Cook's Helper

Rhode Island College; Providence (RI); On-site; USD 31,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and Vision benefits

Paid time off

Tuition benefits for RI institutions

Job summary

Rhode Island College is seeking a dependable Cook’s Helper to join our College Dining Services team. You will assist with food preparation, meal service, sanitation, dishwashing, and other essential kitchen operations to ensure high-quality meals for students, faculty, staff, and guests.

The ideal candidate is energetic, reliable, and enjoys teamwork. This role offers a stable, customer‑facing environment with opportunities to learn, grow, and access Rhode Island State employee benefits.

Qualifications

• Education and experience as described in the job posting.
• Experience in kitchens, hospitals, hotels, or restaurants preferred.
• Combination of education and experience considered.

Responsibilities

• Assist with food preparation, meal service, sanitation, and dishwashing.
• Support cooks and bakers with assembling, weighing, and portioning ingredients.
• Assist in central food processing plant with cleaning and setup.

Skills

Follow verbal/written directions

Food handling

Cleaning & sanitation

Education

Basic education requirement

Job description

Position Overview

Join our College Dining Services team and help create a welcoming dining experience for our campus community. We are looking for a dependable, customer‑focused team player who enjoys working in a fast‑paced environment and takes pride in supporting others through quality food service.

As a Cook’s Helper, you will assist with food preparation, meal service, kitchen sanitation, dishwashing, and other essential kitchen operations. This position plays an important role in ensuring students, faculty, staff, and guests receive excellent service and high‑quality meals every day.

The ideal candidate is reliable, energetic, and enjoys working collaboratively as part of a supportive team. Whether you’re preparing ingredients, serving food, maintaining a clean workspace, or assisting cooks and bakers, your contributions will help keep our dining operation running smoothly.

This is an excellent opportunity for candidates with food service, hospitality, or customer service experience who are seeking stable employment, a positive team environment, opportunities to learn and grow, and access to Rhode Island State employee benefits.

Key Responsibilities

• As assigned to work as helper under the close supervision of a cook by performing duties such as washing, peeling, chopping, dice, or grinding vegetables, fruits, and other foods for cooking or salads; making toast, coffee, tea, chocolate; preparing cereal, cooking eggs; making sandwiches; stirring soup; boiling potatoes or other vegetables; assembling diet trays; loading food onto trucks; setting up dining tables; serving food from steam tables; collecting trays, soiled dishes, cutlery, glassware; disposing of leftover foods; washing dishes manually or in an automatic dishwashing machine; cleaning and washing food trucks, dishwashing machines, iceboxes, walk‑in refrigerators; cleaning kitchen and cafeteria areas; and doing related work as required.
• As assigned to work as helper under the close supervision of a baker by performing duties such as assembling materials; weighing, measuring, and mixing ingredients by hand or with electric mixers to roll dough, filling pans with dough or batter; placing goods in ovens; carrying materials to bakers or machines; depositing ingredients; greasing pans; lining pans; moving racks or rack trucks of dough or baked goods; cleaning bakery areas and related equipment; and doing related work as required.
• As assigned, to work in the central food processing plant by performing duties such as helping cooks, bakers, and meat cutters with assembling, portioning, packaging, transporting materials; operating a pan and rack washing machine; washing pots and pans; cleaning work areas and refrigerators; and doing related work as required.

Education and Experience

• Education: sufficient ability to follow simple verbal and written directions and to generate simple sums and differences.
• Experience: prior employment as a helper in kitchens or bakeries in hospitals, hotels, or restaurants that required routine food preparation, food service, and incidental tasks in a kitchen or bakery.
• Combination of Education and Experience: any combination substantially equivalent to the above.

Required Qualifications

• Familiarity with the methods and procedures applied in cooking or baking of food, in food service, and in cleaning of kitchen or bakery areas.
• Ability to understand and follow simple verbal or written directions.
• Ability to exercise care in handling, washing, drying, and storing cooking or baking equipment and glassware.

Preferred Qualifications

• Valid State Driver’s License.
• NSF Food Safety Certificate.
• State of RI Food Safety Manager Certificate.

Benefits

• Health and Wellness – Medical, Dental & Vision
• Wellness Incentives and Rewards
• Paid time Off – Vacation, Sick & Holiday
• Disability and Insurance Benefits
• Education Benefits – Tuition waivers for RIC, CCRI & URI

Employment Details

Position Type: Staff – Classified

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Employment: Full Time (Academic or Calendar Year schedule)

Special Instructions

At the time of appointment, must be physically qualified to perform assigned duties as evidenced by a physician’s certificate.

EEO Statement

Rhode Island College is an equal opportunity employer. The institution does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability religion, age, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law. Rhode Island College is committed to maintain a workplace and educational environment that supports equal opportunity, professionalism and respectful engagement for all community members.