Food Service Associate - 2025-2026

Chesterfield County Public Schools; Chesterfield Court House (VA); On-site; USD 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Chesterfield County Public Schools is seeking a dedicated Food Service Worker to perform food preparation, cashiering, and maintain sanitation in the kitchen. The role involves following recipes, serving meals, and ensuring food safety while providing excellent customer service to students and staff.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to prepare and merchandise food safely.
• Knowledge of federal school lunch and breakfast program requirements.

Responsibilities

• Prepare meals following recipes and guidelines.
• Operate POS and handle transactions accurately.
• Clean and sanitize kitchen equipment and work areas.

Skills

Customer Service

Communication

Food Safety

Education

High School diploma

Job description

Performs all positions as assigned in the preparation of food items, serving food, cashiering, and maintaining proper sanitation of the kitchen. Tasks performed may vary but are specific and routine based on the hours worked. Work performed is done under supervision; independent judgment is required.

Essential Job Functions :

Food Preparation, Service, and Food Safety Practices (50%)

• Follow menu, recipes and guidelines to prepare meals, ensuring proper portioning and presentation

• Assist in cooking and assembling food items, as needed

• Serve meals to students and staff with a friendly and customer oriented approach

• Assist in setting up and maintaining cleanliness of serving lines

• Adhere to food safety and sanitation guidelines at all times

• Monitor food temperatures during storage, preparation, and serving

• Follow proper handwashing and hygiene procedures to prevent contamination

Cashiering and Money Handling (30%)

• Operate electronic point of sale (POS) and cash register and handled transactions accurately

• Process meal payments from students and staff

• Determines federally reimbursable meals at the point of sale

• Ability to count and handle money

• Managing technology to include, but not limited to, POS, email, and online employee applications

• Demonstrate high quality customer service

Cleaning and Maintenance (15%)

• Clean and sanitize kitchen equipment, utensils, and work areas regularly

• Assist in dishwashing

• Perform routine cleaning tasks to ensure a safe and hygienic environment. This may include, but not limited to, washing pots, pans and dishes, sweeping, mopping floors, cleaning employee bathrooms, putting stock away, cleaning and sanitizing food services, etc.

Other Duties, as assigned (5%)

Budgetary Responsibility :

N/A

Report Preparation :

N/A

Equipment Operation:

Operates institutional equipment associated with the kitchen, calculator and appropriate registers

Contacts :

Contacts include principals, school staff, students and parents, managers and workers within the schools, vendors, food service support staff, the Director and Assistant Director of Food & Nutrition Services.

Work Direction :

N/A

Supervision :

N/A

Decision Making :

Works independently under general supervision

Formal Policy-Setting Responsibilities :

N/A

Physical Demands :

The physical demands described here represent those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use fingers and hands to handle or feel objects, tools or controls, reach with hands and arms and stoop, push, pull, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee is regularly required to stand, walk and balance. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Additionally, the employee may need to routinely load, push, and pull crescors and carts. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment :

Work is performed on school property. While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works near moving mechanical parts and is regularly exposed to objects that are hot and cold. The employee is exposed to the risk of electrical shock. The noise level in the work area is moderate. Hazards may include working areas that are uncomfortable and warm. Duties may require exposure to, and transitioning between, extreme temperatures (ranged from approximately -10°F to 100°F), hot kitchens, and walk-in refrigerators and freezers. Must follow safety precautions to avoid injuries.

Some knowledge about food preparation. Demonstrated ability to count money, product, etc. Demonstrated ability to prepare and merchandise food and work safely with equipment. Demonstrated ability to learn the federal school lunch and breakfast program requirements and regulations. Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively with students, parents, staff, coworkers, vendors and the public with courtesy, tact, patience and consistency. Strong customer service and communication skills. Any equivalent combination of experience and training which would provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

High School diploma, equivalent or any comparable combination of experience and training which would provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

Applicants considered for employment must successfully complete the following background investigations/tests:

• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Criminal History Investigation

• State Police Criminal History Investigation

• Child Protective Services ( CPS) Investigation

• Tuberculosis Screening/Test

Chesterfield County Public Schools assures Equal Employment Opportunities for employees as required by Federal and State Orders and Laws. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential tasks. This job description is intended to accurately reflect the position activities and requirements. However, administration reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and assign other duties as necessary. It is not intended to be and should not be construed as an all-inclusive list of all the responsibilities, skills, or working conditions associated with the position and does not imply an employment contract.