POSITION SUMMARY: The Food Service Assistant I will be a utility player supporting teamwork in the kitchen and dining room. This position will do whatever it takes as directed by the supervising kitchen director or the acting onsite supervisor in order to ensure a high-quality dining experience for guests and staff during retreats and camps.
PROGRAM MISSION: Laity Lodge (LL) is an ecumenical Christian retreat center established as a place to encourage the laity, the people of God. As part of The H. E. Butt Foundation, Laity Lodge brings together scholars, theologians, musicians, artists, and guests into a unique environment of beauty, hospitality, and mindfulness for the purpose of encouragement and renewal. We seek to inspire the imagination of individuals to be agents of shalom in the world.
ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES: Rooted in our Christian faith, daily work reflects the Values of Hospitality, Stewardship, Unity, and Excellence.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
o Cleaning and Sanitation
o Clean the food preparation area and maintain a safe environment for preparing and cooking the food items
o Sweep, mop, wash dishes, and sanitize counters, tables, and other equipment
o Ensure food is properly stored
o Assist with table and kitchen linen laundry to include washing, drying, and storing properly
o Food Service
o Follow directions
o Respond to guest needs and to special requests from guests
o Offer help and assist where needed
o Serve food and beverages to guests
o Engage appropriately with guests, during meals and throughout the retreat, ensuring an excellent dining experience and highest quality of service at all times
o Food Preparation Support
o Prepare ingredients for cooking such as chopping herbs, dicing, cutting, slicing marinating, and seasoning food items
o Put away food items after use
o Use appropriate portion control and consistently monitor food line levels
o Prepare food according to special dietary requests as instructed
o Assist in unloading, receiving, and storing food and supplies
QUALIFICATIONS:
• At least 16 years of age
Employees under the age of 18 are not permitted to operate, feed, set-up, adjust, repair, or clean hazardous equipment such as power-driven meat processing machines (saw, patty forming machines, grinding, chopping, or slicing machines), commercial mixers, and power-driven bakery machines.
• Demonstrate ability to communicate in English
• Knowledge of health codes preferred
• Ability to obtain a ServSafe Certification
COMPETENCIES-Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Understand basic standards of cooking methods
• Maintain high quality standards for all food prep tasks
• Demonstrate a willingness to develop food prep skills
• Basic math skills
• Responds promptly to customer needs
• Listens and gets clarification
WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Mental and Physical Demands
Maintain emotional control under stress; work with interruptions and deadlines; walking, standing, stooping, bending, pulling, and pushing, use hands and fingers for typing and to handle controls; reach with hands and arms; occasional: lifting/carrying, pulling/pushing 10-30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
Environmental Factors
Occasional exposure to biological hazards (communicable diseases, bacteria, insects, mold, fungi, etc.). Occasional exposure to weather related conditions when working in outside environment and events. This job operates primarily in a commercial kitchen environment mainly in Leakey, Texas. Will experience occasional outdoor responsibilities. Must be able to work between camp and office facilities on uneven terrain, as needed.