Food Service Aide (Temporary)

Educational Alliance; New York (NY); On-site; USD 21,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

Educational Alliance seeks a temporary Food Service Aide to support meal services at the Weinberg Center for Balanced Living in New York City. You will work with kitchen staff to prepare, pack, and serve meals to older adults, ensuring safety, portion control, and on-time service.

The role requires a NYC Food Handler Certification and English fluency, with preference for experience serving older adults and strong customer service.

Qualifications

• High school diploma with NYC Food Handler Certification.
• English fluency required; other languages are a plus.
• Experience working with older adults is preferred.
• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills desired.
• 1+ years of experience in food services preferred.
• Knowledge of NYC DOH and NYC Aging food safety standards.
• Cleanliness and sanitation importance; ability to work autonomously.

Responsibilities

• Prepare, transport, assemble, and serve congregate breakfast and lunch meals.
• Assemble, pack, and distribute take-home meals with labeled dates and reheating instructions.
• Maintain a clean, sanitary service line, dining area, and pantry; follow food safety routines.

Skills

English fluency

Customer service

Safety compliance

Team collaboration

Flexible hours

Education

High school diploma + NYC Food Handler Certification

Tools

Commercial kitchen equipment

Job description

Educational Alliance brings together and partners with diverse communities in Lower Manhattan, offering individuals and families high-quality, multi-generational programs and services that enhance their well-being and socioeconomic opportunities. We are a place where everyone is welcome and where progress is powered one relationship at a time. We are proud of our legacy as a Jewish organization, and we provide high-quality, transformational services and programs to all New Yorkers through our network of community centers on Manhattan’s Lower East Side and East Village. As we have for 130 years, we offer best-in-class programming–now across 15 sites—focusing on a mix of education, health and wellness, arts and culture, and civic engagement.

Manny Cantor Center (MCC) is one of New York City’s original settlement houses. EA was founded in 1889 to offer educational, social, and cultural services to Jewish immigrants arriving to the Lower East Side. Today, EA partners with diverse communities throughout Lower Manhattan. Across our network of community centers, we empower people of all backgrounds to flourish, recognizing the intrinsic value within each individual and the importance of building community.

We are seeking a temporary Food Service Aide who will work in tandem with the Kitchen staff to execute meal services at the Weinberg Center for Balanced Living (WCBL), ensuring that congregate breakfast, congregate lunch, and take-home meal services run efficiently and comply with federal, state, and local government laws and regulations regarding nutrition, health, and safety for older adults. This role performs a variety of routine food service tasks, such as setting up service areas, preparing, packing, and serving meals to the older adult center’s members, and cleaning. The Food Service Aide’s duties include maintaining a clean and sanitary service line, dining area, and pantry, inspecting and temperature-checking food for safe consumption, working with Directors and Kitchen staff to modify menus, conducting inventory, ensuring on-time delivery of food and supplies, and assisting with the accurate recording of temperatures, monetary meal contributions, and meal attendance. This position directly engages with community members, closely collaborates with a diverse team of volunteers, and partners with colleagues across MCC to ensure a positive meal program experience for all stakeholders.

This is a temporary position, expected to last approximately 3 months. The working hours are Monday-Friday, 7:30am-2pm.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work in tandem with the Food Service Aide, Senior to ensure efficient dining room, pantry, and kitchen operations, punctual meal service, and compliance with federal, state, and local laws and government agency regulations.
• Prepare, transport, assemble, and serve congregate breakfast and lunch meals, ensuring proper portion control and compliance with food safety standards.
• Assemble, pack, and distribute appropriately portioned take-home meals,
• Utilize appropriate kitchen equipment to ensure the preparation and service of meals meet NYC Aging, HACCP and DOH standards for time and temperatures.
• Observe and implement all safety, hygiene, and sanitation guidelines, including maintaining personal cleanliness and grooming standards, frequent handwashing, proper glove use, and the wearing of required protective gear (e.g., hat, apron, non-slip shoes).
• Properly set up food service and supply areas, preparing and clearing away food service equipment for congregate meals and special events, and receiving, unpacking, storing, and labeling food and supplies, in accordance with funders’ protocols and procedures.
• Follow daily, weekly, and monthly food safety routines, maintaining a clean and sanitary service line, dining area, and pantry, and regularly cleaning and sanitizing frequently used kitchen equipment, including the steam table, cold food station, coffee and ice machines, refrigerators/freezers, sinks, utensils, pitchers, cups, carts, trays, and tables.
• Work in tandem with the Food Service Aide, Senior to ensure efficient dining room, pantry, and kitchen operations, punctual meal service, and compliance with federal, state, and local laws and government agency regulations.
• Prepare, transport, assemble, and serve congregate breakfast and lunch meals, ensuring proper portion control and compliance with food safety standards.
• Assemble, pack, and distribute appropriately portioned take-home meals, making sure that containers are labeled with “Made On:” and “Expires:” dates and the packages include reheating instructions and Nutrition Facts.
• Utilize appropriate kitchen equipment to ensure the preparation and service of meals meet NYC Aging, HACCP and DOH standards for time and temperatures.
• Observe and implement all safety, hygiene, and sanitation guidelines, including maintaining personal cleanliness and grooming standards, frequent handwashing, proper glove use, and the wearing of required protective gear (e.g., hat, apron, non-slip shoes).
• Properly set up food service and supply areas, preparing and clearing away food service equipment for congregate meals and special events, and receiving, unpacking, storing, and labeling food and supplies, in accordance with funders’ protocols and procedures.
• Follow daily, weekly, and monthly food safety routines, maintaining a clean and sanitary service line, dining area, and pantry, and regularly cleaning and sanitizing frequently used kitchen equipment, including the steam table, cold food station, coffee and ice machines, refrigerators/freezers, sinks, utensils, pitchers, cups, carts, trays, and tables.
• Perform other appropriate tasks and occasionally flex work hours as your immediate supervisor or task manager deem necessary.

QUALIFICATIONS

• High school diploma with NYC Food Handler Certification
• English fluency required. Fluency in Spanish, Mandarin, or Cantonese a plus
• Experience working with older adults a plus
• Excellent customer service skills, including patience and flexibility
• 1+ years of experience in food services preferred
• Basic knowledge of commercial kitchen equipment operation and utensils
• Proficient in NYC DOH and NYC Aging food safety requirements and sanitation procedures
• Possess a high degree of cleanliness and sanitation
• Excellent communication, member service, and interpersonal skills
• Basic computer skills
• Experience working with older adults is preferred
• Ability to work autonomously in a high-pressure, deadline-driven environment

Limitations and Disclaimer

The above job description is meant to describe the general nature and level of work being performed; it is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for the position

EEO Info

.Educational Alliance is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, marital status, disability status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

For further information about Educational Alliance, please visit https://edalliance.org.