Kitchen Services Associates

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 27,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free admission for staff

Employee discounts at VMFA venues

Discounts at VMFA Shop and cafes

Job summary

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) in Richmond seeks a Kitchen Services Associate to assist with maintaining kitchen areas, equipment and sanitation across VMFA’s dining venues, including Best Café, Amuse and Floris. The role supports events and daily operations, reporting to the Events Executive Chef.

VMFA offers a team-oriented environment, open 365 days a year with free general admission for staff and opportunities to grow within a renowned art institution.

Qualifications

• Excellent interpersonal skills with guests and staff.
• Ability to read, comprehend and follow basic directions.
• Able to work in fast-paced, high-volume kitchen environments.
• Remain calm, professional and gracious under pressure.
• Able to stand or walk for up to 10 hours.
• Flexible availability including weekends and evenings.
• Motivated with a strong work ethic; self-starter.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a clean and organized dish area.
• Ensure trash and recycling are taken out.
• Help assist other dish areas in Best Cafe and Amuse restaurants when needed.
• Work on various cleaning tasks during down time.
• Sweep and mop floors as needed (to include work areas, cafe, kitchen floors).
• Keep cleaning chemicals stocked and alert manager to equipment or product needs.
• Help prepare foods for Best Café, Special Events, Amuse and Floris when needed.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Professional demeanor

Punctuality

Team player

Job description

Post closes on Monday, October 12, 2026 at 11:55 PM EST.

About Virginia Museum of Fine Arts:

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond is one of the largest comprehensive art museums in the United States. VMFA’s growing encyclopedic collection houses more than 50,000 works of art spanning 6,000 years of world history.

Our holdings include the largest public collection of Fabergé outside of Russia, the finest collection of Art Nouveau outside of Paris and one of the nation’s finest collections of American art. VMFA is also home to important collections of Chinese art, English silver, French Impressionism, Postimpressionism, British sporting art, and modern and contemporary art, as well as renowned South Asian, Himalayan, and African art.

Recently named the 11th-best art museum in the United States by The Washington Post, VMFA is the only US art museum open 365 days a year with free general admission.

VMFA is a state-supported, privately endowed educational institution created for the benefit of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its purpose is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret art, to encourage the study of the arts, and thus to enrich the lives of all.

About Food Services Department:

At the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA), we facilitate beautiful memories.

Our Food Service & Events Team is relentlessly passionate about their work. Every detail is a touchpoint, a foundational pinning, evoking the right ambiance, feeling, and desired energy. Our dedicated service professionals bear witness and make possible some of the best days ever for our guests.

“…people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

Why Join the Kitchen Services Team?

Flexible Scheduling

The team works to provide reasonable and advanced-scheduling notice to staff within the agreed upon availability. We are open 365 days a year, therefore there are a variety of shifts to work.

Team-centric

Work with people whose talents shine not only at work but also beyond work hours. Many of our staff are creatives who find an ease in serving others, have an eye for the details, and enjoy the flexibility this position offers.

Mission-Driven

Revenue from all Enterprise operations directly supports museum operations. VMFA is the only art museum in the United States open 365 days a year with free general admission. Our purpose is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret art and to encourage the study of the arts.

Professional Environment

Professionalism is a key tenet in our workplace. We treat each other no less than how we treat our guests. Come create career-supportive relationships with some of the best service professionals in the industry. Learn and grow with us.

All VMFA staff enjoy free admission to special exhibitions, previews of special exhibitions, employee pricing for select museum programs and classes, and discounts at Amuse, Floris, Best Café and the VMFA Shop.

General Information:

The work is straightforward, helping each other out and working as a team to get the job done.

The Kitchen Services Associate helps to maintain kitchen works areas, equipment and utensils in a clean and orderly condition in all VMFA kitchens. Reporting to the Events Executive Chef, this role helps support management with necessary maintenance, clean up, dishwashing, sweeping, mopping and other duties as needed.

Here is how a Kitchen Services Associate accomplishes this as part of a team:

• Maintain a clean and organized dish area.
• Ensure trash and recycling are taken out.
• Help assist other dish areas in Best Cafe and Amuse restaurants when needed.
• Work on various cleaning tasks during down time.
• Sweep and mop floors as needed (to include work areas, cafe, kitchen floors).
• Keep cleaning chemicals stocked and alert manager to equipment or product needs.
• Help prepare foods for Best Café, Special Events, Amuse and Floris when needed.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to demonstrate a professional demeanor with guests and other employees.
• Ability to read, comprehend and follow basic direction and instruction.
• Ability to handle fast paced, high volume situations in a kitchen
• Ability to remain calm, professional and gracious in a fast paced, high-pressure environment.
• Ability to maintain a professional demeanor and appearance during shifts.
• Ability to receive feedback well.
• Ability to be prompt and punctual to scheduled shifts.
• Ability to stand or walk for up to 10 hours.
• Ability to lift or move up to 50 pounds.
• Flexible availability that includes weekends and evenings.
• Ability to work as part of a team; flexible when given different assignments and directions.
• Motivated with strong work ethic; self-starter.

Additional Considerations:

• Prior general cleaning experience or hospitality related experience.
• General experience with cleaning chemicals and dish machines.
• Ability to work independently and effectively without direct supervision.
• ServSafe Food Handler’s certification is a plus.

VMFA is a Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Certified Employer. Diverse and inclusive hiring practices are at the heart of what we do at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Conditions of Employment:

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.

E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Experience a world-class art museum with hometown hospitality. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts houses a remarkable permanent collection of more than 50,000 works of art from almost every major world culture.

We’re open 365 days a year and general admission is always free.