Food Service Assistant (Part-time): Mesa, AZ

Bezos Academy; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 26,000 - 39,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid sick time

401(k) plan with employer match

Job summary

Bezos Academy is seeking a part-time Food Service Assistant in Mesa, AZ. You will manage CACFP-compliant meals, handle orders, deliveries, and inventory, and ensure US/Arizona childcare regulations are followed.

The role includes classroom support and occasional non-kitchen duties in a Montessori-inspired preschool environment. The position requires 25 hours per week, 9:00am–2:00pm, Monday–Friday, at $19–$28/hour, with benefits like sick time and a 401(k) match.

Qualifications

• 18+ with a high school diploma or GED.
• Pass background checks and complete required trainings.
• Knowledge of cooking methods and variety of prep
• Lift up to 50 pounds and stand for long periods
• Experience in regulated kitchen settings and food safety
• Active food worker card and AZ regulations knowledge
• Fluent in English; Spanish ability is a plus
• Two+ years in school setting or preschool kitchen
• Montessori experience and child dietary accommodations
• Associate degree or two years ECE coursework

Responsibilities

• Place weekly food orders based on attendance and waste trends.
• Receive/verify daily deliveries and ensure order accuracy.
• Maintain vendor performance and cost controls.
• Ensure meals meet CACFP/USDA requirements and document changes.
• Track consumption and waste; manage inventory and labeling.
• Prepare/serve meals; assist with classroom meals/snacks.
• Support safety/compliance with health regulations.
• Assist in classroom coverage and school activities.
• Support with laundry and other duties as needed.

Skills

CACFP compliance

Food safety

Menu planning

Vendor management

Spanish language

English fluency

MS Office

Excel

Outlook

Education

Associate degree in ECE

Tools

MS Office

Word

Excel

Outlook

Job description

Food Service Assistant (Part-time): Mesa, AZ

As a Food Service Assistant at Bezos Academy, you’ll help provide nutritious, compliant meals to children at our 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.

• This is a part-time, non-exempt/hourly position requiring a minimum of 25 hours per week, with occasional opportunities to workadditionalhours based on school needs.
• You will worka five-hourshift, Monday through Friday, totaling25hours per week.Specific school schedules aredeterminedbyschool leaderswhen considering all staff, classroom, and community needs, but are currently expected to 9:00am-2:00pm.
• Compensation for this position is $ 19 -$ 28 per hour . The upper third of the compensation range is typically reserved for existing employees who have been in the role for multiple years and who demonstrate strong performance over time. Starting compensation will vary by qualifications and prior experience.
• Benefitsinclude paid sick (care) time,accruedbased on hours worked, and a 401(k) plan with a 4% employer contribution match.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Age 18 with high school diploma or GED
• Ability to pass background checks and complete all trainings required by the Arizona Department of Children, Youth, and Families upon hire
• Knowledge of cooking methods and procedures, including various types of preparation
• 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
• Experience working in an institutional or highly regulated kitchen/food setting with a clear understanding of food preparation best practices and protocols
• Active and current food worker card
• Understanding of Arizona food and beverage worker manual
• Ability to speak, read, and write English fluently
• Basic proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook)
• Two or more years of experience working in a school (preschool, early childhood education, daycare, or K-12 environment) or similar kitchen setting
• 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 compliant 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 and maintain compliance with all state and local jurisdictional requirements
• 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 to [e-mail] . We will work with you to ensure you have a fair opportunity to apply for our open positions.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Bezos Academy’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.