Dietary & Food Service Aide I (16 hours/week)

Tufts Medicine; Melrose (MA); On-site; USD 23,000 - 26,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salaries and benefits that

403(b) retirement plan with company

Free on-campus parking

Career growth opportunities

Free Parking

Job summary

MelroseWakefield Hospital, part of the Tufts Medicine system, is seeking an entry-level Food Service Associate to support dietary and food service operations across our locations. The role focuses on preparing and delivering meals, maintaining kitchen cleanliness, and ensuring accurate tray assembly and diet order information.

Shifts are 16 hours per week, with weekend and holiday coverage; schedule includes 4p-8p and additional hours.

Qualifications

• Food service experience required.
• ServSafe certification within 6 months of employment.
• High School diploma preferred; hospital food service experience valued.

Responsibilities

• Maintains diet order information to ensure patients receive appropriate meals and nourishments.
• Cleans and sanitizes dishware, equipment and workstations; handles tray assembly tasks.
• Delivers trays to patients and assists with tray line setup and serving.

Skills

Food service experience

ServSafe certification

Customer service

Education

High School diploma

Tools

Cash register

Job description

MelroseWakefield Hospital, part of the Tufts Medicine system, has been offering the highest quality and accessible healthcare to the local community for over 130 years. With two hospital campuses, Level III Trauma Center, Level III Special Care Nursery, Breast Health Center, Cardiovascular Center and over 20 locations and 50 specialties, MelroseWakefield Hospital offers many opportunities to grow your career.

Job Profile Summary

This role focuses on activities related to the support services functions, such as dietary and food services, environmental services, general facilities, repair and maintenance, parking, sterilization and transportation to ensure all required support activities are completed in a timely manner and meet the organization's quality standards and expectations. In addition, this role focuses on performing the following Dietary & Food Services duties: Prepares and serves meals based on general or special diets. Responsibilities also include operating and maintaining kitchens, cafeterias, and counters across entity locations. Manages food inventories, schedules vendor deliveries, food preparation, and menu planning while adhering to regulatory guidelines. An organizational related support or service (administrative or clerical) role or a role that focuses on support of daily business activities (e.g., technical, clinical, non-clinical) operating in a “hands on” environment. The majority of time is spent in the delivery of support services or activities, typically under supervision. An entry level role that typically requires little to no prior knowledge or experience, work is routine or follows standard procedures, work is closely supervised, and communicates information that requires little explanation or interpretation.

Job Overview

Under general supervision, this position works in any location where food is prepared including retail, patient and catering operations. This position is involved in all aspects of food services including assisting with menu selection, food preparation, food delivery, kitchen cleanliness and sanitation.

Under general supervision, this position works in any location where food is prepared including retail, patient and catering operations. This position is involved in all aspects of food services including assisting with menu selection, food preparation, food delivery, kitchen cleanliness and sanitation.

Hours: 16 hours per week - Weekend and Holiday shifts required

Schedule

4p-8p Sunday, Monday, Friday, Saturday , AM hours available Saturday or Sunday 6:30-3p

Location

MelroseWakefield Hosptial

What We Offer:

• Competitive salaries and benefits that start on day one!
• 403(b) retirement plan with company match
• Free on-campus parking
• Career growth opportunities!
• Free Parking

Minimum Qualifications:

• Food service experience.
• ServSafe certification within 6 months of employment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• High School diploma or equivalent.
• One (1) year in hospital food services.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Maintains and communicates accurate and updated diet order information through the system to ensure patients receive appropriate meals, nourishments and commercial enteral products in accordance with current diet order.
• Responsible for cleaning and sanitizing of dishware, equipment and workstations. Strips, sanitizes, stacks, patients' trays and utensils in dish room, reassembles tray line. Cleans and sanitizes pots and utensils equipment, floors, walls, dish machine, etc
• May operate a cash register (or equivalent), receives payments of cash, checks and charges from customers or employees for goods or services, making change and issuing receipts or tickets to customers.
• Delivers trays to patients, picks up trays from patients.
• Ensures accurate tray assembly on patient tray line. Prepares normal menu items, salads, sandwiches, desserts, and special items.
• Other duties as assigned by department leader
• Ensures accurate tray assembly on patient tray line. Prepares normal menu items, salads, sandwiches, desserts, and special items.
• Operates a variety of kitchen utensils to weigh, measure, mix, wash, peel, cut, grind, stir, strain, season and knead food items for cooking, serving and storing
• Assists in the preparation of hot and/or cold foods, and properly stores food, utilizing knowledge of temperature requirements and spoilage.
• Maintains accurate sanitation and temperature logs in work area according to regulatory requirements.
• Assists with setup, stocking, serving and delivering of food from counters, steam tables and work stations
• Responsible for cleaning and sanitizing of dishware, equipment and work stations. Strips, sanitizes, stacks, patients' trays and utensils in dish room, reassembles tray line. Cleans and sanitizes pots and utensils equipment, floors, walls, dish machine, etc
• Removes trash from assigned workstation and/or from kitchen to specified area. Returns empty bottles and cans to recycle bin located in receiving /loading dock area. Removes crushed cardboard to designated areas.
• Maintains collaborative, team relationships with peers and colleagues in order to effectively contribute to the working groups achievement of goals, and to help foster a positive work environment.
• May prepare special nutritional products such as infant formulas, modular tube feedings, or powdered nutritionals for high-risk adult patients.
• May operate a cash register (or equivalent), receives payments of cash, checks and charges from customers or employees for goods or services, making change and issuing receipts or tickets to customers.

Physical Requirements:

• Standing and walking for 95% of the day, straining and lifting approximately 30lbs., pushing loaded carts (approximately 400lbs.).
• Requires manual dexterity to handle money, work cash register, preparing food,
• Exposure to infectious diseases due to interacting with sick patients
• Possible exposure hazardous chemicals due to cleaning and sanitation.
• Requires ability to hear phoned patient orders, supervisors instructions.
• Exposure to heat, cold, steam, chemicals and hot equipment.
• Frequent exposure to garbage and trash.

Skills & Abilities:

• Ability to read, write, and understand written instructions.
• Interpersonal skills necessary to interact with patients, patient care team and employees.
• Familiarity with therapeutic diets
• Knowledge of sterile food handling techniques.
• Ability to operate simple mechanical devices such as coffee urn, dish machine, slicer, trash compactor.
• Ability to use a knife for slicing, cutting, dicing.

About MelroseWakefield Hospital:

MelroseWakefield Hospital and Lawrence Memorial Hospital of Medford are two campuses with one community in mind: the people of north suburban Boston. MelroseWakefield Hospital and Lawrence Memorial Hospital are distinguished by the range of high-quality clinical care and services. Our teams welcome everyone with hospitality and humanity. We focus on reducing health disparities through 40+ local health programs across a system of hospitals, urgent care locations, outpatient services, and community physicians.

At Tufts Medicine, we want every individual to feel valued for the skills and experience they bring. Our compensation philosophy is designed to offer fair, competitive pay that attracts, retains, and motivates highly talented individuals, while rewarding the important work you do every day.

The base pay ranges reflect the minimum qualifications for the role. Individual offers are determined using a comprehensive approach that considers relevant experience, certifications, education, skills, and internal equity to ensure compensation is fair, consistent, and aligned with our business goals.

Beyond base pay, Tufts Medicine provides a comprehensive Total Rewards package that supports your health, financial security, and career growth—one of the many ways we invest in you so you can thrive both at work and outside of it.

Pay Range:

$17.00 - $19.09