Hospitality Associate

CP11 University of New Hampshire; Durham (NH); On-site; USD 17,000 - 29,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of New Hampshire in Durham is seeking a Hospitality Associate to support food and beverage production, service, and guest operations within UNH Hospitality Services. Responsibilities include preparing and presenting menu items, operating kitchen and POS equipment, and ensuring cleanliness and safety to deliver a positive guest experience.

The role emphasizes teamwork, training of student staff, and adherence to standards, with flex schedules that may include nights or weekends.

Qualifications

• Minimum 1 year experience in food service or related environment.

Responsibilities

• Food & Beverage Service Operations: Prepare, present, and serve food and beverage offerings according to recipes and cycle menus; operate kitchen, service, and POS equipment; maintain presentation and service standards.
• Guest Experience & Quality Control: Provide superior guest service in dining areas; monitor product quality and sanitation; relay feedback to supervisors; resolve issues professionally.
• Sanitation, Safety & Compliance: Maintain cleanliness and sanitation; comply with health codes and standards; report safety concerns; wear PPE when required.
• Training & Team Support: Participate in onboarding and training of team members; assist student staff; promote respectful, collaborative environment.
• Records, Flexibility & Additional Duties: Maintain records (counts, temps, waste); report equipment issues; adapt to changes and support nights/weekends.

Skills

Food service techniques

Sanitation & safety

Guest service excellence

Multitasking

Equipment operation

Communication

Teamwork

Diversity & inclusion

Flexibility in schedule

Attention to cleanliness

Tools

POS systems

Job description

The Hospitality Associate position is responsible for supporting food and beverage production, presentation, and guest service operations within Hospitality Services. This role prepares and presents menu offerings in accordance with standardized recipes and cycle menus while operating kitchen, service, and point-of-sale equipment as assigned. The Hospitality Associate maintains cleanliness, sanitation, and safety standards in all assigned work areas and contributes to a positive guest experience through efficient service and operational support. This position supports daily operations by monitoring product quality, assisting with guest flow, maintaining operational records, and addressing routine operational concerns. The Hospitality Associate also participates in training and supporting student employees and team members while fostering a respectful, collaborative, and inclusive workplace environment aligned with UNH Hospitality Services standards. This is considered an essential staff position and may require reporting during weather or other emergency conditions.

Job Duties/Responsibilities

Food & Beverage Service Operations (35%)

• Prepare, present, and serve food and beverage offerings according to standardized recipes and cycle menus.
• Operate kitchen equipment, service equipment, and point-of-sale systems as assigned.
• Maintain proper product presentation, portioning, temperature, and service standards.
• Support efficient guest flow and overall operational effectiveness.

Guest Experience & Quality Control (20%)

• Provide superior guest service in designated dining and service areas.
• Monitor product quality including appearance, temperature, patron counts, and sanitation standards.
• Communicate customer feedback, suggestions, and operational concerns to supervisors.
• Assist in resolving operational issues while maintaining a professional appearance and demeanor.

Sanitation, Safety & Compliance (20%)

• Maintain cleanliness and sanitation of kitchen, service, and dining equipment and work areas.
• Comply with state and local health codes, food safety regulations, and Hospitality Services standards.
• Identify, report, and correct sub-standard safety and sanitation practices.
• Wear and utilize required personal protective equipment (PPE) as necessary.
• Maintain and launder departmental uniforms in accordance with the Hospitality Handbook.

Training & Team Support (15%)

• Participate in onboarding, orientation, and training of team members and student employees.
• Assist and direct student co-workers in daily operations.
• Promote a respectful, collaborative, and positive team environment.
• Work effectively with diverse teams in alignment with the UNH Hospitality Handbook.

Records, Flexibility & Additional Duties (10%)

• Maintain required records including patron counts, temperatures, food waste, and discarded product logs.
• Report equipment malfunctions and operational concerns to supervisors.
• Maintain flexibility to support changing operational needs, including temporary schedule or work area adjustments.
• Support departmental operations during nights, weekends, emergencies, or high-volume service periods.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Minimum Acceptable Education & Experience: Minimum of 1 year experience in food service, hospitality, retail dining, or related service environment. Equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Knowledge of food service techniques, sanitation, and food safety standards.
• Ability to provide excellent guest service in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong ability to multitask and self-prioritize.
• Ability to operate kitchen, service, and point-of-sale equipment.
• Effective communication and teamwork skills.
• Ability to work respectfully with diverse teams including student employees.
• Ability to identify and address routine operational issues.
• Ability to work flexible schedules including nights and weekends.
• Strong attention to cleanliness, safety, and operational standards.

Other Requirements

• Ability to perform physical tasks including lifting, pushing, pulling, bending, and twisting (up to 50 lbs).
• Ability to stand for extended periods and work in kitchen and service environments.
• Willingness to wear and use required personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Ability to adapt to changing operational needs, work assignments, and schedules.
• Willingness to temporarily adjust schedule to support operational and guest service needs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Current ServSafe Certification.
• Additional experience in high-volume food service, hospitality, or institutional dining operations.
• Experience operating point-of-sale systems.
• Demonstrated experience supporting or training entry-level staff or student employees.
• Strong understanding of commercial food service equipment and guest service operations.

Compensation Pay Range

$12.86 - $21.11

Location

Durham

The University of New Hampshire is an R1 Carnegie classification research institution providing comprehensive, high-quality undergraduate and graduate programs of distinction. UNH is located in Durham on a 188-acre campus, 60 miles north of Boston and 8 miles from the Atlantic coast and is convenient to New Hampshire’s lakes and mountains. There is a student enrollment of 13,000 students, with a full-time faculty of over 600, offering 90 undergraduate and more than 70 graduate programs. The University actively promotes a dynamic learning environment in which qualified individuals of differing perspectives, life experiences, and cultural backgrounds pursue academic goals with mutual respect and shared inquiry.

The University System of New Hampshire is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access employer. The University System is committed to creating an environment that values and supports diversity and inclusiveness across our campus communities and encourages applications from qualified individuals who will help us achieve this mission. The University System prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or marital status.

More information on benefits can be found here: USNH Employee Benefits | Human Resources.

With approximately 30,000 enrolled students annually and more than 90,000 alumni living in state, the institutions of the University System - the University of New Hampshire - Durham, the University of New Hampshire School of Law, the University of New Hampshire at Manchester, Plymouth State University, and Keene State College - have a direct impact on hundreds of thousands of New Hampshire citizens every year.