Lab Assistant - Hospitality Management

Harper College; Hoffman Estates (IL); On-site; USD 42,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Harper College in Hoffman Estates, IL seeks a Hospitality Lab Assistant to support culinary instructors, prepare labs, and help students with projects in the hospitality program.

You will manage inventory, stock supplies, calibrate equipment, and ensure safety, cleanliness, and proper storage of materials. Proficiency with Microsoft Excel/Word and familiarity with campus systems is preferred; some evenings or weekends may be required.

Qualifications

• Certificate in Hospitality Management or Culinary Arts preferred.
• Associate degree in hospitality, culinary arts, or related field or equivalent work experience preferred.
• ServSafe certified preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provides lab support to instructors with lab, lab preparation and student projects.
• Assists faculty in lab setup and guides students in safety procedures in classroom.
• Maintains and adjusts department equipment; schedules maintenance with vendors or Harper facilities.
• Identifies equipment needed for departmental relevance and safety, both consumables and capital items.
• Supports faculty in selecting and ordering supplies, including perishables and shelf-stable items.
• Ensures laboratories and storage areas are maintained via inventorying, unpacking, and storing supplies and equipment.
• Monitors departmental budget and purchase orders in partnership with the Program Coordinator.
• Participates in program workshops and events to promote the Hospitality Program.
• Acts as first point of contact for college community directing inquiries to program faculty.
• Directs student aides to maximize daily task efficiency.
• Monitors credentials and certifications; ensures equipment and supplies are secured when leaving the lab.
• Performs clerical duties such as copies, filing, and preparing reports.

Skills

Food preparation equipment

Commercial kitchen experience

Inventory control

Order planning

Safe food storage

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Teams

Education

Certificate in Hospitality Management

Associate degree or equivalent

ServSafe certified

Tools

Oracle

Banner

Adobe Pro

Microsoft Teams

Job description

ABOUT US

QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

Certificate in Hospitality Management, Culinary Arts or relatedfield preferred. Associate degree in one of the mentioned areas orequivalent work experience and/or certification/degreepreferred.

Experience:

Working knowledge and demonstrated skills in using specific foodpreparation equipment and previous experience working in a acommercial kitchen. Experience in inventory control, order planningand safe food storage. At least 2 years work experience in Hotel orRestaurant industry. Working knowledge of Microsoft software,including Excel and Word required. Familiarity with Oracle, Banner,Adobe Professional, and/or Microsoft Teams preferred. Experience inhigher education setting preferred. ServSafe certifiedpreferred.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Working Conditions/Physical Requirements:

Work is primarily indoors in a kitchen setting. A major portion ofthe work is physical including standing, stooping, using step stoolto stock supplies, traveling between classrooms and buildings aswell as organizing kitchen and kitchen equipment. Must be able tolift and transport a minimum of 50 lbs. Some evening and weekendwork may be required.

Equipment/Tools Used:

Works with standard commercial kitchen tools and appliances to aidin student project development and perform light maintenance andadjustments on departmental machinery and equipment. Utilizescomputers and standard office equipment.

Supervision:

Under the general supervision of the Program Coordinator andreports to the CTP Operations Manager. The Program Coordinator willprovide oral and written instructions and guidance. Assists andsupports any hospitality and culinary instructors.

42.11306 ABOUT THE TEAM

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provides support to instructors with lab, lab preparation(including services in The Dining Room) and student projects.
• Assists faculty in lab set up and assists students with safetyprocedures in classroom. Guides students in tutorial setting.
• Provides cleaning and minor adjustments of department equipment.Schedules maintenance appointments as necessary, either throughthird party providers or Harper facilities.
• Assists in identifying equipment needed for departmental relevancyand safety, both consumable and capital expenses.
• Supports faculty in selecting and ordering supplies, bothperishable and shelf stable.
• Ensures the maintenance of the laboratories and storage areas byinventorying, ordering, unpacking, and storing of supplies andequipment.
• In partnership with the Program Coordinator, monitors departmentalbudget and purchase orders.
• Participates in program workshops, information sessions,recruitment and special events to assist with the promotion andvisibility of the Hospitality Program.
• Provides an initial point of contact for the college community fordirecting inquiries to appropriate program faculty.
• Provides direction to student aides to ensure maximum efficiency intheir daily tasks.
• Monitors and assists in the maintenance of industry credentials andcertifications.
• Ensures that all equipment, tools and supplies are in order andsecure before leaving the laboratory.
• Performs clerical assignments, such as making copies, filingdocuments, preparing reports, etc., and other duties as assigned bythe Program Coordinator.
• Performs related duties as assigned.