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This position has closed. Northwestern Medicine removed this listing from their careers page on Oct 5, 2026. The interview prep below is still useful, and there are similar open roles at the bottom of this page.

Lead/Prep Cook Part time Rotating schedule

Northwestern Medicine · Winfield, IL · Part time · Health Care Provider

Posted Sep 21, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 5, 2026

Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

This is part time on a rotating schedule. How does that fit your life?

What they are checking: Honest fit with hours that change, which the posting states.

Tell me about a service where something went wrong. What did you do?

What they are checking: Recovery under time pressure, which every kitchen needs.

As a lead, how do you correct someone about something that matters for safety?

What they are checking: Whether they will have the conversation, since the posting has them leading.

What do you think about the food mattering to someone who is unwell?

What they are checking: Whether they see hospital food as care or as catering.

What would you do

Cooking in a hospital means diet orders. How does that change how you cook?

What they are checking: Whether they understand that a dietary restriction here is a clinical instruction, not a preference.

Tell me about a time you had to hold food longer than you wanted to.

What they are checking: Whether quality or safety gives first, and whether they know which should.

About the work

Walk me through your prep for a lunch service from the moment you arrive.

What they are checking: Whether they work to a plan, which is what makes a kitchen hit service.

What temperatures do you record during a service, and what do you do if one is wrong?

What they are checking: Food safety in the detail, which is the part a hospital kitchen is audited on.

Which pieces of equipment are you confident on, and which would you need shown?

What they are checking: An honest inventory against the posting's list.

How do you scale a recipe up without losing the result?

What they are checking: Volume cooking, which is a different skill from cooking well.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Northwestern Medicine from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by Northwestern Medicine.

The Cook II reflects the mission, vision, and values of NM, adheres to the organization’s Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines and all other regulatory and accreditation standards. • Supports the Food and Nutrition Team by preparing hot food and meal items in a safe and sanitary manner. 20 hours a week. Must be able to work different shifts Responsibilities: • Measures, mixes, and prepares ingredients according to approved recipes. • Demonstrates understanding and proper use of kitchen equipment including, but not limited to: blenders, mixers, grinders, slicers, ovens, steamers, etc. • Demonstrates consistent use of knife skills (chopping, slicing, dicing, paring) • Prepares and presents café, patient, and catering menu items according to recipes and standards. • Prepares and presents sauces, soups, stews, casseroles, and desserts meeting established dietary guidelines. • Cooks meats, fish, and fowl safely in a variety of ways such as baking, roasting, broiling and steaming. Carves meats into individual servings according to recipe and/or diet order. • Monitors and records temperature of steam table and hot held items throughout service period. • Tests foods being cooked to ensure doneness. Adjusts heat controls as needed. Insures foods are prepared, held or served at proper temperatures. • Produces food that is flavorful and attractively presented. • Only changes ingredients or seasonings when directed by chef or culinary leader. • Maintains product levels and appearance of service stations. • Consults with manager regarding handling of any leftovers. • Observes infection control and HACCP practices at all times. • Proper completion of all daily temperature logs and daily production sheets. Assists supervisor with corrections as needed. • Maintains kitchen/station in a safe and organized manner. • Manages work schedule efficiently completing tasks at assigned times. • Monitors cooking equipment as needed. Communicates with a manager to initiate any repairs. • Other duties may be assigned by managers or supervisors due to operational needs. Required: • High School diploma or equivalent; or in lieu of high school diploma/GED, must have a minimum of 1 year relevant experience in any of the following: cooking, production, or food service. • Successful completion of Safe Food Handler certification within 1 year of hire. Preferred: • Previous healthcare cooking experience. • Completion of some culinary schooling • Basic knowledge of special diets. Northwestern Medicine is an equal opportunity employer (disability, VETS) and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status. Background Check Northwestern Medicine conducts a background check that includes criminal history on newly hired team members and, at times, internal transfers. If you are offered a position with us, you will be required to complete an authorization and disclosure form that gives Northwestern Medicine permission to run the background check. Results are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and we follow all local, state, and federal laws, including the Illinois Health Care Worker Background Check Act. Artificial Intelligence Disclosure Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person. Benefits We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events. Click on or copy and paste URL to your browser to view detailed benefits information NorthwesternMedicine Career Page https://jobs.nm.org/benefits Please refer to the Benefits Eligibility by Employment Classification to determine benefits eligibility for job postings. If sign-on bonus is included in a job posting eligibility is as followed: Internal employees and rehires who left Northwestern Medicine within 1 year are not eligible for the sign-on bonus. Exception : New graduate internal employees seeking their first licensed clinical position as a Registered Nurse at NM may be eligible.