Shaw Culinary Platform Attendant

Michigan State University; East Lansing (MI); On-site; USD 19,000 - 22,000; Full time

Job summary

Michigan State University is hiring a Shaw Culinary Platform Attendant to support campus dining operations in Shaw Hall. This role offers steady hours in a fast-paced environment and the opportunity to build foundational culinary skills while serving students and staff.

You will assist cooks with prep, assembling meals, and maintaining salad bars and stations, while upholding food safety and quality standards.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Knowledge of kitchen safety practices.
• Ability to read weights and measures and to weigh and measure ingredients.
• Familiarity with various cooking methods (sautéing, deep frying, grilling, steam).

Responsibilities

• Station Prep & Organization: Set up, replenish, and maintain salad bars, hot/cold stations, and to-order service areas.
• Culinary Assistance: Support cooks by combining ingredients, measuring portions, and assembling meals to order.
• Food Safety and Quality: Apply proper food handling, rotation, and storage techniques to prevent waste.
• Customer Service: Serve meals to students, staff, and guests with a friendly demeanor.
• Team Collaboration: Work with a diverse dining team to maintain efficient operations.

Skills

Weights & measures

Knife handling

Cooking methods

Food prep

Teamwork

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Job description

Working/Functional Title: Shaw Culinary Platform Attendant

Position Summary

Join a vibrant campus community where your work directly impacts the daily lives of students and staff. We offer a supportive, team-oriented kitchen culture that celebrates diversity and values your unique contributions. This position provides steady hours, a fast-paced and energetic work environment, and excellent opportunities to build foundational culinary skills. If you enjoy interacting with people, love great food, and want to be part of a welcoming, inclusive team, this is the perfect place for you!

Key Responsibilities

• Station Prep & Organization: Set up, replenish, and maintain salad bars, hot/cold stations, and to-order service areas.
• Culinary Assistance: Support cooks by combining ingredients, measuring portions, and assembling meals to order.
• Food Safety and Quality: Apply proper food handling, rotation, and storage techniques to eliminate waste and prevent spoilage.
• Customer Service: Serve meals directly to students, staff, and guests with a friendly and welcoming demeanor.
• Team Collaboration: Work effectively within a diverse workforce to maintain efficient dining hall operations.

All positions in RHS are designated as critical status. In the event of a university closure, modification, or suspension of operations due to snow or emergency condition, persons in this position are expected to make all reasonable attempts to report to work as scheduled for the duration of the closure/suspension. If a person has an approved remote work agreement to work a portion of their normally scheduled work hours remotely, they upon to work on-site to serve the MSU community.

Minimum Requirements

• Graduation from high school or equivalent combination of education and experience is necessary.
• One year of full time experience in food preparation and use of kitchen equipment.
• Knowledge of kitchen safety practices.
• Ability to read weights and measures and the ability to weigh and measure ingredients.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide whole numbers and fractions.
• Knowledge of various methods of food preparation including sautéing, display cooking, deep frying, grilling and steaming etc.
• Ability to properly use knives and standard kitchen equipment.
• Ability and skill to prepare items utilizing proper methods and production timing to assure freshly cooked products are ready for continuous service.
• Occasional lifting of 26 to 75 pounds.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience: One year of satisfactory food service experience, or an equivalent mix of education and training.
• Proactive Approach: Ability to anticipate changes in services needs and shifting customer demands.
• Initiative: Skilled at taking independent action to solve problems before they escalated.
• Flexibility: Highly adaptable to changing tasks, fast-paced environments, and schedule needs.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Application Materials

Resume

Work Hours

Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Friday off, Saturday and Sunday 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., alternating weekends off.

Building Location

W SHAW HALL

Website

Careers.msu.edu

Summary of Physical Demands

Occasional lifting of 26 to 75 pounds.

Bidding eligibility ends September 8, 2026 at 11:55 P.M.