Substitute - Student Nutrition Services

SAN-Jose-Unified-School-District; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 21,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

San José Unified is seeking a Substitute Student Nutrition team member to help ensure students have access to nutritious meals in a safe, welcoming environment. You will follow established procedures, help with meal service across multiple school sites, maintain cleanliness and food safety, assist with inventory and basic documentation, and provide friendly service to students and staff.

This role supports the district's commitment to student health, equity, and success, collaborating with site

Qualifications

• Completion of 10th grade or equivalent education, experience, or training.
• Resume required for application.

Responsibilities

• Assist with the preparation and service of nutritious meals according to district menus and nutrition guidelines.
• Follow food safety, sanitation, and hygiene procedures to maintain a clean and compliant environment.
• Set up and clean food service areas and equipment before, during, and after meal service.
• Operate kitchen equipment safely and efficiently as trained.
• Support inventory organization, storage, and proper rotation of supplies.
• Assist with meal counts and basic documentation as required.
• Provide friendly, respectful customer service to students, staff, and visitors.
• Collaborate with site staff to ensure meal service runs smoothly and on schedule.
• Adapt quickly to different school sites, schedules, and team structures.
• Report equipment, safety, or food service concerns to site supervisors promptly.
• Perform other related duties to support food service operations.

Skills

Food safety

Customer service

Teamwork

Adaptability

Reliability

Education

10th grade or equivalent

Job description

The impact you will have:

As a Substitute Student Nutrition team member, you play an important role in ensuring students have access to nutritious meals in a safe, welcoming environment—especially when regular staff are absent. Your flexibility and reliability help maintain continuity of service so students feel supported, cared for, and ready to learn each day. By stepping in where needed, you directly support the smooth operation of school meal programs and San José Unified’s commitment to student health, equity, and success.

Who you are:

You are a dependable, adaptable professional who enjoys working with students and supporting school communities. You are comfortable stepping into new environments, following established procedures, and learning routines quickly. You bring strong attention to cleanliness, food safety, and customer service, and you understand the importance of teamwork and professionalism. You are flexible, responsive, and committed to providing a positive experience for students, staff, and families.

As a Substitute Student Nutrition team member, responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Assisting with the preparation and service of nutritious meals in accordance with district menus, portion standards, and nutrition guidelines.
• Following all food safety, sanitation, and hygiene procedures to ensure a clean and compliant food service environment.
• Setting up and cleaning food service areas and equipment before, during, and after meal service.
• Operating kitchen equipment safely and efficiently, as trained.
• Supporting inventory organization, food storage, and proper rotation of supplies.
• Assisting with meal counts and basic documentation, as required.
• Providing friendly, respectful customer service to students, staff, and visitors.
• Working collaboratively with site staff to ensure meal service runs smoothly and on schedule.
• Adapting quickly to different school sites, schedules, and team structures.
• Reporting equipment, safety, or food service concerns promptly to site supervisors.
• Performing other related duties as assigned to support food service operations.

What you need for this position:

• Completion of 10th grade, or any combination of education, experience and training which is equivalent
• Resume

Location:

• Student Nutrition Services Department

SB 848 Child Safety & Employment Disclosure Requirement

Effective January 1, 2026, in accordance with California Senate Bill 848 (School Employee Misconduct/Child Abuse Prevention Act), applicants for employment with San José Unified are subject to enhanced child safety, training, and employment disclosure requirements.

Under SB 848, schools are required to strengthen background vetting procedures and obtain employment history information related to allegations of egregious misconduct involving students. Former employers may be contacted to release records regarding substantiated findings of misconduct as permitted by law. Failure to provide complete and accurate information regarding prior educational employment or relevant misconduct findings may result in disqualification from the hiring process or withdrawal of an offer of employment.

SB 848 also expands mandated reporter requirements and requires annual child abuse prevention training for employees and certain volunteers by July 1, 2026. All employees must comply with district-adopted child safety policies, including procedures for supervising and protecting students.

San José Unified is committed to maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment for all students and will review all disclosures and employment records in accordance with state law.