Food Service Assistant: Centralia, WA

Food Service Assistant

As a Food Service Assistant at Bezos Academy, you'll help provide nutritious, compliant meals to children at our Montessori-inspired preschool and provide direct support with a variety of additional tasks both in and out of the classroom. You will manage all aspects of food preparation and service with strong attention to detail, organization, and adherence to safety protocols. Key responsibilities include preparing CACFP-compliant menus, placing food orders and managing food costs, receiving and verifying food deliveries, ensuring all meals are delivered to classrooms on time, and managing all clean-up, organization, and documentation. Assuming full ownership of the kitchen and food operations at the school, you will serve meals in accordance with USDA requirements, Bezos Academy policies, and local childcare regulations.

Beyond the kitchen, you will assist school staff and administration with a variety of tasks including inventory checks, laundry, and other ad hoc duties. As needed, you will also occasionally step into classrooms to provide direct supervision and support to the children. You will become an integral part of your school team working to improve processes and provide an excellent preschool experience where we nurture every child's full potential.

Locations & Start Date

We are actively hiring for a Food Service Assistant for our preschool in Centralia (415 N Pearl St, Centralia, WA 98531).

Schedule, Benefits, & Compensation

• School schedules vary depending on community needs but generally range from 7:30am-5:30pm. You will work an 8-hour shift within this timeframe Monday through Friday. Your specific schedule will be determined with your school leader when considering all staff, student, and community needs.
• This is a full-time (40 hours per week), benefits-eligible, non-exempt/hourly position.
• Compensation for this position is $19-28 per hour (~$39,000 - $58,000 annually). The upper third of the compensation range is typically reserved for existing employees who have been in the role for multiple years and demonstrate strong performance over time. Starting compensation will vary by qualifications and prior experience.
• This role includes 32 paid days of scheduled breaks, 3 paid days of personal time off, 9 paid days of sick (care) time, 10 paid holidays, and additional time off if required by applicable law. Benefits for this role include medical, dental, and vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, a 401(k) plan with a 4% employer contribution match, paid parental leave, an employer-matched flexible spending account for dependent care, and more. Please see here for details.

Minimum Qualifications

• Age 18 with high school diploma or GED
• Ability to pass background checks and complete all trainings required by the Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families upon hire
• Knowledge of cooking methods and procedures, including various types of preparation
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds, stand for long periods of time, and perform a variety of repetitive tasks to prepare and serve food safely
• Experience working in an institutional or highly regulated kitchen/food setting with a clear understanding of food preparation best practices and protocols
• Active and current food worker card
• Understanding of Washington food and beverage worker manual
• Ability to speak, read, and write English fluently
• Basic proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working within the guidelines of the US Department of Agriculture and Child and Adult Care Food Program (USDA/CACFP)
• Two or more years of experience working in a school (preschool, early childhood education, daycare, or K-12 environment) or similar kitchen setting
• Working knowledge of food allergens, intolerances, preferences, and accommodations
• Prior experience as an Assistant Teacher in a preschool setting
• Associate's degree in Early Childhood Education or two years of post-secondary coursework in Early Childhood Education
• Experience with Montessori pedagogy
• Experience with children with special needs
• Fluent in Spanish

Responsibilities

*NOTE: The combination of responsibilities may vary based on the needs of the school site, students, and prior experiences of the Food Service Assistant.

Food Service and Site Operations

• Place weekly food orders with the vendor based on student attendance trends and food waste analysis
• Receive and verify daily food deliveries to ensure accuracy with order quantities and alignment with the approved menu. If meals are non-compliant, follow the Emergency Food SOP
• Manage all aspects of routine vendor performance to ensure the vendor is meeting or exceeding expectations
• Ensure all meals served to students are compliant and document any menu changes on menu.
• Track food consumption and waste daily to ensure food costs remain as lean and efficient as possible
• Prepare and serve meals and utensils to classrooms for each scheduled meal service
• Maintain compliance with strict food hygiene and safety protocols at all times
• Ensure the kitchen, equipment, serving utensils, cookware, and dishes are consistently cleaned, sanitized, and well-maintained
• Manage and organize food inventory, including proper labeling, dating, rotating stock, and discarding items nearing expiration in accordance with food safety guidelines
• Record and log food temperatures prior to each meal service to ensure compliance with safety regulations
• Accommodate children's special dietary needs, including allergies, medical restrictions, and cultural or religious food requirements
• Assist in serving meals during family engagement and school events as needed

Added responsibilities if food is prepared on-site:

• Place weekly groceries orders based on the menu and current inventory
• Receive and verify food delivery and follow up with vendor if food delivered is incorrect based on the order or spoiled
• Prepare meals according to the planned menu and adapt recipes for dietary restrictions (allergies, religious diets, vegetarian, etc.)
• Prepare meals on a schedule (breakfast/lunch/snack)
• Adapt the menu (make substitutions) to avoid food spoilage and waste following the Menu Substitution SOP
• Help plan menus that are nutritious, budget-friendly, and appealing to students

Added responsibilities if school is under CACFP:

• Ensure vendor provides a delivery receipt and keep it for 3 years
• Children receive the appropriate portion sizes for each meal pattern component by providing correctly sized serving utensils and clearly communicating the required serving sizes to classroom staff upon meal delivery
• Review meal counts for accuracy and upload into SharePoint weekly
• If there are any menu substitutions, provide the necessary menu-supporting documentation (CN label, product formulation statement, Nutrition Facts, standardized recipe)
• Attend the required annual sponsor CACFP training that includes meal pattern, reimbursement, meal counts, claims, recordkeeping, and civil rights
• Clock in/out of Workday based on food-related responsibilities

Classroom Support

• Provide classroom coverage as needed
• Assist teachers with the full implementation of Bezos Academy's performance standards, policies, and procedures
• Support Bezos Academy classrooms by following regulations and guidelines in the day-to-day operation of the classroom (i.e., cleaning materials, meal prep, nap time transitions, etc.)
• Organize materials and clean the workspace to facilitate the learning process for each child
• Support children's increasing independence with daily living skills (i.e., washing hands, using the bathroom, eating meals and snacks, cleaning up, etc.)
• Provide 1:1 support for children who are experiencing big feelings
• Develop positive relationships with children

Other

• Assist the Head of School and school staff in other operational duties in the school as necessary when the kitchen work is complete (e.g., support with laundry, front desk support, and other duties as assigned by the Head of School)
• Participate in team meetings, center activities, and staff development

Bezos Academy participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with employee Form I-9 Information to confirm authorization to work in the U.S. Bezos Academy only uses E-Verify once a candidate has accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-