Departmental Assistant (Charles River Campus Culinary Assistant)

University of Massachusetts Amherst; Newton (MA); On-site; USD 2,066,000 - 2,617,000; Part time

Job summary

University of Massachusetts Amherst, Mt Ida Dining, Newton, MA, seeks a part-time Departmental Assistant (Charles River Campus Culinary Assistant) to perform routine cooking and food service duties onsite. Responsibilities include following recipes, serving diners, cleaning equipment, and supporting staff.

The role requires one year cooking experience, knowledge of sanitary methods, and a food handler certification within six months.

Qualifications

• One year of cooking experience in hospitality.
• Ability to cook a variety of simple meals and assist in more complex dishes.
• Knowledge of approved sanitary methods for handling and serving food.
• Knowledge of equipment used in kitchen and food service areas.
• Ability to read and follow recipes.

Responsibilities

• Cooks food in large quantities by following recipes.
• May perform display cooking as assigned.
• Reads computer generated recipes and menus for simple meals.
• Cleans cooking equipment, work areas, food areas, counters, floors, carts, and utensils.
• Peels, chops, washes, and cooks foods for simple dishes.
• Transports food to and from storage areas and serves food to diners.
• Assists other staff with preparation of more complex dishes.
• Roasts, fries, boils, broils and seasons foods.
• Measures and mixes ingredients according to recipes.
• Uses kitchen tools to prepare soups, salads, desserts, sauces, gravies, and stews.
• Operates cutters and slicers to portion food.
• Evaluates food quality and freshness by tasting and observing.

Skills

Cooking

Food safety

Food prep

Communication

Training

Education

Food handler certification

Job description

Title: Departmental Assistant (Charles River Campus Culinary Assistant)

Executive Area: Administration and Finance

College/School/MBU: Auxiliary Enterprises

Department: Mt Ida Dining

Work Location: Newton

Schedule: Part Time

Work Arrangement: Onsite

Job Summary

Performs routine manual and domestic job duties in a food service operation including: cooking, cleaning and serving food. The basic purpose of this work is to perform cooking tasks and assist with cleaning and food serving work as needed. May be required to operate a cash register to make cash sales transactions.

Essential Functions

• Cooks food in large quantities by following recipes and standard operating procedures.
• May be required to perform display cooking as assigned.
• Reads computer generated recipes and menus for the preparation of simple meals.
• Cleans cooking equipment, work areas, food areas, counters, floors, food carts, trays, furniture, utensils, dishes, pots, and pans by scraping, hand washing, and machine washing.
• Peels, chops, washes, and cooks foods for simple dishes.
• Transports food to and from storage areas, loads food carts, transports food to serving areas, and serves food to diners.
• Assists other food services staff with the preparation of more complex dishes.
• Roasts, fries, boils, broils and seasons meats, fish, poultry, vegetables, and other foods required for daily meals.
• Measures and mixes ingredients according to recipes.
• Uses kitchen utensils and equipment to prepare soups, salads, desserts, dressings, gravies, sauces, and stews.
• Operates cutlery, grinders and slicers to prepare and portion food for cooking.
• Evaluates food for quality, quantity, appearance, temperature, and taste by tasting and observing to determine proper freshness, preparation and portioning.
• Stores foods in sanitary storage areas and at proper temperature to prevent spoilage.
• Communicate with Cook I, Cook II, and Cook III employees to report food and menu problems.
• Makes coffee.
• Separates and removes trash and garbage, and places them in designated containers.

Other Functions

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Incumbents of positions at this level must have one year of cooking experience in the hospitality trade.
• Ability to cook a variety of simple meals and to assist in the preparation of more complex dishes.
• Knowledge of approved sanitary methods and procedures for the handling and serving of food.
• Knowledge of approved sanitary methods and procedures for the care and use of kitchen, dining room and food service equipment.
• Ability to use kitchen, dining room and food service equipment.
• Ability to follow simple oral and written instructions.
• Ability to provide training, work assignments and functional supervision to student employees.
• Ability to give oral and/or written instructions in precise and understandable manner.
• Willingness to work varied shifts and irregular hours including weekends, holidays and nights.
• Ability to read and understand recipes.

Additional Details

Incumbents must be certified as food handlers within six months of the appointment start date through a recognized program approved by the University of Massachusetts (i.e. ServSafe).

This position is for the UMass Charles River Campus located in Newton, MA

Working Conditions

Work is performed in custodial or dining service environments, and entails prolonged standing, carrying loads, and use of cleaning chemicals or food service equipment.

Work Schedule and Work Arrangement

Schedule will vary based on departmental needs and may include nights, weekends, and holidays. This is a temporary position for the 2026 - 2027 UMass Academic Year.

Salary Information

Hourly Rate: $15.00 - $19.00 per hour