Assistant Chef

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research; United States; Hybrid; USD 48,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental

Retirement plan

Leave plans

Tuition assistance

PSLF eligible employer

Job summary

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research is seeking an Assistant Chef at the Mesa Lab Cafe. The role manages kitchen operations in the Chef's absence, assists the Chef, and oversees food preparation and inventory. May serve as lead for special events and may act as cashier during high-volume service.

Successful candidates will have a High School diploma or equivalent and at least 3 years in the food service industry or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent and at least 3 years in food service.
• Ability to lead in Chef/Supervisor's absence.
• Knowledge of food safety and sanitation practices.
• Experience with cash handling and POS systems.

Responsibilities

• Prepares all food items for soup or lunch selections and assists Cook in preparation of other items.
• May assist in salad preparation or front-line production.
• Ensures variety, wholesomeness and quality.
• Maintains accurate daily cash deposits and records and prepares monthly spreadsheet reconciliation.
• Oversees kitchen operations in the Chef/Supervisor’s absence and may lead on cafe daily operations during busy times.
• May cashier in conjunction with grill cooking or handle high volume service for lunch line.

Skills

Kitchen operations

Cashiering

Food safety

Lead for events

Communication

Education

High School diploma or equivalent

Tools

POS system

Spreadsheet software

Cash handling

Food prep equipment

Job description

Position Details

Position Type: Term - 6 months or more (Fixed Term)

Visa Sponsored Job: No

Relocation Assistance Eligible: No

Hiring Range: 47,610.00 USD - 49,590.00 USD *

Final salary and rates are based on education, experience, and skills relevant to the role.

Application Closes at 12:00am MST on: 2026-10-25

About the Role

UCAR is excited to announce the job opening for the Assistant Chef at the Mesa Lab Cafe. This position manages kitchen operations in the Chef's absence and assists the Chef. Oversees the preparation of food and inventory levels of the kitchen. Prepares food and may be a cashier. May serve as lead for special events.

Job Description

• Prepares all food items for soup or lunch selections and assists Cook in preparation of other items.
• May assist in salad preparation or front-line production.
• Ensures variety, wholesomeness and quality.
• Utilizes and handles all food including perishables and potentially hazardous foods in a safe and timely manner.
• May be called upon to cover for the supervisor in his/her absence and assume all responsibilities of the supervisor or may lead on the café daily operations if the supervisor is busy with the special event.
• May cashier in conjunction with grill cooking or handle high volume service for lunch line.
• Maintains accurate daily cash register deposits and records and prepares monthly spreadsheet reconciliation.

Leads Special Functions

• Prepares a variety of food items for Special Functions which may include appetizers, entrees, and desserts.
• May set up and serve functions.
• Sets up and delivers refreshment breaks.
• May receive deliveries; interact with vendors; maintain and sanitizes equipment; oversee inventory of area; prepare and store items in the highest safety and sanitation standards of industry; ensure maximum usage of quality of food and supplies.

Who We’d Love to Join Our Team

Successful candidates will ensure their application materials speak to the following criteria: Education & Experience: High School diploma or equivalent; and at least 3 years’ experience in food service industry or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (Required)

• Familiarity with all of the daily operations of the kitchen and ability to perform any task in the kitchen, if needed.
• Excellent culinary skills in order to prepare and cook food and know all styles of cooking done in the cafeteria.
• Ability to implement and follow-up on Chef/Supervisor orders.
• Ability to work with the kitchen team and lead them effectively in the Chef/Supervisor’s absence.
• Skill in hot and cold food preparation, including appetizers, salad bar, entrees to desserts, as well as lunch grill cooking.
• Skill in using math to determine serving sizes, estimating quantities of food prepared to serve to number of customers, and to balance cash receipts.
• Familiarity with standard practices in food safety, sanitation and service.
• Ability to make change, count cash drawers, and work with cash.
• Ability to deal with high volume, customer-oriented, and pressure-packed, deadline type environment.
• Ability to work a computerized point of sale system.
• Ability to work with spreadsheet software.
• Skill in hand processing and using equipment such as slicers, steamers, and different types of ovens, grills, and food processing equipment.
• Skill in all standard practices in food safety, sanitation and service.
• Willingness and ability to work evening or weekend hours for special functions.

Required application materials

• Resume (preferably in PDF Format)
• Questionnaire (embedded in application)

Preferred Qualifications

None

Benefits Overview

• UCAR offers a comprehensive benefits package: health insurance, dental, retirement plan, leave plans, tuition assistance, and employee assistance programs: Medical, Dental, Vision, and Short & Long Term Disability Insurance
• Generous retirement plan - UCAR contributes of 10% of base salary
• Time Off Plans Minimum 20 days of annual PTO 10 paid holidays 12 weeks of paid parental leave FAMLI Leave Tuition Assistance Program Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligible employer

Equal Opportunity

UCAR is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes applications from all individuals.

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, age, sex, gender identity, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Applicants are not required to provide age-related information (like date of birth or graduation dates) in initial submissions.

Visa Sponsorship

For sponsored positions: UCAR can sponsor individuals for H-1B status only if they are already in the U.S. in H-1B status or another visa status that allows them to change to H-1B status within the U.S. UCAR is unable to sponsor new H-1B visas for individuals who are outside the U.S. and need to obtain H-1B status through Consular Processing.

Compliance and Locations

All roles require compliance with U.S. export control regulations and work location requirements. All hybrid staff are expected to work on-site approximately 3 days per week.

At NCAR - the National Center for Atmospheric Research - we study weather, water, climate, air quality, and space weather to help protect lives and livelihoods, grow the economy, and enhance our nation’s security and well-being. We collaborate with research partners to advance the science that makes predictions better and with end users to develop applications for forecasters, farmers, resource managers, retailers, the military, and many other stakeholders.

UCAR - the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research - manages NCAR on behalf of the National Science Foundation. We are a nonprofit consortium of more than 115 colleges and universities with research and training programs in Earth system science. We bring together the academic community and provide the operational management that are both essential to NCAR's success.

UCAR’s community programs, from educational resources to data delivery and other services, extend the reach and impact of NCAR’s world-class research to the community and society. We seek talented people with diverse backgrounds, training, and skills to join us in our mission of science in service to society. Want to learn more? Visit ucar.edu.