Cafe Lead / Assistant

Hands On Children's Museum; Olympia (WA); On-site; USD 10,000 - 60,000; Part time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a dynamic Café Assistant to support operations in a vibrant children's museum. This role involves ensuring the café runs smoothly while providing exceptional customer service to visitors. The ideal candidate will enjoy a fast-paced environment, demonstrating flexibility and teamwork. With a commitment to the museum's mission, you will engage with families, assist in food preparation, and contribute to a welcoming atmosphere. Join a passionate team dedicated to enriching the lives of children and families through interactive learning experiences.

Benefits

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Employee Wellness Program

Paid Holidays

401(k) Retirement Plan

Qualifications

• Must have a high level of energy, enthusiasm, flexibility, and patience.
• 1-year experience in a quick service restaurant preferred.

Responsibilities

• Ensure café operates efficiently and safely with optimal customer service.
• Assist with food handling, preparation, and cleaning duties.

Skills

Customer Service

Cash Handling

Food Preparation

Communication Skills

Multitasking

Education

High School Diploma

Associate Degree

Tools

POS System

Job description

Description

Status: Part time. Flex scheduling around museum programs and events. Must have weekend availability.

Wages: Lead Portion: $18.00 - $19.00 per hour DOQ
Assistant Portion: $17.00 - $18.00 per hour DO.

About Hands On:

The Hands On Children’s Museum is located on the picturesque East Bay waterfront in downtown Olympia. We are a nationally known family learning destination and the most visited children’s museum in the Pacific Northwest hosting more than 300,000 visitors each year. Our mission is to stimulate curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking skills through rich, interactive learning experiences. We believe that all children deserve respect and the opportunity to learn, regardless of their ability to pay, which is why the Museum works hard to serve more than one-third of its annual visitation through the Inspired Learning for All initiative. The Museum is recognized as a national Museum for All and won a Noyce Foundation Bright Lights Award for bringing art and science education to underserved populations.

Voted a “Best Place for Kids” for more than a decade, the Museum offers a state-of-the-art LEED Gold facility with 150 indoor exhibits, a half-acre Outdoor Discovery Center, Art Studio, a MakeSpace for tinkering and inventing, café and gift shop, and award-winning education programs including camps, workshops, preschool, parenting classes, field trips, community outreach and family support programs.

Position Overview:

This is a combination role, some days you will be the Person in Charge (PIC) and other days you will be assisting. This position supports the Café Team to ensure the museum cafe operates efficiently, safely, and with optimal customer service. In the Lead role, this position acts as the PIC for the shift, ensuring that the café operates according to HOCM and Food Safety procedures. As the Lead or Assistant, you will be responsible for opening and closing processes; processing sales transactions; food handling & preparation; cleaning; assisting with inventory or other assigned café duties. Demonstrates excellence in communication and customer service. An ideal candidate will possess the ability to cross-train into other departments to support operations in retail, front desk, and gallery services.

Our Playday Café offers salads, sandwiches, grilled paninis and quesadillas, soup, coffee, and other grab-and-go options in a family-focused environment. Daily service hours typically end at 4pm, with occasional evening events.

Essential Job Functions:

• Physical requirements include stooping, kneeling, bending, standing, squatting/crouching, crawling, pushing/pulling, climbing up and down stairs, and reaching above the shoulders.
• Ability to respond rapidly.
• Working outdoors exposed to sunlight/heat or rain/cold.
• Lifting boxes, tables, chairs, stools, and other exhibit pieces up to 30 lbs., team lift of 50 lbs.
• Must be able to perform work duties in an environment with noise and crowds.
• Must be able to use a walkie-talkie system for communication with other staff members.
• Ability to access, input, and retrieve information from the computer.
• Must be able to stand on your feet for long periods of time, have good stamina.

Café Assistant Job Specific:

• Cash handling, order taking & ticket writing.
• Prepping, cooking, stocking, & serving café menu items.
• Sweeping, cleaning & sanitizing the guest dining area.
• Cleaning dishes and café equipment to meet state and county health requirements and standards.
• Assisting with opening and closing procedures.
• Assisting with monthly inventory.
• Accurately recording waste, tips, R&D, and malfunctioning/broken equipment.

Café Lead (PIC) Job Specific:

Includes Duties Above, additionally:

• In the absence of the Assistant Director of Operations and Café Assistant Manager, work with the Front Desk Manager and/or Gallery supervisor to solve daily staffing issues as they arise (i.e. short staffing). Substitute/backup departments as needed if no other coverage available.
• Work with MOD to troubleshoot any customer service issues and provide resolutions for customer.
• Verify that staff receive and do not exceed allotted break times.
• Ensure that labor laws regarding minors’ breaks and workday are strictly adhered to.

Requirements

Availability Requirements:

• Must have Weekend availability.
• Must be available for local and regional school district breaks and holidays, museum events, and occasional after-hours events.
• Must be punctual and dependable.
• The preferred candidate will have schedule flexibility.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• High School Diploma or actively pursuing; Associate degree preferred.
• 1-year experience in a quick service restaurant, including using POS system preferred.
• Understanding of proper food preparation, storage, and handling procedures.
• Must have a high level of energy, enthusiasm, flexibility, and patience.
• Ability to communicate with the public, including Museum visitors, parents/caregivers, and community members in a courteous and professional manner.
• Ability to communicate with museum colleagues in a courteous and professional manner.
• Must be able to work independently and multitask in a fast-paced environment.
• Supportive of the Museum’s mission.

Workplace Values:

Achieving our mission requires great people who actively demonstrate our core values.

To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume, and 3 professional references.

Compensation & Benefits: Lead Portion: $18.00 - $19.00 per hour DOQ. Assistant Portion: $17.00 - $18.00 per hour DOQ, hourly, medical, dental, and vision, employee wellness program, paid holidays and time off, a 401(k) retirement plan, and lots of adorable children. Benefits vary by number of regularly scheduled hours worked, length of employment, and employment status. See the benefit details for this position here.

For more information, please visit our website at www.hocm.org.

The Hands On Children’s Museum exhibits, education programs, and employment are available to all without discrimination.