Shelter Kitchen Specialist: part- time

Join the NVFS Family : As the Shelter Kitchen Specialist, you will prepare and serve nutritious meals to shelter guests while supporting daily kitchen operations. Responsibilities include food preparation, maintaining food safety and sanitation standards, meal service, and ensuring a clean and organized kitchen and dining area. This role requires strong culinary experience, the ability to serve diverse populations, and strong organizational skills to ensure consistent, high-quality service.

Why This Role Matters: Access to nutritious meals is critical to the well‑being and dignity of the individuals and families we serve. In this role, you help create a safe, welcoming environment while directly supporting the health and stability of shelter residents and advancing the NVFS mission.

We are looking to hire Shelter Support Specialists for the following shift:

• Part-time: Saturday to Sunday
  • 9am to 7pm

Benefits and Compensation : We want you to be well, have work/life flexibility, grow your career with us, and have the resources and support you need. Check out our comprehensive benefit offerings here in support of various dimensions of your wellbeing.

The starting hourly rate is $25.00.

In this role, you will be responsible for:

Meals:

• Develop and implement weekly rotating kitchen menus based on ingredients available with an emphasis on preparing nutritional, well-balanced and well-presented meals. Ensure adherence to CACFP guidelines in meal planning and menu preparation.
• Coordinate and collaborate with shelter and Hunger Resource Center (HRC) staff to ensure availability and maintenance of inventory and supplies for nutritious meals.
• “Shop” for and transport food supplies from HRC to kitchen regularly.
• Perform food preparation and cook food in quantities according to the menu and number of persons to be served (70-90 people at any given time); this includes continental-style breakfast and cooked lunch, or dinner daily (dependent upon your shift hours). Ensure high levels of guest satisfaction.
• Must be able accommodate specific dietary needs and special requests.
• Ensure there are meals for weekends and days off; always have a contingency plan.
• Maintain a system of accountability for record of food and meal counts.
• Follow emergency contingency plan to include preparedness for extreme weather conditions, loss of power, etc.
• Identify and work with management on reviewing administrative areas that are affecting operations efficiency, service delivery, and the fiscal integrity of the program.
• Keep apprised of food service guidelines (USDA, federal/state/local health regulations, etc.) to ensure operations meet compliance.
• Work collaboratively and effectively with volunteers assigned to work in the kitchen area.

Maintenance:

• Ensure tables, utensils, equipment, serving area, and kitchen workspaces are maintained in a sanitary manner.
• Maintain safety standards throughout all food preparation and storage areas.
• Maintain a system for food and produce inventory and rotation.
• Clearly label meals in refrigerator by date and mealtime.
• Participate in regular supervision with supervisor by providing regular updates.
• Maintain current level of knowledge on program software and other information on food handling and preparation.

Your Background : We understand that you may obtain skills through a variety of professional, personal, educational, and volunteer experiences.

• Demonstrated experience in food preparation and safety, catering and handling in a high volume commercial or institutional environment
• Valid Food Handler’s certification
• ServSafe certification strongly preferred
• Culinary training preferred but not required
• Demonstrated ability of nutritious menu development and inventory management, knowledge of food handling and preparation equipment
• Proven ability to be innovative and work with varying resources and ingredients
• Oral and written fluency in English; additional language skills always welcome
• Proficiency in usage of basic technological tools includ