Culinary Assistant | Dietary Aide | Kitchen Staff

Culinary Assistant | Dietary Aide - Senior Living

Serve Great Food. Create Great Experiences. Make a Difference.

Do you enjoy working with people, being part of a team, and making someone's day a little better?

Heritage Senior Living is looking for a dependable and friendly Culinary Assistant to join our dining services team. This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys food service and customer serviceor someone looking to gain experience in senior living and healthcare dining.

As a Culinary Assistant, you'll do much more than serve meals. You'll get to know our residents, help create an enjoyable dining experience, and play an important role in keeping our kitchen running smoothly.

Previous healthcare or food-service experience is helpful but not required. We're looking for people with a positive attitude and a passion for serving older adults.

Reporting to the Executive Chef and working closely with the culinary team, you'll assist with food preparation, meal service, kitchen operations, and maintaining a clean and welcoming dining environment.

Serve Our Residents

• Provide friendly and attentive service to residents, guests, visitors, and team members.
• Serve meals and beverages to residents and guests.
• Take individual food orders as needed.
• Prepare and deliver room-service trays.
• Help ensure meals are presented in an appealing and appetizing manner.
• Respond to resident requests professionally and courteously.
• Help create a positive and enjoyable dining experience at every meal.

Support the Culinary Team

• Assist with food preparation and meal production as directed by the Executive Chef or Sous Chef.
• Help prepare food and dining areas for special events, celebrations, and other community programs.
• Receive and properly store food and supply deliveries.
• Assist with inventory and organization of food and supplies.
• Label, date, rotate, and properly store food products according to established procedures.
• Organize refrigerators, storage areas, and other kitchen spaces.
• Assist with other essential kitchen functions as needed.

Keep Things Clean & Safe

• Wash and sanitize dishes, utensils, cookware, and kitchen equipment.
• Maintain clean and organized kitchen, food-preparation, storage, and service areas.
• Follow established cleaning schedules and infection-control procedures.
• Assist with garbage removal and general kitchen cleanup.
• Follow safe food-handling, sanitation, and infection-control practices.
• Assist with required food, equipment, cleaning, in-service, OSHA, and other compliance logs.
• Monitor dishwasher temperatures and chemical levels and report equipment or maintenance concerns to the Executive Chef.
• Follow Heritage Senior Living policies, procedures, and applicable food-service requirements.

What We're Looking For

You don't need years of culinary experience to be successful in this role. We're looking for someone who is dependable, hardworking, friendly, and passionate about providing great service to older adults.

You may be a great fit if you:

• Enjoy working with and serving older adults.
• Have a positive and friendly attitude.
• Take pride in providing excellent customer service.
• Enjoy working as part of a team.
• Are willing to jump in and help wherever needed.
• Pay attention to cleanliness, organization, and food safety.
• Can follow directions and established procedures.
• Are dependable and take pride in doing your job well.

Qualifications

• Previous food preparation, restaurant, hospitality, senior living, or healthcare experience is preferred but not required.
• Passion for serving older adults.
• Ability to present and serve food in an appealing manner.
• Strong communication and customer-service skills.
• Understanding of or willingness to learn sanitation, food-safety, and infection-control practices.
• Ability to work collaboratively with coworkers and community team members.
• Ability to meet applicable pre-employment, training, and regulatory requirements

Benefits & Perks

• Competitive pay
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid time off
• Paid holidays and/or holiday pay
• Retirement savings opportunities
• Employee assistance and wellness resources
• Training and development opportunities
• Opportunities for advancement
• Employee recognition programs
• A supportive and team-oriented work environment
• Meaningful work where you can make a difference every day

Benefit availability and eligibility may vary based on employment status, scheduled hours, location, plan requirements, and other applicable criteria.

Why Heritage Senior Living?

Working in senior living dining is different from working in a traditional restaurant.

You have the opportunity to get to know the people you serve, learn their preferences, hear their stories, and become a familiar and important part of their day.

A warm greeting, remembering someone's favorite beverage, or taking a few extra moments to make their meal special can make a bigger difference than you might realize.

At Heritage Senior Living, you're not just serving mealsyou're serving people.

If you're dependable, friendly, hardworking, and ready to be part of a team that makes a difference, we'd love to meet you.

Apply today and bring your passion for great service to Heritage Senior Living!

Essential Functions & Physical Requirements

• Communicate effectively with residents, guests, and team members.
• Read and follow menus, food labels, cleaning instructions, safety information, and required documentation.
• Stand and walk for extended periods throughout the workday.
• Bend, reach, stoop, kneel, push, pull, and perform movements necessary for food service and kitchen duties.
• Regularly lift, carry, and move items weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Safely handle food, dishes, cookware, kitchen equipment, cleaning supplies, and other materials.
• Perform food preparation, serving, dishwashing, cleaning, stocking, and other kitchen functions.
• Work safely around heat, steam, hot surfaces, sharp utensils, cleaning products, wet surfaces, and temperature changes.
• Maintain regular and reliable attendance.
• Work a flexible schedule based on resident and community needs, which may include weekends, holidays, and additional hours as needed.

Heritage Senior Living is an equal opportunity employer. Employment is subject to applicable pre-employment, training, and ongoing requirements in accordance with federal and state law.