Lead Cafeteria Aide

TuftsMedicine; Lowell (MA); On-site; USD 21,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salaries & benefits

403(b) retirement with company match

Tuition reimbursement

Free on-campus parking

Career growth opportunities

Guaranteed hours and set schedule

Job summary

Tufts Medicine is seeking a dedicated Food Service Associate to support dietary operations across hospital locations. You will help prepare meals, assist with menu selections, and ensure trays meet patients’ dietary needs.

The role emphasizes sanitation, inventory, and timely service in a fast-paced healthcare setting. The candidate should have prior food service experience and a high school diploma or equivalent, with Dietetic tech degree preferred.

Qualifications

• Two (2) years of food service experience.
• Dietetic tech degree preferred.
• High School diploma or equivalent required.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and communicate diet order information to ensure patient meals align with orders.
• Assist patients with menu selection and modify diets as needed.
• Deliver trays, stock pantries, and maintain sanitation logs.
• Prepare and assemble trays, assemble meals and maintain tray lines.
• Operate kitchen tools for weighing, measuring, mixing, and cooking.
• Ensure proper food storage and temperature controls per regulations.

Skills

Food service experience

Menu planning

Sanitation standards

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Dietetic tech degree

Job description

Tufts Medicine is a leading integrated health system bringing together the best of academic and community health care to deliver exceptional, connected and accessible care experiences to consumers across Massachusetts. Comprised of Tufts Medical Center, Lowell General Hospital, Melrose/Wakefield Healthcare, an expansive home care network and a large clinically integrated physician network, Tufts Medicine has more than 15,000 dedicated employees and caregivers.

Job Profile Summary

This role focuses on activities related to the support services functions, such as dietary and food services, environmental services, general facilities, repair and maintenance, parking, sterilization and transportation to ensure all required support activities are completed in a timely manner and meet the organization's quality standards and expectations. In addition, this role focuses on performing the following Dietary & Food Services duties: Prepares and serves meals based on general or special diets. Responsibilities also include operating and maintaining kitchens, cafeterias, and counters across entity locations. Manages food inventories, schedules vendor deliveries, food preparation, and menu planning while adhering to regulatory guidelines. An organizational related support or service (administrative or clerical) role or a role that focuses on support of daily business activities (e.g., technical, clinical, non-clinical) operating in a "hands on" environment. The majority of time is spent in the delivery of support services or activities, typically under supervision. An experienced level role that requires basic knowledge of job procedures and tools obtained through work experience and may require vocational or technical education. Works under moderate supervision, problems are typically of a routine nature, but may at times require interpretation or deviation from standard procedures, and communicates information that requires some explanation or interpretation.

Job Overview

Under general supervision, this position works in any location where food is prepared including retail, patient and catering operations. This position is involved in all aspects of food services including assisting with menu selection, food preparation, food delivery, kitchen cleanliness and sanitation. This experienced staff member is trained in multiple areas in the department and may assist with training and informal supervision of less experienced staff.

Job Description

Minimum Qualifications

1. Two (2) years of food service experience.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Dietetic tech degree.
2. High School diploma or equivalent.

What We Offer

• Competitive salaries & benefits that start on day one
• 403(b) retirement with company match
• Tuition reimbursement
• Free on-campus parking
• Career growth opportunities
• Guaranteed hours and set schedule

Location: Lowell General Hospital - 295 Varnum Avenue - Lowell, MA

Hours: 40 Hours - 11am-7:30pm - Every other weekend (Sat-Sun) and every other holiday is required

Duties and Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities listed below are intended to describe the general nature of work and are not intended to be an all-inclusive list. Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned.

1. Maintains and communicates accurate and updated diet order information through the system to ensure patients receive appropriate meals, nourishments and commercial enteral products in accordance with current diet order.
2. Elicits patient information regarding food preferences, intolerances, likes and dislikes. Alerts the Clinical Dietitian to any actual or potential nutritional problems of patients.
3. Assists patients with menu selection and writes and corrects regular and as assigned modified diets for patients. Responsible for maintaining high level of accuracy and appropriateness of patient trays.
4. Delivers trays to patients, picks up trays from patients.
5. Follows all precautions on patient units by donning and doffing PPE appropriately. Performs hand hygiene according to standards.
6. Stocks nursing unit pantries with nourishments and dietary supplies, utilizing first-in, first-out system.
7. Ensures accurate tray assembly on patient tray line. Prepares normal menu items, salads, sandwiches, desserts, and special items.
8. Operates a variety of kitchen utensils to weigh, measure, mix, wash, peel, cut, grind, stir, strain, season and knead food items for cooking, serving and storing.
9. Assists in the preparation of hot and/or cold foods, and properly stores food, utilizing knowledge of temperature requirements and spoilage.
10. Maintains accurate sanitation and temperature logs in work area according to regulatory requirements.
11. Assists with setup, stocking, serving and delivering of food from counters, steam tables and work stations.
12. Responsible for cleaning and sanitizing of dishware, equipment and work stations. Strips, sanitizes, stacks, patients' trays and utensils in dish room, reassembles tray line.