Kitchen and Fermentation Lab Manager

Chatham; Eden, Northern (NC, KY); Hybrid; USD 17,000 - 22,000; Part time

Job summary

Chatham University is seeking a part-time lab support role to assist with fermentation activities and campus kitchens. Responsibilities include lab cleanup, ordering, and maintaining a welcoming space for student projects in Food Studies, fermentation labs, and related events.

The role supports community lunches, workshops, and coordination with the farm team to reduce waste and promote preservation practices on campus. Ten hours per week; training provided.

Qualifications

• Interest in fermentation and food preservation required; experience is an asset.
• Willingness to engage in ongoing food safety and preservation training.
• Must hold or be willing to work toward food safety credentials (ServSafe; training provided).

Responsibilities

• Manage lab clean-up and maintain organization, signage, and equipment with support from key users.
• Assist with Food Studies courses by supporting fermentation-related labs, projects, and student use of the space.
• Assist with community lunches and campus food events that involve fermentation or food preservation.
• Assist with the fermentation club to facilitate its growth and development, including workshops and coordination.
• Collaborate with the farm team to preserve harvest surplus through fermentation and other preservation methods.

Skills

Fermentation interest

Food preservation

Willingness to training

Education

Food safety credentials (e.g., ServSafe) willingness

Job description

We value our students! If you see an open position that is right for you, we encourage you to apply!

Responsibilities

• Manage lab clean-up and maintain organization, signage, and equipment, with support from key users.
• Assist with Food Studies courses by supporting fermentation-related labs, projects, and student use of the space.
• Assist with community lunches and campus food events that involve fermentation or food preservation, including basic setup, coordination, and shared kitchen use.
• Assist with the fermentation club to facilitate its growth and development, including workshops, promotion, and coordination with broader campus initiatives.
• Collaborate with the farm team to help preserve harvest surplus through fermentation and other preservation methods, supporting seasonal processing and reducing food waste.
• Support preservation planning and coordination related to farm harvests, including basic documentation and communication with relevant stakeholders.
• Maintain general records, including a shared inventory spreadsheet for small wares, equipment, and desired future purchases.
• Establish and maintain a presence on the Food Studies Brightspace shell to build community resources and provide clear, consistent expectations for fermentation projects on campus.
• Explore and support additional ways to promote Food Studies and fermentation activities across campus.
• Keep a log of duties and hours to help monitor the work required to manage the space.
• Foster an inclusive environment and equitable space usage, developing the fermentation lab as a key campus resource.
• Support events, community lunches, and classes by coordinating kitchen access, setup, and shared use of the space.
• Maintain the kitchen calendar (published on the Food Studies Brightspace shell) and schedule kitchen use; coordinate between classes, CRAFT, student projects, various clubs, and approved events.
• Manage clean-up and maintain the organization and signage of the licensed kitchen, with the full support of key users, FST cohorts, faculty, and staff.
• Supervise the washing and folding of towels on a weekly or as-needed basis, according to the established schedule.
• Once trained, provide standardized kitchen orientations for users on equipment and systems, including the three-compartment sink, combi-oven, pilot lights, ice cream machine, and sanitizer maintenance.
• Maintain general records using shared spreadsheets, including:
  • Food safety certificates and training (ensuring at least one certified individual is present during kitchen use)
  • Kitchen orientations completed by users
  • Par stock and chemical inventories
  • Equipment repairs and desired future purchases of small wares or equipment
• Establish and maintain a presence on the Food Studies Brightspace shell to build community resources and communicate clear, consistent policies, procedures, expectations, and information about ongoing classes and events.
• Keep a log of duties and hours to monitor the work required to manage the space.
• Foster an inclusive environment and equitable space usage, developing the kitchen lab as a key campus resource.

10 hours per week

Qualifications

• Must hold or be willing to work toward food safety credentials (e.g., ServSafe; training and materials provided).
• Interest in fermentation and food preservation required; experience is an asset.
• Willingness to engage in ongoing food safety and preservation training.

All current student employees should notify their other manager(s) if you work multiple jobs on campus at the same time. Additionally, students may not work more than 20 hours per week (combined between all campus jobs) during the academic year. Students may not exceed 980 work hours per calendar year. Student jobs do not automatically roll over to the next academic year or summer.

Chatham University strives to promote a campus environment that understands and embraces multiculturalism while increasing individuals' intercultural competence. We actively work to build and sustain a diverse and culturally vibrant campus, which promotes employee and student success and retention.

Chatham University is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity. Chatham University does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, age, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, marital or family status, political affiliation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Our Work Experience is the combination of everything that is unique about our culture, our core values, our company meetings, our commitment to success, our recognition programs, but most importantly, it's our people. Our employees are self-disciplined, hardworking, curious, trustworthy, humble and truthful. They make choices according to what is best for the team, they live for opportunities to collaborate and make a difference, and they make us the #1 Top Workplace in our area.