Food Service Assistant: Louisville, KY (starting summer 2025)

Bezos Academy; Louisville (KY); On-site; USD 39,000 - 58,000; Full time

Job summary

Bezos Academy is seeking a Food Service Assistant to provide nutritious meals and support in our preschool environment. This full-time position involves managing food operations, assisting with classroom activities, and ensuring compliance with health regulations. Ideal candidates will have experience in a regulated kitchen and a passion for working with young children.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) plan with employer contribution

Paid parental leave

Flexible spending account for dependent care

32 paid days of scheduled breaks

Qualifications

• Must be at least 18 years old.
• Experience in a regulated kitchen setting required.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds.

Responsibilities

• Manage food preparation and service in compliance with safety protocols.
• Assist with inventory checks and classroom support.
• Ensure meals are prepared and delivered on time.

Skills

Food preparation best practices

Communication

Supervision of children

Diversity and inclusiveness commitment

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Food Service Assistant: Louisville, KY (starting summer 2025)

As a Food Service Assistant at Bezos Academy, you’ll help provide nutritious, compliant meals to children at our tuition-free, Montessori-inspired preschool and provide direct support with a variety of additional tasks both in and out of the classroom. You will manage all aspects of food preparation and service with strong attention to detail, organization, and adherence to safety protocols. Key responsibilities include preparing CACFP-compliant menus, placing food orders and managing food costs, receiving and verifying food deliveries, ensuring all meals are delivered to classrooms on time, and managing all clean-up, organization, and documentation. Assuming full ownership of the kitchen and food operations at the school, you will serve meals in accordance with USDA requirements, Bezos Academy policies, and local childcare regulations.

Beyond the kitchen, you will assist school staff and administration with a variety of tasks including inventory checks, laundry, and other ad hoc duties. As needed, you will also occasionally step into classrooms to provide direct supervision and support to the children. You will become an integral part of your school team working to improve processes and provide an excellent preschool experience where we nurture every child’s full potential.

LOCATIONS & START DATE

We are hiring for Food Service Assistants at our Louisville schools for the launch of 3 preschools in the fall of 2025. We anticipate a summer start date (late-July or August) for these roles.

Please confirm your location interest and availability on your application.

SCHEDULE, BENEFITS, & COMPENSATION

• School schedules vary depending on community needs but generally are from 8:30am-4:30pm, with start and end times totaling no more than 8 hours per day. Your specific schedule will be determined with your school leader when considering all staff, classroom, and community needs.
• This is a full-time (40 hours per week), benefits-eligible, non-exempt/hourly position.
• Compensation for this position is $19-$28 per hour (~$39,000-$58,000 annually). The upper third of the compensation range is typically reserved for existing employees who have been in the role for multiple years and demonstrate strong performance over time. Starting compensation will vary by qualifications and prior experience.
• This role includes 32 paid days of scheduled breaks, 3 paid days of personal time off, 7 paid days of sick (care) time, 10 paid holidays, and additional time off if required by applicable law. Benefits for this role include medical, dental, and vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, a 401(k) plan with a 4% employer contribution match, paid parental leave, an employer-matched flexible spending account for dependent care, and more. Please see here for details.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Age 18 with high school diploma or GED
• Experience working in an institutional or highly regulated kitchen/food setting with a clear understanding of food preparation best practices and protocols
• Ability to meet all credentialing criteria for lead early childhood teacher-caregivers (be at least 18 yrs old, be employed as an early childcare provider in a licensed or certified facility in KY, have completed within 2 years of applying for credential authorization 60 hours of planned program instruction) and food service assistants in Kentucky
• Ability to meet all additional state-required training and eligibility requirements of Kentucky including clearing state-required fingerprint clearance and background checks, tuberculosis tests, and so on, with required documentation of eligibility and training completion submitted to Bezos Academy prior to start of employment
• Experience working across lines of difference and strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusiveness
• Ability to independently supervise, communicate effectively with, and care for young children safely
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds, stand for long periods of time, and perform a variety of repetitive tasks to prepare and serve food safely
• Access to reliable transportation to and from work to ensure timely, effective instruction and toensure proper staff-to-child classroom ratios
• Ability to speak, read, and write English fluently
• Basic proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook)

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Familiarity with licensing or QRIS standards in Kentucky
• Two or more years of experience working in a school kitchen setting (preschool, early childhood education, daycare, or K-12 environment)
• Working knowledge of food allergens, intolerances, preferences, and accommodations
• Prior experience as an Assistant Teacher in a preschool setting
• Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education or two years of post-secondary coursework in Early Childhood Education
• Experience with Montessori pedagogy
• Experience with children with special needs
• Fluent in Spanish

RESPONSIBILITIES

NOTE: The combination of responsibilities may vary based on the needs of the school site, students, and prior experiences of the Food Service Assistant.

Food Service and Site Operations

• Place weekly food orders with the vendor based on student attendance trends and food waste analysis.
• Receive and verify daily food deliveries to ensure accuracy with order quantities and alignment with the approved menu. If meals are non-compliant, follow the Emergency Food SOP.
• Manage all aspects of routine vendor performance to ensure the vendor is meeting or exceeding expectations.
• Ensure all meals served to students are complaint and document any menu changes on menu.
• Track food consumption and waste daily to ensure food costs remain as lean and efficient as possible.
• Prepare and serve meals and utensils to classrooms for each scheduled meal service.
• Maintain compliance with strict food hygiene and safety protocols at all times.
• Ensure the kitchen, equipment, serving utensils, cookware, and dishes are consistently cleaned, sanitized, and well-maintained.
• Manage and organize food inventory, including proper labeling, dating, rotating stock, and discarding items nearing expiration in accordance with food safety guidelines.
• Record and log food temperatures prior to each meal service to ensure compliance with safety regulations.
• Accommodate children’s special dietary needs, including allergies, medical restrictions, and cultural or religious food requirements.
• Assist in serving meals during family engagement and school events as needed.

