Prep Associate

Kettle Cuisine; Everett (WA); On-site; USD 29,000 - 31,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

Kettle Cuisine is seeking a detail-oriented Prep Associate to ensure safety, quality, and precise measurement of ingredients on our production lines in Everett, WA. You will use scales and measuring tools to batch ingredients while following GMPs, HACCP, and food safety standards.

This role emphasizes accuracy, proper documentation, shift flexibility, and collaboration with the team to deliver consistent, high-quality products in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Must be able to enter data into computer/tablet.
• Strong math skills for measurements and conversions.
• Understanding of food safety, sanitation and allergen control.
• Experience in food manufacturing or industrial kitchen preferred.
• Knowledge of contamination types and listeria risks preferred.

Responsibilities

• Ensure accurate measuring and weighing of ingredients.
• Follow HACCP, GMP, and safety procedures.
• Enter daily time records accurately.
• Check allergen labels, expiration dates, and lot traceability.
• Maintain documentation including changeovers and cleaning records.
• Adhere to food safety standards and hygiene practices.

Skills

Data entry

Basic math

Food safety

Sanitation

Allergen control

Industrial kitchen experience

Contamination awareness

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Job description

At the heart of our company is a deep passion for creating fresh, healthy, and artisan-quality food that brings people together. We honor the craft of artisan cooking—using scratch-made stocks, hand-chopped herbs, and only the highest-quality ingredients—complemented by cutting-edge technology. This allows us to deliver consistently safe, exceptional products on a large scale.

But it’s not just about the food. Our culture is built on principles that shape how we grow, both as individuals and as a team. One of our core values, Honoring Development, guides us to actively seek out, celebrate, and nurture one another’s talents, strengths, and interests. By fostering each other’s growth, we strengthen our relationships and capabilities, driving both personal and professional success.

We also believe in Honoring Each Other. We surround ourselves with passionate people who share our love for great food. Through mutual respect and collaboration, we create an environment where employees are empowered to thrive, building trusting, and rewarding relationships with our clients, partners, and one another.

If you're looking for a place where your skills, passion, and ideas can flourish, we invite you to explore the opportunities available within our dynamic and supportive team.

Job Summary

Job Summary

The Prep Associate is responsible for the safety, quality, and proper execution of the accurate measure and weight of product ingredients, using measuring spoons, cups, and scales. Attention to detail is required when cooking, batching, ingredient transfer, documentation, necessary cleaning procedures, and changeovers to produce high-quality food products. This role ensures compliance with food safety standards, HACCP requirements, safety, and operational control protocols while maintaining good manufacturing practices (GMPs) to support food production.

KEY RESPONSIBILITY:

• Attendance-regular and prompt attendance is an essential requirement for this position. Accountable to accurately enter all daily time records (hours worked) in adherence to the attendance policy.
• Maintains food safety and ingredient integrity by checking allergen labels, expiration dates, and lot traceability.
• Maintain ingredient integrity, inspect tools prior to use, prevent cross-contamination, ensure compliance with food safety standards and adherence to GMPS.
• Escalate acute and chronic problems and organizational issues to Lead including food product issues, safety hazards associated with hoses, steam leaks, platform slips, drain valves, and hot pressure releases.
• Supports existing line operation documentation, such as AC-1 form, job ticket, cleaning records, CCP2 documentation, Gemba boards, changeover checklists, & 5S standards by completing the required tasks and documentation at the required intervals.
• Follow compliance with all Safety, GMP, and Quality standards, including proper PPE usage, safe lifting techniques, LOTO awareness, and incident reporting.

Qualifications and experience

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Knowledge and ability to enter data into a computer and/or tablet.
• Proficient in basic math: add, subtract, division, multiplication, measurements.
• Understand food safety, sanitation and allergen control, Preferred.
• Previous work experience in a food manufacturing environment or industrial kitchen setting, Preferred.
• Understanding of biological, chemical and physical contamination types, and risks of listeria growth on floors/platforms, Preferred.

WORKING CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL EFFORT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a Prep Associate encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

Physical Demands/Efforts

• Work requires frequent physical exertion, including some lifting of objects weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Extensive standing
• Verbal communication
• Repetitive motion (bending, hands/wrists, arms, reaching)
• Climb and balance (stairs)

Mental & Visual Demands

• Work performed by this position requires regular concentration to effectively execute moderately complex tasks.
• Work performed by this position requires proficient ability to perform basic math: add, subtract, division, multiplication, and measurements.
• Work frequently requires clear visual capabilities and effort for long periods of time.

Work Environment and Hazards

• Ability to work in a fast-paced, damp, and warm-temperature production environment with some exposure to heat, cold, dust, or other factors of minor inconvenience.
• The position has some exposure to hazards that might cause minor injury.
• Availability and flexibility to work different shifts and days, sometimes for weeks at a time. May need to work weekends or overtime as required.

Americans with Disabilities Act

Kettle Cuisine complies with all aspects of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and state disability laws. This means we will not discriminate against qualified individuals with a disability in any phase of the employment relationship including application for employment, hiring, promotions and/or advancement opportunities, termination, compensation, training and any other conditions or privileges of employment.

Core Values

Kettle Cuisine takes the utmost pride in its people, products and reputation. Each employee is expected to understand and live our Core Values every day.

Honor Food – We create and produce the best tasting, safest, all natural recipes that strive for perfection in every batch, from bench to kettle

Honor Each Other – We seek to develop trusting, respectful and mutually rewarding relationships with all our team members and business partners

Honor Development – We recognize and nurture each other’s talents, strengths and interests in order to further strengthen and grow our team

Honor Innovation – We continually strive for creative and sustainable ways to achieve excellence

Pay Range for Prep Associate

The Prep Associate base pay range$20.77 - $22.77/hourly.The listed salary range represent Kettle Cuisine’s good faith estimate for this position and represents the minimum and maximum fornew hire salaries for the Everett, WA location only. Ranges will be reviewed on a regular basis. An employee’srate of pay within the range is determined by their qualifications, relevant experience, and demonstrated performance over time.In addition to those factors, we believe in the importance of pay equity and consider internal equity of our current team membersas a part of any final offer. Hiring at the maximum of the range would not be typical to allow for future and continued salary growth.The Prep Associate position is eligible for our comprehensive benefits package. Kettle Cuisine and all its legal entities comply with all federal, state,and local minimum wage laws.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Kettle Cuisine is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All employment decisions at Kettle Cuisine are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.

Kettle Cuisine will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.