Food Service Administrative Assistant

Administrative Assistant of Food Service

Reports To: Director of Food Service

Contract Length: 252 Days

Exempt/Nonexempt: Exempt

Department: Food Services

Reynoldsburg City Schools is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. At Reynoldsburg, our educators embody the principles outlined in Our Portrait of an Educator, inspiring students to innovate, collaborate, and excel.

Primary Job Function:

The Reynoldsburg City Schools' Food Service Administrative Assistant is responsible for providing comprehensive administrative, financial, and programmatic support to the Food Service Department. This position plays a critical role in the administration of federal and state child nutrition programs, family engagement related to meal assistance, departmental financial operations, staff coordination, and regulatory compliance to ensure efficient daily operations and equitable access to student meal services.

Minimum Qualifications:

• High School diploma or GED
• Four (4) years of clerical or administrative experience
• Minimum of three (3) years of school-based food and nutrition services or related experience
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidential records and comply with federal and state program requirements
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, PDFs) and database systems

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience in school food service or child nutrition programs
• Administrative Assistant experience in a public sector or educational setting
• ServSafe certification or ability to obtain
• Experience working with diverse populations, including families with limited English proficiency
• Familiarity with Point of Sale (POS) systems and student account management platforms

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Meal Assistance Program Administration:

• Process free and reduced-price meal applications in both paper and online formats in accordance with federal and state regulations.
• Review applications for completeness and accuracy; contact families for clarification or missing information.
• Determine eligibility and communicate approval or denial status to families.
• Conduct annual verification processes, including random selection, income documentation collection, and issuing determination letters.

Family and Community Engagement:

• Respond to inquiries from families regarding student meal accounts, balances, and meal assistance programs.
• Provide guidance to families with limited English proficiency regarding program requirements.
• Monitor and communicate negative meal account balances and available payment options.
• Send welcome communications to new families regarding meal account setup and application processes.

Student Account and Data Management:

• Create and maintain family groupings within the student meal account system.
• Apply direct certification status for eligible students.
• Process refunds and transfers for student meal accounts.
• Generate and distribute reports related to meal status, eligibility sharing waivers, and disadvantaged student coding.

Financial and Vendor Operations:

• Prepare requisitions, purchase orders, and process invoices for the Food Service Department.
• Set up and maintain vendor accounts and verify pricing accuracy.
• Monitor departmental expenditures to ensure compliance with financial policies.
• Complete vendor rebates and program incentive submissions.

Staff and Operational Support:

• Monitor staff absences using Frontline and secure substitute cooks as needed.
• Maintain and update daily staffing schedules accessible to kitchen staff.
• Assist with onboarding by coordinating background checks, system access, and employee records.
• Work in school kitchens when substitute shortages occur.

Reporting, Compliance, and Reviews:

• Prepare and distribute regular reports to school secretaries, district staff, and administration.
• Compile documentation and assist with state and federal reviews or audits of the Food Service Department.
• Maintain organized filing systems for applications, invoices, and sales records in accordance with retention requirements.

Catering and Special Programs:

• Coordinate catering services for district events, including menu planning, ordering supplies, setup, and billing.
• Administer Summer EBT (SEBT) submissions to the State of Ohio for eligible students.
• Assist families with SEBT card activation and replacement as needed.

Equipment, Supplies, and General Office Operations:

• Coordinate equipment repairs and submit maintenance and IT service requests.
• Order and inventory office and departmental supplies.
• Answer daily inquiries from staff, families, vendors, and community partners.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

• Federal and state school lunch and child nutrition program regulations.
• Food handling, safety, and sanitation standards.
• Office procedures, recordkeeping, and data privacy requirements.

Skilled in:

• Microsoft Office applications and database management systems.
• Accurate data entry, financial processing, and report preparation.
• Professional communication with families, staff, vendors, and external agencies.

Ability to:

• Maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion.
• Communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Demonstrate patience, cultural sensitivity, and problem-solving skills.
• Organize multiple tasks, meet deadlines, and adapt to changing priorities.

Physical Demands & Working Conditions:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions in keeping with law.

Physical Demands While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to communicate with others. The employee is required to sit or stand and move around for extended periods of time. While performing the duties of this job the employee must be able to push, pull, lift and carry over 50 pounds on occasion.

Working Conditions The employee in this position may experience occasional exposure to blood, bodily fluids and tissue. The employee may also be required to interact with unruly children. The employee may have occasional exposure to heat, humidity, and may work during inclement weather.

Driving Requirement This position may require driving to various school sites or events.

This job description is subject to change and in no manner states or implies that these are the only duties and responsibilities to be performed by the employee. The employee will be required to follow the instructions and perform the duties required by the employee's supervisor and or appointing authority.