Cook (Dining Services III) - Veterans Community Living Center Fitzsimons - Aurora, CO

The Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) operates the Colorado Veterans Community Living Center (VCLC) at Fitzsimons, a premier skilled nursing facility dedicated to serving Colorado's veterans with compassion and respect. Located conveniently on the medical campus alongside UC Hospital and the Aurora VA Medical Center, this 180-bed center provides long-term care, short-term rehabilitation, and specialized secured memory care neighborhoods. With a commitment to person-centered care, the facility ensures a safe, comfortable, and supportive living environment for veterans, demonstrated by its low 14% staff turnover rate and notable longevity among its team. CDHS as an agency is renowned for delivering high-quality human and health services to improve the safety, independence, and well-being of Coloradans, fostering an inclusive work culture grounded in values such as transparency, accountability, and collaboration.

The Dining Services III (Cook) role at the Colorado Veterans Community Living Center is essential in fulfilling the mission of delivering exceptional care to veterans through quality dining experiences. This position is responsible for providing full dining services for 180 nursing home residents, including three nutritious and balanced meals daily, catering, and staff meals. The role requires adherence to strict standards set forth by the Veterans Administration and the Colorado Department of Public Health, ensuring that meals meet dietary restrictions based on physician orders, are served at appropriate temperatures, and are recorded accurately via diet cards. The cook will work both independently and as part of a team to prepare, cook, and serve food across the main and satellite kitchens, maintain cleanliness and sanitation practices, and comply with all relevant state and federal regulations.

In addition to meal preparation, the cook is tasked with heavy physical labor including cleaning kitchen equipment, utensils, dishes, and maintaining order in storage areas. They will also be responsible for monitoring food temperatures during preparation and serving, managing inventories of perishables and non-perishables, and overseeing sanitary standards in the work environment. The role demands someone who can provide excellent customer service, possess strong communication skills to address concerns with food service leadership promptly, and help train new employees on job functions. Shift work including days, evenings, weekends, and holidays is expected, in a demanding environment that necessitates safety awareness regarding the use and handling of cleaning chemicals and kitchen machinery.

This position is exclusively open to current Colorado residents and represents a unique opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the quality of life of Colorado’s veteran community. CDHS offers their employees competitive benefits such as flexible retirement plans including PERA defined benefit and defined contribution options, medical and dental coverage, health savings accounts, paid life insurance, disability coverage, paid holidays, vacation and sick leave, and wellness programs targeting employee health and work-life balance. This role is an excellent fit for candidates with at least two years of relevant food service experience who seek to work in a respectful and veteran-focused healthcare setting. The VCLC’s team-centric, mission-oriented environment encourages personal and professional growth while emphasizing safety, quality, and dignity in service.