Cook

Montgomery County Maryland; Manhattan (KS); On-site; USD 22,000 - 23,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

40-hour week schedule

Job summary

Kansas State University Housing and Dining Services is seeking a cook to support resident hall dining operations in a from-scratch environment. This role includes coordinating production, training student staff, and safely handling equipment in a 40-hour week schedule with weekend coverage.

Early and late shifts are available with a generous benefits package. Must reside in the United States and be eligible to work in the U.S. onsite at the campus in Manhattan, KS.

Qualifications

• One year of experience in commercial/institutional cooking.
• Ability to learn basic math for measuring ingredients.
• Ability to operate and care for kitchen equipment.
• Ability to handle food safely in a large-scale production environment.
• Strong knowledge of large-scale food preparation, safety, and sanitation.

Responsibilities

• Prepare multi-step entrees and side dishes from scratch using standardized recipes.
• Operate and maintain kitchen equipment safely and sanitarily.
• Assist in batch cooking and coordinate production.
• Train and oversee student staff in production area.
• Participate in daily team meetings and work collaboratively.

Skills

Commercial cooking

Institutional cooking

Team cooperation

Education

Experience-based qualification

Tools

Cooking equipment care

Job description

About This Role

At the heart of it all, our dynamic team works together to prepare safe, wholesome food for the residents and guests in the Residence Hall system at Kansas State University. Cooks provide food production support to several different food and service platforms in a “from scratch” production environment. The 40 hour per week work schedule includes a generous benefit package. The work schedule includes one Saturday or Sunday (one day) every other weekend. A day off will be scheduled either before or after the weekend day. Early and late shifts are available and offer a generous benefits package.

Duties include:

• Prepare multi-step, complex entrees and side dishes using standardized menus and recipes. Assist in the coordination of food production using batch cooking methods.
• Operate, clean, and maintain equipment and work areas in a safe and sanitary manner. Comply with all cleaning and sanitation standards.
• Evaluate HACCP and food safety activities and works closely with others to make sure all equipment and cleaning standards are being met. Store and handle food in a safe and sanitary manner using established procedures.
• Participate as an effective team worker by cooperating with and assisting co-workers and by participating in daily meetings.
• Train and oversee the work of student employees in production area.

About Us

Housing and Dining Services is a large, complex, self-operated auxiliary department employing about 1,000 full and part-time staff. As a group, we share the desire to provide exemplary services, products and facilities for our residents and other guests. K-State food has once again landed in the Top 20 nationwide. The Princeton Review's " The Best 390 Colleges " has ranked K-State's campus food at No. 14 in its 2025 issue. It's pretty rare for campus meals to be made from scratch on location, and our students appreciate that!

Worksite Description

The duties of this position are performedon-site.

All employees must reside in the United States when they begin working to comply with state law. K-State is unable to provide remote or hybrid work opportunities for residents of the state of Idaho.

What You'll Need to Succeed

Minimum Qualifications:

• One year of experience in commercial/institutional cooking.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ability to learn to perform basic math computations to accurately weigh and measure ingredients
• Ability to use and care for equipment
• Ability to handle food safely while preparing high quality products
• Considerable knowledge of large scale food preparation, equipment, health sanitation, and safety procedures
• One to three years experience in an institutional or volume setting
• Ability to understand and follow written and oral instructions

Additional Role Information:

• Work regularly requires moderate physical exertion to transport heavy items (up to 50 lbs.) repetitively.
• Work is generally performed in a stationary position for long periods of time.

Sponsorship eligibility:

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship.

Application Window

Applications close on: August 28, 2026

Anticipated Hiring Pay Range

$16.00-16.25 per hour. Some shifts may be eligible for an additional $.60 per hour shift differential.