Cook - Healing Center

Bring your passion for cooking to a role that makes a real impact! As a Cook supporting our SMSC Healing Center and internal food services, you’ll prepare high-quality, nourishing meals for Community Members, youth, and staff while ensuring food safety, cleanliness, and consistency every step of the way. You’ll support multiple areas, assist with prep and production, and collaborate with your team to keep operations running smoothly. If you take pride in your craft and thrive in a purpose-driven, team-focused kitchen, this is your chance to make every meal meaningful. Enjoy weekly pay, and health benefits. Whatever your career goals may be, let SMSC help get you there!

Job Overview: As a Cook for Internal SMSC Food Services, you will prepare and produce food for multiple business units within the SMSC Tribal Government, including but not limited to the SMSC Healing Center, Playworks Child Care Center, Playworks Café, Native Harvest, and meals for SMSC Community Members. Cooks are responsible for all aspects of kitchen operations, including food preparation, service, and cleanup. This role emphasizes the quality, safety, and consistency of all raw and prepared products
through proper storage, rotation, labeling, preparation, holding, and service. The Cook will follow documented recipes and standardized procedures to ensure the highest level of food quality and service. A strong understanding of USDA daily nutritional requirements and meal preparation standards is essential. Success in this role requires commitment to teamwork, flexibility, maintaining a safe and sanitary work environment, and demonstrating a strong work ethic

Create Your Path: The Work You’ll Do:

• Contribute to the overall success of SMSC Food Services by completing tasks as assigned by Leadership, ensuring all operations run efficiently and meet quality standards.
• Prepare, cook, and deliver high-quality meals for customers, staff, and community members, following established recipes, portion standards, and presentation guidelines.
• Ensure food is stored, rotated, and labeled properly to maintain freshness and safety, in accordance with food safety regulations.
• Maintain cleanliness and safety in all kitchen areas by washing dishes, pots, and pans, sweeping and mopping floors, disposing of trash and compostables, and completing more in-depth cleaning projects as assigned.
• Support the operations of multiple SMSC Food Service areas, including the SMSC Healing Center, Native Harvest Catering, and other internal units, by performing duties as determined by Senior Leadership.
• Assist with prep work, inventory management, and food production to ensure all meals are ready on schedule and meet nutritional and quality standards.
• Collaborate effectively with team members to maintain a smooth workflow and address operational challenges promptly.
• Follow all sanitation, safety, and USDA nutritional guidelines to provide safe, healthy, and high-quality meals.
• Assist other SMSC Food Service areas as needed, demonstrating flexibility and teamwork to support the broader goals of SMSC Food Services.

Job Requirements:  

• Must be at least 18 years old with 1–3 years of relevant cooking experience.
• Proven experience as a cook in à la carte kitchens, catering, or food & beverage (F&B) settings.
• Skilled in using cutting tools, cookware, and bakeware.
• Knowledgeable in various cooking procedures, techniques, and kitchen methods.
• Ability to work occasionally nights and weekends, based on business needs.
• Ability to follow all sanitation and food safety procedures.
• Pass background check, work physical and drug test.
• Valid Class D driver’s license required with a good driving record.
• Has the physical abilities to perform the required job duties with or without accommodations, including on feet 100% of time.
• Capacity to handle and lift up to 60 lbs. as needed. 

Outstanding Benefits & Awesome Perks: Enjoy competitive weekly pay, outstanding benefits and advancement opportunities. Generous benefits include medical, dental, life and disability insurance, onsite medical clinics and pharmacy, 401(k) retirement plan, paid time off, wellness programs and more. Plus, take advantage of perks like discounts on childcare, fuel, bus passes and fitness membership, free uniforms, free uniform cleaning and tuition reimbursement.

Who We Are: The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community contributes both time and financial resources across the region, state, and country. The SMSC has donated more than $400 million to organizations and causes, provided $500 million in economic development loans to other tribes, and contributed millions more to support regional governments and infrastructure. The SMSC's Native Green initiative annually diverts hundreds of tons of waste from landfills, has implemented compostable containers throughout our properties, and restored hundreds of acres of prairie land. Team members are eligible to participate in SMSC Gives, a community outreach initiative that organizes various opportunities in the local community. To empower its team members to take part in the Dakota tradition of giving, the SMSC provides paid hours to team members to volunteer at events. Learn more at shakopeedakota.org