Title: Kitchen Lab Assistant for Culinary Courses

Assignment: School-Year, Part-Time (0.5 FTE)

Location: Winnetka Campus and/or Northfield Campus

Occupational Group: NTESPA Instructional

Supervisor: Applied Arts Department Chair

Start Date: August 18, 2025

Position Outcomes:

To provide a supportive role managing kitchens on both our Winnetka and Northfield Campus (split time) and ordering and inventory items assigned by the Department Chair.

General Responsibilities:

This work involves tasks related to the sanitation, maintenance, inventory, ordering, set-up of the student culinary kitchens, storage areas and classrooms. There is a considerable amount of collaboration with culinary instructors and the Department Chair.

Qualifications:

Experience/interest in food preparation and/or hospitality industry
Must possess a valid Illinois driver’s license

Knowledge/Ability/Skills:

Exercise initiative and independent judgment
Keep informed of procedures and requirements
Strong clerical, organizational, and project management skills
High ethical standards
Ability to meet deadlines and manage multiple tasks
Ability to move around frequently in the office areas as well as other areas of the building
Exemplary interpersonal skills, and ability to communicate clearly and distinctly with staff, students, parents, and outside agency/vendor representatives

Position Expectations:

Shop at grocery stores for weekly culinary recipe ingredients
Place weekly ingredient orders for all culinary classes
Help maintain a recipe calendar that communicates forecasted recipes for each month, in collaboration with instructors
Recipe copying, sorting, and organization – ensuring each class has the right recipes and the right amount needed
Management of culinary kitchens:
1. Organizing food deliveries and storage locations. Keep track of expiration dates and what ingredients are currently inventoried and can be used for multiple recipes
2. Discarding expired/bad food when necessary. Creating and maintaining a labeling system for all food items
3. Manage ingredients such as meats and cheese and for preparation (example, when to defrost)
4. Helping to maintain safety and sanitation of kitchens
5. 1. Including cleaning of freezers, refrigerators, stovetops, commercial dishwashers, soap dispensers, food pantry
6. Organizing pans, utensils and equipment needed for labs
7. 1. Such as, deep fryers, countertop grills, blenders, etc.
  2. Repairing equipment or arranging to have repairs made by outside sources
Helping prepare ingredients
1. Preparation and layout of student ingredient stations: (examples such as: cutting butter, onions, cheese, meat and etc.)
2. Pulling out dry ingredients and returning those not necessary anymore as needed by recipe making sure to keep pantry clean and organized
3. Inventory and organization of all supplies
Check labs in the morning to make sure clubs left the labs in a safe and sanitized way
Maintain classroom hydroponic machines to produce fresh produce
Exhibits a positive attitude and projects a positive image of the district to staff and others
Continues job performance enhancement by participating in professional growth activities
Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor

FLSA: Non-Exempt

Link to ESP Salary Schedule

Link to ESP Benefits