Added responsibilities if food is prepared on-site:

• Place weekly groceries orders based on the menu and current inventory.
• Receive and verify food delivery and follow up with vendor if food delivered is incorrect based on the order or spoiled.
• Prepare meals according to the planned menu and adapt recipes for dietary restrictions (allergies, religious diets, vegetarian, etc.).
• Prepare meals on a schedule (breakfast/lunch/snack).
• Adapt the menu (make substitutions) to avoid food spoilage and waste following the Menu Substitution SOP.
• Help plan menus that are nutritious, budget-friendly, and appealing to students.

Added responsibilities if school is under CACFP:

• Ensure vendor provides a delivery receipt and keep it for 3 years.
• Children receive the appropriate portion sizes for each meal pattern component by providing correctly sized serving utensils and clearly communicating the required serving sizes to classroom staff upon meal delivery.
• Review meal counts for accuracy and upload into SharePoint weekly
• If there are any menu substitutions, provide the necessary menu-supporting documentation (CN label, product formulation statement, Nutrition Facts, standardized recipe).
• Attend the required annual sponsor CACFP training that includes meal pattern, reimbursement, meal counts, claims, recordkeeping, and civil rights.
• Clock in/out of Workday based on food-related responsibilities.

Classroom Support

• Provide classroom coverage as needed
• Assist teachers with the full implementation of Bezos Academy’s performance standards, policies, and procedures
• Support Bezos Academy classrooms by following regulations and guidelines in the day-to-day operation of the classroom (i.e., cleaning materials, meal prep, nap time transitions, etc.)
• Organize materials and clean the workspace to facilitate the learning process for each child
• Support children’s increasing independence with daily living skills (i.e., washing hands, using the bathroom, eating meals and snacks, cleaning up, etc.)
• Provide 1:1 support for children who are experiencing big feelings
• Develop positive relationships with children

Other

• Assist the Head of School and school staff in other operational duties in the school as necessary when the kitchen work is complete (e.g., support with laundry, front desk support, and other duties as assigned by the Head of School)
• Participate in team meetings, center activities, and staff development

Bezos Academy participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with employee Form I-9 Information to confirm authorization to work in the U.S. Bezos Academy only uses E-Verify once a candidate has accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9. If E-Verify cannot confirm that an employee is authorized to work, Bezos Academy will give the employee written instructions and an opportunity to contact the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so the employee can begin to resolve the issue before any adverse employment action is taken. For more information about your right to work, please see the Notice of Right to Work.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you are in need of an accommodation to participate in the application process, please reach out [e-mail] . We will work with you to ensure you have a fair opportunity to apply for our open positions.

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GENERAL: Please list your personal address, including zip code: *

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Note: If hired, a Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, must be completed at the start of employment.

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LOCATION: I am interested in being an Food Service Assistant at the following school site(s): *

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As noted on the application, your specific schedule will be determined with your school leader at time of job offer based on the needs of your school. Sample schedules: 7:30am-3:30pm, 8:30am-4:30pm etc.

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On your resume, please also list the specific age groups of children you worked with for each role, where relevant.

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EXPERIENCE: If you marked in the question above that you have worked in a low-income community in the US, please explain in more detail below:

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EXPERIENCE: Have you received any specific training or certification related to food safety or allergen management? If yes, please provide details. *

EXPERIENCE: Are you proficient in a language other than English? * Select...

Please note this is not a requirement for this position.

EXPERIENCE: If you answered yes to the question above, please explain.

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EXPERIENCE: If you marked in the question about that you have experience working with the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), please tell us more below.

ELIGIBILITY: I certify that I have the physical ability to lift up to 50 pounds, stand for long periods of time, and perform a variety of repetitive tasks needed to prepare and serve food safely. * Select...

ELIGIBILITY: Do you have an active food handler certification? * Select...

ELIGIBILITY: Do you have your food manager certification? * Select...

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INTEREST: Why do you want to be a Food Service Assistant at Bezos Academy specifically? Please also address why you want to work with children ages 3-5 years old specifically. *

Please write a comprehensive paragraph that follows English grammatical conventions (250 words maximum).

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I affirm that I am personally submitting this application. I understand that, barring any accommodations granted by Bezos Academy, the submission of applications by third parties, including recruitment agencies and candidate placement services, is strictly prohibited. I acknowledge that any submission made on my behalf by an unauthorized third party may lead to the rejection of my application or subsequent termination of employment.

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I understand and agree that if I am employed, I will be employed on an at-will basis. As an at-will employee, I understand and agree that either the company or I can terminate our employment relationship, at any time for any reason, with or without advance notice and with or without cause.

I understand that nothing contained in this employment application or interview process is intended to create an employment contract and that no representation or promise regarding the duration or the termination of employment is authorized or binding unless contained in a written document signed by the President of Day 1 Academies, doing business as Bezos Academy.

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