Casual Cafeteria Worker

Halifax Regional Centre for Education; Dartmouth; On-site; CAD 28,000 - 32,000; Part time

Job summary

The Halifax Regional Centre for Education is seeking Casual Cafeteria Workers to work on-call for the 2026-27 school year. The Cafeteria Worker will prepare and serve meals, follow safety standards, and interact with students in a fast-paced school environment.

Applicants must have a High School Diploma or equivalent; Basic Food Safety training is required or provided. The role involves lifting up to 50 lb, standing for long periods, and may require travel between schools within the HRCE region.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent.
• Basic Food Safety Training required or provided.
• Food service experience preferred.
• Understanding of food allergies and related conditions.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lb and stand for extended periods.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and serve food following policy and safety standards.
• Complete daily logs (temperature, cleaning, quantities).
• Place food orders with vendors as requested.
• Interact positively with students and maintain confidentiality.
• Support recycling and kitchen cleanliness; assist with duties as needed.
• Deliver orders to adjacent schools when required.

Skills

Basic Food Safety

Food Service Experience

Communication Skills

Interpersonal Skills

Teamwork

Diversity & Inclusion

Confidentiality

Education

High School Diploma or Equivalent

Job description

The Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) is the largest Centre for Education in Atlantic Canada with over 10,000 full-time, part-time and casual employees. Serving more than 60,000 students in 136 schools, our geographic region spans a 350 km radius.

The Halifax Regional Centre of Education is accepting applications for Casual Cafeteria Workers to work on-call for the 2026-27 school year.

The Cafeteria Worker is responsible for food preparation and service for the school community within the guidelines of the School Food and Nutrition Policy. The Cafeteria Worker will interact daily with students and pre-primary children of various backgrounds and will maintain dignity, respect and confidentiality for all individuals. The Cafeteria Worker will show initiative and work within the values of the School Lunch Program. They will be committed to promoting healthy eating, food equity and local, minimally processed foods in the school cafeteria. The Cafeteria Worker will work effectively in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and reports to the Lead Cafeteria Worker.

• The number of available hours and working locations varies greatly from week to week. It is important to note that casual Cafeteria Worker assignments are most frequently used to provide day to day replacement service to schools they are interested in throughout the region.
• Applicants will be asked to clearly indicate the geographical areas of the HRCE in which they are able to work.
• Upon successful interview, aCriminal Records Check with Vulnerable Sector SearchandChild Abuse Registry Search (issued within the last 6 months) are mandatory upon hire.
• The Hourly Rate for this position is $21.26.

Key Responsibilities

• Complete daily logs as required (e.g., temperature, cleaning, amount of food prepared, consumed and composted).
• Place food orders through identified food and supplies vendors when requested.
• Positively interact with students as they go through the lunch line without commenting on the types or amounts of foods they choose.
• Ensure food safety standards are followed at all times.
• Prepare and serve food.
• Perform kitchen duties as required such as washing dishes, collecting and removing compost, recyclables and garbage, cleaning and organizing work areas, restocking supplies.
• Serve students in fast, efficient and friendly manner.
• Promote and maintain positive working relationships and communication within the school environment.
• Adhere to the School Food and Nutrition Policy for Nova Scotia Public Schools and the School Lunch Program menu standards in all aspects of the food service.
• Support of the school recycling program.
• Other duties as required.
• Delivery Positions only: deliver cafeteria orders to neighboring schools based on the food service model

Qualifications

High School Diploma (or equivalent)

• Basic Food Safety Training is required, and can be provided as part of job training.
• Food service experience and/or training preferred.
• Understanding of food allergies and food-related conditions.
• Physical capabilities to perform duties of the position including heavy lifting, walking and standing during most of the day, and working in an environment with heat fluctuations. May require lifting of up to 50 lb.
• Excellent communication skills including the ability to follow written and oral instructions.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to responsive to the diverse backgrounds and personalities of students of various ages while in a busy, fast paced environment.

This Job Reports to theLead Cafeteria Worker

The Cafeteria Worker shall have the following competencies:

• Be committed to food equity and equitable access to foods in non-stigmatizing manner.
• A demonstrated commitment to client service and the ability to provide quality front-line customer service;
• The ability to apply knowledge, experience and commitment in the areas of race relations, cross cultural understanding, human rights and diversity;
• The ability to work and communicate effectively within the Halifax Regional Centre for Education including parents, staff, students, community members and external groups such as government agencies;
• The ability to work effectively as part of a team;
• The ability to promote and maintain confidentiality;

Nova Scotia’s Regional Centres for Education and the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (CSAP) are committed to an inclusive education system that supports the well‑being and achievement of every student and is high-quality, culturally and linguistically responsive.

The Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) is actively working to hire individuals from under‑represented groups, particularly people of African Nova Scotian, African Canadian and African ancestry and Mi’kmaw/Indigenous ancestry, to work toward equitable representation within all employee groups. Equitable hiring strengthens the knowledge and expertise in our schools, and supports our public education system in establishing schools as safe, caring, and accessible learning spaces that support all students. This will provide opportunities for students to see themselves reflected throughout their schools, learning resources, and within their learning experiences.

HRCE has a Recruitment, Selection and Hiring of Staff Policy and we actively encourage applications from under‑represented groups, particularly people of African Nova Scotian, African Canadian and African ancestry and Mi’kmaw/Indigenous ancestry, in compliance with the applicable collective agreements or terms and conditions of employment. Applicants are encouraged to complete the Diversity Management Questions in the online resume.

Applicants invited to participate in the hiring process (such as an interview or testing) and who require accommodation, should discuss their request for accommodation when invited to the assessment process.

Employment with the Halifax Regional Centre for Education is contingent upon providing a satisfactory Criminal Records Check with a Vulnerable Sector Search and Child Abuse Registry Search.