Cook

Introduction

The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is the state agency that advances public education and libraries in Wisconsin. Our mission is to advance equitable, transformative, and sustainable educational experiences that develop learners, schools, libraries, and communities in Wisconsin. Working at DPI offers you the opportunity to build on our long-standing commitment to public education so that students are learning the skills and knowledge necessary to become contributing members of our communities.

At DPI, we are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels safe, supported, and valued. Equity and inclusion are at the core of our organizational values, which include belonging, integrity, love, humility, and honor. These values guide how we build our teams, develop our leaders, and create a culture that empowers everyone to be their authentic selves. When employees are respected and valued for who they are and staff are held accountable for demonstrating that respect to others, we believe it drives greater engagement and collaboration, ignites creativity and innovation, and fosters connection between teams and those we serve.

We invest in our employees both at work and beyond. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, employees receive access to an Employee Assistance Program with wellness resources, two hours of paid wellness time each month, and eight hours of paid volunteer time each calendar year to support causes that matter to them. We have a team-oriented atmosphere and focus on work-life balance.

The Wisconsin School for the Deaf (WSD) within the Division of Access and Opportunity is seeking applicants for a Cook 1 position. This is a full-time, year-round position (1.0 FTE). WSD is a residential school serving children who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deafblind. The school provides a variety of educational, residential, and support services in a student-centered learning environment. As a residential program, WSD provides multiple daily meal services and supports students both inside and outside of the traditional school day.

We encourage individuals with experience in food production, institutional food service, school nutrition programs, commercial kitchens, or related fields to apply. This position offers the opportunity to play an important role in supporting students and staff by helping ensure safe, nutritious, and high-quality meal service while working as part of a collaborative food service team.

Position Summary

This position involves manual labor of a physically demanding nature, focusing on preparing food items and managing food inventories. The Cook 1 works as part of a team with other food service staff to prepare menu items for approximately 100 students who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deafblind, as well as facility staff while maintaining optimum sanitation. The Wisconsin School for the Deaf (WSD) is a residential school which operates 24 hours a day, 5 days a week, with students attending classes about 10 months per year. This position may also require occasional weekend work, including during special events.

Salary Information

Starting salary will be $21.39 per hour (approximately $44,491 per year). For current and eligible former State employees, compensation will be set in accordance with the State Compensation Plan effective at time of hire. This position is in pay schedule 03, range 10. A one-year probationary period will be required.

This position is eligible for a $0.80 per hour night differential for hours worked between 6:00pm and 6:00am, and a $0.80 per hour weekend differential for hours worked on Saturdays and Sundays. Hours that fall during both periods are eligible for both differentials.

Employees in this position may be eligible for a $1.00 per hour add-on for fluency in American Sign Language (ASL), contingent upon achieving an ASL Proficiency Interview (ASLPI) rating of 2+ or higher.

Check out the excellent benefits this position offers on the Employee Trust Fund’s information page. The State of Wisconsin is a qualifying employer for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

Job Details

Work Schedule: This is a full-time, year-round position. The hours for this position will be Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Based on operational needs, special events, or WSD program requirements, occasional evening and weekend work may be required.

Remote Work: This position is not eligible for remote work and requires the employee to be onsite at their headquarters at the Wisconsin School for the Deaf during all regular working hours.

Headquarters: The position is headquartered at the Wisconsin School for the Deaf located at 309 West Walworth Avenue in Delavan, WI. Reimbursement for traveling to or from the employee’s headquarters is not provided (e.g., mileage, meals, parking, lodging, etc.).

Pre-hire requirements: A criminal background check will be conducted prior to an offer of hire. A tuberculosis screen will be required prior to start.

Legal authorization: Applicants must be legally entitled to work in the United States (i.e., a citizen or national of the U.S., without DPI sponsorship). The Department of Public Instruction does not sponsor visas, either at time of hire or at any later time.

Qualifications

Please address the following in your resume.

A minimally qualified applicant must have all the below:

• Experience working with food preparation, food safety, and general cooking;
• Ability to work scheduled hours as needed, which may include weekends, early morning or early evenings, and overtime as needed; and
• Ability to work in a team setting.

Please note that a college degree is not required for this position.

How To Apply

For this position, please submit an updated resume and answer the online application questions. Review our Application Tips page on the DPI website for additional guidance.

Application materials will be evaluated, and the qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the next step of the process. References will be requested from top candidates once interviews have taken place.

The State of Wisconsin offers a special program for qualified veterans with a 30% or greater service-connected disability. If you are a qualified veteran, please visit the Veterans Employment page for application instructions to be considered for the Veterans Non-Competitive Appointment program. Once you have applied, please send an email indicating your interest in being considered for the Veterans Non-Competitive Appointment program to the HR staff listed in the job posting.

The State of Wisconsin is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to applicants of any race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

We provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities.

Questions? Please contact the recruiter Maria Butters at [email protected].

Deadline to Apply

Applications will be accepted until the needs of the Department are met. Applications will next be reviewed after October 25, 2026.