Senior Food Service Associate - Dining Services

MD Anderson Cancer Center; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 41,000 - 61,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

PTO & holidays

Tuition assistance

Retirement plan

Job summary

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is seeking a Senior Food Service Associate to support patient meal delivery, retail dining, and hospitality services. Responsibilities include cashiering, food preparation, and ensuring dietary accuracy and safety across patient and retail environments.

Ideal candidates hold a High School Diploma (some college preferred) with experience in hospitality or food service, and ServSafe certification.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent; some college preferred.
• Experience in patient care, customer service, hospitality, food service, cashiering, or restaurant operations.

Responsibilities

• Set up, prepare, and serve meals to patients and diners; verify equipment readiness and temperature.
• Operate POS systems; handle cash transactions; provide friendly service to patients and staff.
• Follow food safety and sanitation standards; record temperatures and logs; ensure accurate labeling.
• Serve as Person in Charge when needed; mentor staff and coordinate daily tasks.

Skills

Food service

Cashiering

Customer service

Leadership

Safety compliance

Education

High School Diploma

Some college

Tools

Outlook

Excel

Word

Job description

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is a world-renowned institution dedicated to cancer patient care, research, education, and prevention. Within Food & Nutrition Services, the Senior Food Service Associate supports patient meal delivery, retail food operations, hospitality services, cashiering activities, and food safety compliance to ensure exceptional service for patients, visitors, and employees. The Senior Food Service Associate serves as an experienced team member who helps maintain operational efficiency while supporting daily food service activities.

UT MD Anderson relies on the Senior Food Service Associate to provide high-quality food service, customer care, and operational support across patient and retail dining environments. The Senior Food Service Associate plays an important role in ensuring dietary accuracy, food quality, service excellence, and compliance with institutional standards. The Senior Food Service Associate also assists with workflow coordination, training support, and issue resolution to maintain seamless service operations.

The ideal candidate has a High School Diploma or equivalent, with some college preferred, and experience in patient care, customer service, hospitality, food service, cashiering, or restaurant operations. Candidates with strong food safety knowledge, customer service skills, experience handling cash transactions, and the ability to obtain and maintain ServSafe Food Protection Manager certification are well suited for this role.

Work Schedule: 9:00am - 5:00pm including rotating weekends and holidays

Why Us?

At UT MD Anderson, the Senior Food Service Associate contributes directly to the patient, visitor, and employee experience through exceptional food service, hospitality, and operational support. This role offers opportunities to develop healthcare food service expertise, strengthen leadership and customer service skills, and contribute to an organization committed to excellence while providing comprehensive benefits and resources that support professional growth and work-life balance.

• Employer-paid medical coverage starting day one for employees working 30+ hours/week, plus optional group dental, vision, life, AD&D, and disability insurance.
• Accruals for PTO and Extended Illness Bank, plus paid holidays, wellness, childcare, and other leave options.
• Tuition Assistance Program after six months of service and access to extensive wellness, fitness, and employee resource groups.
• Defined-benefit pension through the Teachers Retirement System, voluntary retirement plans, and employer-paid life and reduced salary protection programs.

Responsibilities

• Food Service Setup, Preparation & Meal Service Set up hot/cold lines and café areas to daily specification and verify equipment readiness Check product temperatures and replenish food items to provide continuous service Prepare and serve menu items including salads, sandwiches, simple bakery items, and beverages Assist with basic food preparation following written procedures and standardized recipes Portion, garnish, and present food according to quality standards Monitor holding quality and rotate products to maintain freshness and appearance Assemble and deliver patient trays while ensuring correct portions and diet restrictions Conduct quality checks to ensure food and trays are labeled, accurate, and ready for service Lead floor stock and nourishment preparation while maintaining par levels and product rotation Escalate equipment, product, vendor, customer, patient, and service issues to maintain service flow
• Cashiering & Guest Experience Operate POS registers and payment devices while completing the full cash-handling cycle Verify banks, provide accurate receipts and change, reconcile transactions, and secure deposits Support opening and closing procedures for POS systems and payments received Deliver friendly, solutions-oriented service to patients, visitors, and staff Assist customers with menu selections and seating arrangements Maintain professional and helpful interactions at all times Keep condiments, utensils, napkins, and displays clean, stocked, and compliant Prepare and serve specialized beverages and coffee drinks within assigned areas
• Sanitation, Safety & Regulatory Compliance Follow food safety and sanitation standards including hand hygiene and allergen separation Prevent cross-contamination and support safe food handling practices Complete temperature logs and equipment checks as required Clean and maintain work areas, equipment, utensils, and service stations Handle trash removal, spill response, and opening/closing cleaning routines Wear PPE and model safe work practices while identifying workplace hazards Support Joint Commission and institutional compliance requirements Replenish and rotate stock while monitoring food and disposable inventory levels Record production, work orders, and leftovers to support forecasting and cost control Utilize Outlook, Excel, and Word to complete logs, checklists, and simple reports
• Customer Service, Communication & Leadership Support Serve as the Person in Charge (PIC) in the absence of the manager Provide mentoring, guidance, and training to employees performing related work Facilitate and resolve difficult service issues and customer concerns professionally Coordinate and assign daily Food Service Associate tasks to optimize efficiency and coverage Ensure all orders meet prescribed diets and customer preferences Model UT MD Anderson Core Values and Standards of Conduct Utilize the HEAL (Hear, Empathize, Address, Learn) framework to restore trust and resolve concerns Coordinate handoffs with kitchen, retail, and room-service staff to avoid service gaps Report patient, customer, guest, colleague, and safety concerns appropriately and timely Maintain strict confidentiality of patient information and perform other duties as assigned

EDUCATION

• Required: High School Diploma or Equivalent
• Preferred: Some college

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Required: 2 years experience in patient care, customer service, or hospitality services or 2 years experience as a waiter, server, or cashier in foodservice
• Successful completion of the MD Anderson apprenticeship program or 9 months completion of the program can be substituted for a maximum of 1 year of experience

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS

• Required: SERVM - ServSafe Food Prot Mgr Must possess a current ServSafe Certification from the National Restaurant Association within 30 Days and Maintain current certification throughout employment in Food & Nutrition Services

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, paid time off, retirement, tuition benefits, educational opportunities, and individual and team recognition.

This position may be responsible for maintaining the security and integrity of critical infrastructure, as defined in Section 113.001(2) of the Texas Business and Commerce Code and therefore may require routine reviews and screening. The ability to satisfy and maintain all requirements necessary to ensure the continued security and integrity of such infrastructure is a condition of hire and continued employment.

It is the policy of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to provide equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state, or local laws unless such distinction is required by law.http://www.mdanderson.org/about-us/legal-and-policy/legal-statements/eeo-affirmative-action.html

Additional Information

• Requisition ID: 184049
• Employment Status: Full-Time
• Employee Status: Regular
• Work Week: Day/Evening
• Minimum Salary: US Dollar (USD) 41,000
• Midpoint Salary: US Dollar (USD) 51,000
• Maximum Salary : US Dollar (USD) 61,000
• FLSA: non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay
• Fund Type: Hard
• Work Location: Onsite
• Pivotal Position: No
• Referral Bonus Available?: No
• Relocation Assistance Available?: No