Kitchen Support

Push Operations; Halifax; On-site; CAD 31,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Upward Mobility Kitchens East is seeking a full-time Kitchen Support to join our Halifax production team, Sunday to Thursday, 8am to 4pm. You will assist with large-scale meal prep, packaging, and daily kitchen operations at our Bayers Road kitchen, contributing to school lunch and community food initiatives.

The role emphasizes reliability, teamwork, and strong communication as you learn our systems and support fast-paced service in a community-focused kitchen.

Qualifications

• Must have valid food safety certification or willingness to obtain one.
• Be willing to undergo a background and vulnerable sector check.
• Able to lift and transport packages up to 40 kg throughout the day.
• Minimum 1 year of experience in a fast-paced kitchen environment.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Good time management and organizational abilities.
• Comfortable providing regular updates via text and phone in English.

Responsibilities

• Assist kitchen staff with large-scale food preparation tasks, including plating meals, chopping, cleaning, dishwashing, sweeping, and mopping.
• Support daily kitchen setup, breakdown, and cleaning to maintain a safe, organized workspace.
• Follow all food safety, sanitation, and workplace health and safety standards.
• Take initiative; handle tasks without being asked and flag issues like low supplies or equipment problems before they become a problem.
• Stay open to learning other stations and pitching in on kitchen or service tasks as needed.
• Communicate clearly with kitchen and operations staff regarding delays, issues, or schedule changes.
• Work efficiently as part of a small team during busy, fast-paced service periods.

Skills

Food Safety Certification

Background check

Lifting 40kg

Kitchen experience

Communication

Time management

English communication

Job description

Who We Are:

Upward Mobility Kitchens East is a community-focused social enterprise based in Halifax. We prepare and deliver nutritious, chef-made meals to schools and community partners across the region through the provincial School Lunch Program and other food initiatives, producing thousands of meals each day from our production kitchen.

At our core, we believe good food matters, and so does how it’s made. Our kitchens run on teamwork, consistency, and respect for the people we work with and the communities we serve. The work is hands‑on and fast‑paced, from large‑scale meal preparation and packaging to daily coordination with delivery teams and partner sites. It only works when everyone shows up, communicates clearly, and takes pride in doing their job well.

We’re looking for people who care about being reliable, supporting their teammates, and contributing to something meaningful. If you value doing good work, working as part of a team, and being part of a kitchen that helps feed students and support the community every day, you’ll fit in here.

Position Summary:

This is a full-time, in-person role, working Sunday - Thursday, from 8am - 4pm.

The Kitchen Support will play an essential role in supporting our School Lunch and community food programs. The position will begin with a strong focus on kitchen prep and production, allowing time to learn our systems, programs, team, and the communities we serve. During this phase, you’ll support large-scale food preparation, packaging, cleaning, and daily kitchen operations at our Bayers Road production kitchen.

This role is well‑suited to someone who enjoys hands‑on work, values teamwork and reliability, and is comfortable balancing independent tasks with collaborative kitchen work in a fast‑paced environment.

Job Requirements:

• Valid Food Safety Certification (or willing to complete certification)
• Willing to undergo a background check and vulnerable sector check
• Ability to comfortably lift and transport many packages up to 40kg throughout the day
• Minimum 1 year of experience working in a fast‑paced kitchen environment
• Good interpersonal and communication skills
• Good time management and organizational skills
• Comfortable providing regular updates and communication via text and phone call in English

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist kitchen staff with large-scale food preparation tasks, including plating meals, chopping, cleaning, dishwashing, sweeping, and mopping.
• Support daily kitchen setup, breakdown, and cleaning to maintain a safe, organized workspace.
• Follow all food safety, sanitation, and workplace health and safety standards.
• Take initiative; handle tasks without being asked and flag issues like low supplies or equipment problems before they become a problem.
• Stay open to learning other stations and pitching in on kitchen or service tasks as needed.
• Communicate clearly with kitchen and operations staff regarding delays, issues, or schedule changes.
• Work efficiently as part of a small team during busy, fast‑paced service periods.