Culinary Assistant | Dietary Aide | Kitchen Staff

Heritage Senior Living•Hartland, WI

About The Position

Heritage Senior Living is hiring a dependable and friendly Culinary Assistant for the dining services team at Heritage Lake Country Senior Living. The role supports food preparation, meal service, kitchen operations, and a clean, welcoming dining environment. The Culinary Assistant serves residents, guests, visitors, and team members, helping create an enjoyable and appealing dining experience. Previous healthcare or food-service experience is helpful but not required. The position reports to the Executive Chef and works closely with the culinary team. Duties include taking food orders, preparing and delivering room-service trays, assisting with meal production and special events, receiving and storing supplies, organizing inventory and kitchen spaces, and cleaning and sanitizing dishes, equipment, and work areas. The role also follows food-safety, sanitation, infection-control, and other applicable procedures; completes compliance logs; and reports equipment or maintenance concerns. The work requires regular standing and walking, bending and reaching, and safely handling food, kitchen equipment, cleaning supplies, and other materials. Employees regularly lift, carry, and move items weighing up to 50 pounds. The schedule is flexible based on resident and community needs and may include weekends, holidays, and additional hours as needed. Reasonable accommodations may be provided as required by applicable law.

Requirements

Passion for serving older adults.
Positive, friendly attitude and strong customer-service skills.
Strong communication skills.
Ability to work collaboratively with coworkers and community team members.
Ability to follow directions and established procedures.
Attention to cleanliness, organization, and food safety.
Understanding of or willingness to learn sanitation, food-safety, and infection-control practices.
Ability to present and serve food in an appealing manner.
Ability to meet applicable pre-employment, training, and regulatory requirements.
Ability to stand and walk for extended periods and bend, reach, stoop, kneel, push, and pull as required for kitchen duties.
Ability to regularly lift, carry, and move items weighing up to 50 pounds.
Ability to safely work around heat, steam, hot surfaces, sharp utensils, cleaning products, wet surfaces, and temperature changes.
Willingness to work a flexible schedule that may include weekends, holidays, and additional hours as needed.

Nice To Haves

Previous food-preparation, restaurant, hospitality, senior-living, or healthcare experience is preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

Provide friendly, attentive service to residents, guests, visitors, and team members.
Serve meals and beverages, take individual food orders as needed, and prepare and deliver room-service trays.
Help present meals attractively and respond to resident requests professionally and courteously.
Assist with food preparation and meal production as directed by the Executive Chef or Sous Chef.
Prepare food and dining areas for special events, celebrations, and community programs.
Receive and properly store food and supply deliveries; assist with inventory and organization.
Label, date, rotate, and store food products according to established procedures; organize refrigerators and storage areas.
Wash and sanitize dishes, utensils, cookware, and kitchen equipment.
Maintain clean and organized kitchen, food-preparation, storage, and service areas; follow cleaning schedules and infection-control procedures.
Assist with garbage removal and general kitchen cleanup.
Follow safe food-handling, sanitation, and infection-control practices.
Assist with food, equipment, cleaning, in-service, OSHA, and other compliance logs.
Monitor dishwasher temperatures and chemical levels and report equipment or maintenance concerns to the Executive Chef.
Follow Heritage Senior Living policies, procedures, and applicable food-service requirements.
Communicate effectively, read and follow menus, labels, safety information, cleaning instructions, and required documentation.
Maintain regular and reliable attendance and safely perform food-preparation, serving, dishwashing, cleaning, stocking, and other kitchen functions.