Kitchen Coordinator - ARCHES Lodge - Day - Part Time

Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency; Salem (OR); On-site; USD 21,000 - 25,000; Part time

Job summary

Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency in Salem, Oregon, seeks a Kitchen Coordinator to support the program kitchen serving the homeless population. You will coordinate daily meal distribution, purchase supplies, manage inventory, train volunteers, and build relationships with social service networks.

This part-time, day-shift role emphasizes safety, food-handling compliance, and collaboration with the Program Coordinator III or Manager.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required or equivalent.
• Two years related experience in community kitchens or commissaries.
• Experience coordinating with volunteers and community partners (training, compliance).

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and support the program kitchen operations.
• Monitor commercial kitchen equipment and temperatures for safety and compliance.
• Create menus, cook and distribute nutritious meals per food safety rules.
• Train volunteers on food handling, storage and equipment use.
• Inventory food and supplies; communicate needs to supervisor.
• Assist in enforcing kitchen policies and procedures.

Skills

Volunteer coordination

Planning and organization

Oral and written communication

Empathy

Education

High school diploma or GED

Equivalent combination of education and experience

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

OUR MISSION:

MWVCAA invests in people and their futures to reduce the impacts of poverty.

OUR VISION:

We envision a just future, where our communities are empowered to reach positive outcomes

and everyone is respected for their infinite worth.

Working at MWVCAA means becoming part of a mission-driven community dedicated to equity, dignity, and opportunity for all. We offer competitive pay, a rich company culture that values diversity, and an array of benefits - but we consider the best benefit here to be the reward of helping those in our community live better lives. Come find meaningful work and bring your skills as a Kitchen Coordinator. Your main responsibilities will be working collaboratively with the agency and community partners for the organization and implementation of the program kitchen, which provides food services for the area's homeless population. This position will be responsible for facilitating daily meal distribution, purchasing and organizing supplies, inventory tracking and reporting, scheduling and training volunteers, and establishing and maintaining relationships within social service networks. This team offers a lot of growth opportunities and professional development through hands-on experience.

Day Shift. Part Time, up to 19 hours per week. Flexibility Required.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• High school diploma or GED.
• Two years related experience working in community/commissary kitchens; experience coordinating with volunteers and community partners (program compliance, volunteer training and oversight, social service collaboration).
• Equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

• Driver qualifications status is required for this position. Driver license, vehicle available for use on the job and acceptable DMV record for previous three years required.
• Candidate must pass a comprehensive MWVCAA background screening prior to employment.
• Basic Life Support/First Aid Certification is required within first 30 days of hire.
• Food Handler's Card or ability to obtain within 30 days.
• ServSafe Food Manager Certification or ability to obtain within 60 days.
• Candidate must pass pre-employment and random drug screenings.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Preferences given to applicants who have experience working with people experiencing homelessness or at-risk of becoming homeless.
• Basic proficiencies in Microsoft Office (including Outlook), videoconferencing platforms, and web tools.
• Must possess excellent planning, organization and time management skills.
• Ability to effectively communicate both orally and in written form.
• Demonstrates tact, diplomacy and empathy when communicating with clients, staff and program partners.

WHAT YOU WILL DO TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employee will also perform other reasonably related business duties as assigned by immediate supervisor and other management as required.

• Provides coordination and support for the program kitchen.
• Monitors the operation of commercial kitchen equipment and regularly checks temperatures to ensure safety and compliance with applicable rules and regulations.
• Creates menus and prepares, cooks, and distributes nutritious food in compliance with all food safety rules and regulations.
• Trains volunteers on proper procedures for food handling, food storage, and handling and maintaining kitchen equipment, including commercial appliances.
• Conducts inventory of food, serving material, and food storage materials and communicates supply needs to the Program Coordinator III or Manager.
• Assists in the implementation and oversight of all kitchen policies and procedures.
• Maintains full compliance with all federal, state, grant program and funding requirements, setting high standards for service quality and performance. Complies with Food Safety & Sanitation Codes.
• Establishes and maintains an active working relationship with: social service partners (churches, clubs & organizations), vendors/distributors, public health department(s), and county officials.
• Promotes a safe and healing environment for clients and victims of extreme trauma.
• Employs de‑escalation techniques and makes quick decisions in response to guest or client incidents.
• Maintains appropriate boundaries with clients and coworkers at all times.
• Attends and engages in required annual trainings.
• Complies with MWVCAA safety and personnel policies, including punctuality and attendance.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DEMANDS

• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to focus.
• Use of kitchen equipment including, but not limited to range, oven, steamer, dishwasher, and various kitchen utensils.
• Frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to ascend and descend stairs safely and repeatedly.
• Ability to navigate multiple floors with or without the use of an elevator when necessary.
• Ability to walk or stand for extended periods of time.
• Ability to navigate uneven ground.
• Ability to reach, and/or extend to access materials or equipment.
• Ability to walk frequently and occasionally navigate long-distance walks.
• Ability to move about the workspace.
• Manual dexterity for handling office and kitchen equipment.
• Frequent driving in all weather conditions to Agency and community sites in Polk and Marion counties.
• Maintains calm disposition when clients or others may become escalated, applying crisis intervention and de‑escalation techniques for all participants.
• Regulates emotions during interactions with escalated clients and staff.
• Regulates emotions and handles pressures of frequent demands for attention, time and work tasks.
• Ability to proceed independently in accordance with Agency and program policies, guidelines, and initiatives.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• This position requires on‑site work and is not eligible for remote work.
• Close quarters, often with a client population experiencing homelessness, substance use disorders, and/or severe and persistent mental illness, and/or unpredictable behavior.
• Indoor work environment with frequent interruptions and demands.
• Work environment is occasionally warm, humid and temperatures vary.
• Ability to work outside of normal business hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays.

MWVCAA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, veterans, and people with disabilities or any other protected category. We welcome all people to join us in achieving our Mission. If you require any assistance in the application process, or reasonable accommodations to perform the essential duties of the position, please notify a member of our team at [phone].

This is a partial list of essential duties and responsibilities. To review the full job description, download below.

Note that compensation for each role at MWVCAA is based off a number of factors such as experience and education.

If you need ADA accommodations to apply for MWVCAA job openings, please contact Human Resources at [e-mail] or call 503-585-6232 to ask for a HR Team Member.