Culinary Lab Assistant

Joliet Junior College; Joliet (IL); On-site; USD 20,664 - 27,552; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Non-Union Support Staff benefits

Flexible hours

Part-time schedule

Job summary

Joliet Junior College is seeking a part-time Culinary Lab Assistant in Joliet, Illinois. In this role, you will assist instructional faculty and students in the Culinary Arts Management Program. Responsibilities include supporting lab operations, monitoring students, and ensuring adherence to safety standards. Ideal candidates should possess prior culinary lab experience and effective communication skills. The position offers non-union support benefits and requires flexible hours during scheduled lab times.

Qualifications

• Ability to communicate effectively with students, faculty, and foodservice staff.
• Self-motivated, patient, and responsible.
• Demonstrated commitment to values of respect and inclusion.

Responsibilities

• Assist students with menu production and monitor quality.
• Ensure students follow recipes and safety practices.
• Inventory products and prepare orders for each class.

Skills

Effective communication

Problem-solving

Cultural competence

Bilingual (English and Spanish)

Education

One year of culinary arts lab work

FSSMC sanitation license

Job description

Position Title: Culinary Lab Assistant

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The student population at the college is diverse in ethnicity, gender, language, age and background. Joliet Junior College is an AA/EO employer and strongly encourages applications from candidates who would enhance the diversity of its staff.

Position Summary

Responsible for assisting instructional faculty and students, and provides support in the operation and monitoring of lab processes, equipment and activities in the Culinary Arts Management Program.

Essential Job Duties and Key Responsibilities

• Meet with instructor to discuss any special needs for that day’s lab class.
• Assist students with menu production and supervise quality of product.
• Monitor students to ensure they are following proper recipes, cooking procedures, baking practices, and service skills where appropriate.
• Continually monitor sanitation and safety practices of students.
• Inform chef instructor of any misconduct, mishandling or a destruction and/or waste of product by students.
• Monitor all storage and food production areas to ensure that students put products away and store them properly.
• Assist students with proper professional knife skills, terminology and techniques.
• Maintain a positive attitude towards students to foster a learning environment.
• Assist with Chef for a Day visiting students, recruitment efforts and high school/career fair presentations.
• Fill in as a teacher assistant when needed.
• Assist with instruction of daily cooking and food production lessons.
• Assist with supervision of student workers as necessary.
• Perform final inspection of individual student work area and dismiss students at the end of each class once all food production and classroom food spaces have been cleaned and sanitized.
• Ensure operation is in good condition for health department inspections of student food production areas.
• Work with the instructor to inventory all products and prepare orders for all food and non-food supplies needed for each class.
• Develop and maintain production sheets for each instructor/class.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• One (1) year of culinary arts lab work completed with a grade of “B” or better.
• Ability to communicate effectively with students/faculty and foodservice staff.
• Self‑motivated, patient, with common sense and problem‑solving ability and a willingness to accept responsibility.
• Recommendation from chef/lab instructor for position of lab assistant.
• Must be able to work flexible hours during scheduled lab times.
• Must possess (or currently be in process of earning) a current FSSMC sanitation license for the State of Illinois.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with other members of the college and community, displaying cultural competence as well as emotional intelligence.
• Demonstrated commitment to the college’s core values of respect and inclusion, sustainability, integrity, collaboration, humor and well‑being, innovation and quality.

Preferred Qualifications

• English and Spanish verbal and written communication proficiency.
• Demonstrated multicultural competence.

Physical Demands

• Normal culinary lab physical demands.
• Must complete physical.
• Must be able to lift up to 50 lbs.
• Standard culinary lab equipment.
• Must be able to stand for extended periods of time.

Working Conditions

Culinary lab environment.

Benefits

Non‑Union Support Staff, Professional, Administrative benefits available.

Full Time/Part Time: Part time | Scheduled Hours: 28