Kitchen Assistant (Part-time, Temporary)

Valid8 Financial, Inc.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 10,000 - 60,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading organization is seeking a Kitchen Assistant for a part-time, temporary role in their Culinary Training program. The position involves supporting culinary training activities, maintaining kitchen spaces, and providing feedback to program participants. Ideal candidates will have experience in professional kitchens and strong communication skills. This role is crucial for fostering a productive learning environment in a diverse community setting.

Qualifications

• Minimum 1 year experience in professional kitchens.
• Ability to interact effectively with diverse groups.

Responsibilities

• Set up, maintain, and clean kitchen spaces.
• Assist students with learning exercises and equipment use.
• Provide feedback and assess performance.

Skills

Communication

Organization

Conflict resolution

Tools

Google platforms

Job description

Kitchen Assistant - Queens Outpost (Part Time, Temporary Position)

ABOUT HOT BREAD KITCHEN

Since 2008, Hot Bread Kitchen has empowered New Yorkers who face barriers to economic opportunities through transformative careers in New York City’s food industry. We offer small business development programs, culinary skills training, and job placement, bolstered by individualized wraparound supportive services. Our small business program, HBK Incubates, supports entrepreneurs as they transform their food businesses into sustainable income sources. Culinary Fundamentals, our award-winning culinary training program provides access to high-quality jobs for those starting their careers in the food industry. Our upskilling programs enable incumbent workers to gain further skills leading to higher wages and career advancement. We work diligently alongside our network of over 200 food employer partners and more than 250 nonprofit and government partners to ensure our graduates are set up for success both at home and in their careers.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Hot Bread Kitchen is seeking a Kitchen Assistant to support our Culinary Training program, which prepares members for entry-level jobs in the food industry. This entails working with the Lead Culinary Instructor in all aspects of our hands-on culinary training program, including the setup, execution, and clean up of the kitchen and other spaces during training. The Kitchen Assistant will be responsible for setting up each training activity or task for members and may co-lead portions of the culinary program and professional readiness training in alignment with the Hot Bread Kitchen curricula. The Kitchen Assistant will assess members’ performance and meet with participants to deliver constructive feedback.

The Kitchen Assistant will help facilitate the cohort in the Community Outpost kitchen, and will be responsible for the use and upkeep of the kitchen space. The pace of this role is fast-moving and requires the ability to effectively engage with diverse groups of program stakeholders, our training partners and our employment partners.

Hot Bread Kitchen is seeking a reliable and detail-oriented Kitchen Assistant to support the upcoming culinary training program scheduled to take place at our Community Outpost kitchen in Queens. Our Outpost locations serve as critical training hubs throughout NYC offering accessible programming to communities.

The Kitchen Assistant plays a hands-on role in maintaining a productive, organized, and welcoming kitchen environment. This individual will work closely with instructors, program participants, and staff to ensure each training session runs smoothly—whether in the morning, afternoon, or evening. Given the dynamic nature of our programs, this role requires someone who is proactive, adaptable, and comfortable working with diverse groups of stakeholders.

Hours, Cohort Size, Location and Schedule

The Kitchen Assistant position will be a part-time, temporary role that requires in-person availability. This position will require up to 25 hours per week for one 9 week period. Details as follows:

Hours, Cohort Size, Location and Schedule

Location : LaGuardia Community College

Cohort Dates: June 17 through August 8, 2025

Prep Days: June 17, 18, 20 and 23 (Hours may be flexible)

Cohort Days: M-F, 4pm-9pm, June 24 through July 31; August 7 and 8

No training on July 4 and July 7

Food Protection Dates: 3pm-8pm, August 4 through 6

Close Out Days: August 11 through 15 (Hours may be flexible)

Class Schedule:

4:00-5:00 pm: Set-up

5:00-8:00 pm: Training

8:00-9:00 pm: Break Down

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Support and Education:

Sets up, maintains, cleans up and organizes kitchen spaces/student laboratories.

Assists students with setting up stations and other learning exercises, and with the use of equipment and materials.

Maintains appropriate safety and hygiene standards.

Maintains required documentation related to laboratory activities

Manages equipment, food and materials inventories.

Provides hands-on, in-person kitchen support to the Lead Culinary Instructor during the program.

Acts as primary contact for member communications about issues including attendance and activities.

Records daily attendance and monitors uniform compliance.

Assesses performance through observation and interaction; provides regular feedback and guidance to program members.

Works 1:1 with members to provide educational, technical and administrative support with program content and training events.

Assists with culinary interviews to assess program eligibility.

Organizes food for packing at the end of training.

Program Management and Administration:

Prints daily lesson plans, attendance sheets, and other materials for training.

Sets up and breaks down the classroom for Food Protection Certificate Training.

Records member attendance, performance, and other relevant metrics; maintains accurate records and manages reports using Google Workspace.

Reporting Lines

This position reports directly to the Culinary Fundamentals Program Manager. Tasks are supervised by the Lead Culinary Instructor (Outposts) during training hours.

QUALIFICATIONS

Passion for Hot Bread Kitchen’s mission.

Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with people of diverse socioeconomic, cultural and economic backgrounds.

Must have a minimum of 1 year experience in professional kitchens/production environments.

Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate and counsel people.

Must be extremely organized and attentive to detail.

Must have excellent communication skills, including verbal and interpersonal skills.

General computer proficiency in Google platforms, and productivity software.

COMPETENCIES

Detail oriented - verifies important details, ensures there are no surprises or gaps in needed information, has the ability to think a few steps ahead to answer potential questions about the data or project. Aims to leave things better than you found them. Checks work with others, plans time to review for errors and probes one’s own thinking. Addresses errors quickly and learns from them. Looks for ways to prevent similar errors.

Conflict resolution - Works to resolve differences and maintain work relationships. Works through discomfort of challenging conversations with the goal of resolving issues constructively and reaching the highest objective.

Supportive - Seeks ways to support team efforts while contributing to overall organizational success.

OUR VALUES

We are driven by a feeling of commitment to support our members, teammates, and partners as best as we can. Our culture of equity comes from the many cooks in our kitchen and the diversity of perspectives we each bring. We believe that respect goes a long way in making people feel welcome, accepted, and celebrated. We seek out opportunities for connection and become a stronger team by being in community and prioritizing candor over consensus. The pace of our work and velocity of change can be quick; our entrepreneurialism helps us take optimistic risks and pursue inventive solutions.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

This is a part-time temporary position and the salary is $27 per hour. There are limited benefits available for part-time temporary employees.

LOCATION

This position requires daily in-person attendance at our Culinary Outpost location (LaGuardia Community College) as well as our facility in Chelsea Market. The role is estimated to require up to 25 hours per week for one 8.5 week period. Work hours while the cohort is in session is 4:00pm - 9:00pm.

To Apply

Please include a cover letter and experience-aligned resume including your pronouns. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Apply here at Hot Bread Kitchen’s Applicant Tracking System.

Hot Bread Kitchen is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against applicants based on race, religion, color, disability, medical condition, legally protected genetic information, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity or expression, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions), age, veteran status or other legally protected characteristics. Any applicant with a mental or physical disability who requires an accommodation during the application process should contact [e-mail] to request such an accommodation.

Apply for this job

First name

Last name

Email address

Location

Phone number

Resume Attach resume

Attach another file Attach file

Attach your Cover Letter - or: Attach Cover Letter

Cut and Paste your Cover Letter below:

What are your salary requirements? per hour

Are you authorized to work in the United States? Are you authorized to work in the United States?