Day Services Kitchen Specialist

New Avenues for Youth; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full health, vision, and dental保险 at 0

Generous paid time off: ~5 weeks first

Discounted gym memberships

Free counseling services

Job summary

New Avenues for Youth in Portland, OR is seeking a compassionate Kitchen Specialist for our Day Services team. You will prepare meals for youth, maintain a clean kitchen, and collaborate with staff to meet daily program needs.

Ideal candidates have 2+ years cooking experience, are CPR certified, and hold Oregon Food Handlers credentials. We offer strong benefits and professional growth opportunities in a supportive, equity-driven environment.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience cooking in a food industry setting.
• Ability to work with multicultural staff and youth.
• CPR training and certification required.
• Oregon Food Handlers Card required.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and serve daily meals and snacks for youth in Day Services Drop-In, ensuring nutrition, safety, and cultural responsiveness.
• Maintain a clean, organized, health-compliant kitchen, including cleaning, storage, and sanitation.
• Monitor food inventory, manage ordering, and reduce waste through planning.
• Ensure compliance with all food safety standards, including labeling and temperature control.
• Support the Drop-In environment by engaging positively with youth and creating a welcoming space.
• Collaborate with program staff to align kitchen operations with daily programming and youth needs.
• Participate in kitchen systems development, including opening/closing procedures and accountability tools.
• Respond to immediate kitchen or facility needs, including resets, deep cleans, or safety corrections.

Skills

Cooking experience

Multicultural collaboration

CPR certification

Food safety

Job description

Schedule

Full-time; Monday–Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm

Location

314 SW 9th Avenue, Portland, OR 97205

Transform Lives, Transform Yourself:

Are you eager to be a part of the change and care that supports youth in our community? Do you have experience that could be an assurance and lift for young people facing houselessness to help them with the skills and resources to lead healthy, independent lives? New Avenues for Youth seeks a compassionate and resilient Kitchen Specialist to join our Day Services Team.

Join New Avenues and…

• Make an Impact: Provide consistent support, guidance around resources, and advocacy.
• Thrive in a Supportive Team: Join a collaborative and inclusive environment where your contributions are celebrated.
• Grow as a Professional: Receive ongoing training, mentorship, and opportunities for career advancement.
• Enjoy a Robust Benefits Package: We value your well-being and offer a robust benefits package that includes:
• Full health, vision, and dental insurance at zero cost to the employee (with options to cover family members), to ensure your physical and mental health are prioritized.
• Generous paid time off to support your work-life balance and personal needs. Roughly five weeks of available time off in year one with an additional week added in year two.
• Discounted gym memberships to encourage a healthy and active lifestyle.
• Access to free counseling services to help you manage stress and maintain your emotional health.

Our Commitment to Equity:

At New Avenues for Youth, we envision a community where all young people thrive. We recognize that historical inequities and intersecting forms of oppression have created barriers for many. We are unwavering in our commitment to dismantling these barriers and fostering a truly equitable space where every voice is heard and valued.

Who You Are:

• Supportive : You agree to center the youth experience, build trust, and follow through on your investment to the young people that we serve.
• Compassionate : You offer empathy without judgment, listen effectively, and create a safe space for young people to share their stories and struggles.
• Resilient : You are committed to showing up consistently and holding the youth experience separate from your own.
• Growth-Oriented : You embrace continuous learning, seeking new knowledge and skills to better support yourself and the youth that we serve.
• Equitable : You understand how systemic oppression impacts the lives of youth in programs and the systems that you will support youth in navigating. You support our unwavering commitment to dismantling these barriers and fostering a truly equitable space where every voice is heard and valued.

What You'll Do:

• Prepare and serve daily meals and snacks for youth accessing Day Services Drop-In, ensuring food is nutritious, safe, and culturally responsive
• Maintain a clean, organized, and health-compliant kitchen environment, including daily cleaning, food storage, and sanitation practices
• Monitor food inventory, manage ordering of supplies, and reduce waste through thoughtful planning and tracking
• Ensure compliance with all food safety standards, including proper food handling, labeling, and temperature control
• Support the overall Drop-In environment by engaging positively with youth, helping create a welcoming and safe space
• Collaborate with program staff to align kitchen operations with daily programming and youth needs
• Participate in kitchen systems development, including implementing and maintaining opening/closing procedures and accountability tools
• Respond to immediate kitchen or facility needs, including supporting resets, deep cleans, or safety corrections when necessary

Qualifications:

• 2+ years of experience cooking in food industry required; experience managing food services preferred.
• Ability to work with multicultural staff and youth required.
• Must be willing to be CPR trained and certified.
• Must be willing to take Food Safety Training and obtain an Oregon Food Handlers Card.
• Must have access to an automobile, a valid driver’s license, and active auto insurance on that vehicle.

A person in this position must be able to perform with or without accommodation the essential functions of this job including any physical requirements associated with this role. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. If the position may require the use of any personal protective equipment, New Avenues will have such equipment on hand for the employee’s use.

Any candidate deemed viable for this position based on resources and resume submission will be contacted to participate in a screen interview to discuss interest and job compatibility. Of those screened, advancing candidates will be asked to participate in a subsequent interview or interviews to evaluate job qualifications and interest further. From this process, a hiring selection will be made.

New Avenues for Youth is an Equal Opportunity Employer.