Prep Cook

Universities of Wisconsin; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 28,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Paid time off

Wisconsin Retirement System

Job summary

The Memorial Union Kitchen at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is seeking a cook to join our team. This role supports other Cooks and Food Service Supervisors with general kitchen tasks and offers an opportunity to develop culinary skills through hands-on experience at campus events and retail operations.

Candidates should have prior food preparation experience and be able to work Tue–Sat 10:00am–6:00pm, with flexibility for overtime as needed.

Qualifications

• Previous food preparation experience required.

Responsibilities

• Adheres to federal, state, campus, and local food safety regulations, policies, and procedures
• Performs routine and non-routine food preparation activities including cook to order and specialty foods
• Cleans, inspects, and maintains kitchen equipment and work areas
• Greets customers, answers questions, and provides information regarding food preparation and associated activities
• Trains and guides student workers

Skills

Food preparation

Job description

Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.

Job Category:

University Staff

Employment Type:

Regular

Job Profile:

Cook

Job Summary:

The Memorial Union Kitchen is looking for a cook to join our team. This position will support other Cooks and Food Service Supervisors with general kitchen tasks. Previous food preparation experience required. This is a great opportunity for someone looking to develop their culinary skills.

Job Duties:

• Perform routine food preparation for various campus events hosted at Memorial Union (catered events and food prep for retail sales)
• Focus on cold food preparation such as sandwiches and salads; similar to a garde manger position

Physical Demands:

• Ability to lift/carry up to 50 pounds, and push/pull up to 500 pounds
• Ability to stand and walk for the duration of your shift
• Ability to work in cold and hot environments

Work Schedule:

• Work hours will be Tuesdays through Saturdays; 10:00am - 6:00pm
• Schedule may be adjusted to meet business needs
• Overtime may be needed as business volume fluctuates

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Adheres to federal, state, campus, and local food safety regulations, policies, and procedures
• Performs routine and non-routine food preparation activities including cook to order and specialty foods
• Cleans, inspects, and maintains kitchen equipment and work areas
• Greets customers, answers questions, and provides information regarding food preparation and associated activities
• Trains and guides student workers

Department:

Wisconsin Union, Dining & Hospitality, Memorial Union Culinary

Compensation:

The salary for this position is $20.50 per hour.

This position is also eligible for weekend and night differential pay.

• $0.80 per hour is added for work performed on Saturday and Sunday
• $2.50 per hour is added for work performed between 6pm-6am

This position offers a comprehensive benefits package, including generous paid time off, competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance, tax-advantaged savings accounts, and participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund. For a summary of benefits, please see https://www.wisconsin.edu/ohrwd/benefits/download/univstaff.pdf.

Required Qualifications:

Previous food preparation experience required

The deadline to apply will be 11:59pm on October 28, 2026.

Contact Information:

Katie Wenzel, [e-mail], 608-263-3939

Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal OpportunityEmployer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgroundsand encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR)in the division you are applying to.Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.
The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).
The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.