Food Services Worker

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Food Services Worker

Job Description

The Food Services Worker supports patient nutrition services by assembling, customizing, and delivering meal trays to patient care units, ensuring accuracy with diet orders and patient selections. This role works in a refrigerated environment to prepare trays prior to re-thermalization, assists patients with menu selections, documents intake for selected patients, and contributes to dishwashing and clerical tasks that keep the department running smoothly.

Responsibilities

• Assemble patient lunch and dinner meal trays on tray carts using patient selections and diet orders, working in a refrigerated environment prior to re-thermalization.
• Customize patient meal trays with requested drinks, desserts, rolls, and condiments before delivering them to patient care units.
• Set up patient food service stations on the tray-line for breakfast according to tally sheets or established par levels, and assist in assembling breakfast trays.
• Deliver meal trays and snacks to patients on assigned units, replacing missing items and offering alternative selections for undesired items for patients on regular diets.
• Coordinate with the Hospitality Service Office to verify appropriate alternatives for patients on restricted diets.
• Refill hot beverages and condiments from the hospitality cart during meal service rounds.
• Inform unit nursing staff of refused trays, missing trays that were called for, or patients who were not in their room at delivery time.
• Document food and liquid intake for selected patients according to departmental procedures.
• Retrieve used meal trays from patient rooms and unit kitchens, ensuring personal items are not left on trays.
• Strip food carts and breakfast trays, sort and rinse dishes and silverware to prepare them for washing, and assist in washing breakfast dishes and trays.
• Deliver menus to patients on assigned units, explain the menu process, and assist patients with completing their selections, including noting appropriate condiments.
• Recommend menu selections or offer alternatives from the write-in list when patients do not choose from the standard menu.
• Ensure every patient on assigned units has been contacted by completing host round sheets and returning menus and round sheets to the Hospitality Service Office.
• Check with the Hospitality Service Office for new admissions and diet changes for assigned units, deliver new menus and diet awareness cards, and return completed menus to the office.
• Complete requests for and deliver NOW trays, discharged trays, guest trays, and isolation trays, securing appropriate unit nursing staff sign-off prior to delivery.
• Inventory and stock the hospitality cart and/or hospitality basket with required items and deliver bulk nourishments to units as requested.
• Provide clerical support to the Hospitality Service Office, including answering telephones and following up on requests and issues communicated by the unit-based hospitality team.
• Produce standard computer reports such as meal tallies, diet orders, nourishment labels, patient meal tray tickets, and patient menus using the departments computer system.
• Enter patient selections and special food preferences into the computer system, including requirements for patients on therapeutic diets.
• Attend departmental in-service sessions and, when requested, assist with training and departmental education activities.

Essential Skills

• Demonstrated experience in food preparation in a food service or kitchen environment.
• Ability to perform volume cooking or work in high-volume foodservice operations.
• Strong customer service skills and a friendly, patient-focused approach.
• Experience following recipes, including accurate measuring, cutting, and portioning.
• Experience in foodservice operations such as line cook or similar roles.
• Ability to read and follow diet orders, tally sheets, and par levels accurately.
• Basic computer skills to generate reports and enter patient menu selections and preferences.
• Ability to communicate clearly with patients, nursing staff, and hospitality office personnel.
• Reliability and punctuality to support a consistent meal service schedule.
• Weekend availability with the ability to work assigned shifts without exceptions.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Prior hospital or healthcare food service experience is beneficial.
• Comfort working in a refrigerated environment and around re-thermalization equipment.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks such as tray assembly, delivery, documentation, and clerical support during busy periods.
• Attention to detail to ensure trays match diet orders and patient selections correctly.
• Willingness to attend departmental in-services and participate in ongoing training.

Why Work Here?

This role offers a contract-to-hire path with the opportunity to transition into a permanent position at a major hospital and gain access to comprehensive hospital benefits. Team members are recognized for strong attendance and performance, with opportunities for raises based on consistent reliability and quality of work. The environment values service, patient care, and professional growth, providing a stable schedule framework and a supportive departmental culture focused on collaboration and continuous improvement.

Work Environment

This position is based in a hospital Nutritional Services department, working closely with patient care units and the Hospitality Service Office. The typical shift is from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and schedules are released every two weeks, requiring consistent weekend availability. Work includes time in refrigerated areas for tray assembly prior to re-thermalization, as well as time on patient units delivering and retrieving trays. The role involves standing and walking for extended periods, handling food items, operating dishwashing and tray-line equipment, and using computer systems to produce reports and enter patient selections. The environment is fast-paced, patient-centered, and focused on maintaining high standards of cleanliness, safety, and food quality.

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Washington, DC.

The pay range for this position is $19.00 - $19.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Washington, DC.

This position is anticipated to close on Nov 12, 2026.

This is a fully onsite position in Washington,DC.

Aerotek® Inc. provides staffing and services solutions in manufacturing, logistics, construction, aviation, facilities and maintenance. We provide the expertise, solutions and people required to rise to the challenges of North American industry. Headquartered in Hanover, Md., Aerotek operates a unified network of over 200 offices across North America, supporting more than 18,000 clients each year. Aerotek is an Allegis Group company, the global leader in workforce and business solutions. To learn more, visit: Aerotek.com | 1-888-AEROTEK.

Aerotek offers weekly pay, employee benefits including medical, dental & vision, life insurance, health advocacy and employee assistance programs, a 401(k) plan, and employee discounts.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regards to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance:
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector:
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.