., earpieces, two-way radios, email, DECT Phones).

Safety and Security

• Report work related accidents, or other injuries immediately upon occurrence to manager/supervisor.
• Follow company and department safety and security policies and procedures to ensure a clean, safe, and secure environment.
• Use proper equipment, wear appropriate personal protective clothing (PPE), and employ correct lifting procedures, as necessary, to avoid injury.
• Follow Hazardous Material Management Program procedures for handling and disposing of chemicals, fertilizer, pesticides, blood borne pathogens, etc., including using Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). Follow further local Training requirements & Guidance.
• Identify and correct unsafe work procedures or conditions and/or report them to management and security/safety personnel.
• Follow policies and procedures for the safe operation and storage of tools, equipment, and machines.
• Complete appropriate safety training and certifications to perform work tasks.

Policies and Procedures

• Protect company tools, equipment, machines, or other assets in accordance with company policies and procedures.
• Follow company and department policies and procedures.
• Perform other reasonable job duties as requested by Supervisors.