Culinary Assistant | Dietary Aide | Kitchen Staff

Heritage Senior Living•Elm Grove, WI

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Heritage Senior Living is seeking a dependable, friendly Culinary Assistant to support dining services at Heritage Elm Grove Senior Living. The role helps provide residents, guests, visitors, and team members with appealing meals and a positive dining experience, while supporting food preparation, meal service, kitchen operations, cleaning, and food safety. Previous food-service or healthcare experience is helpful but not required. The position reports to the Executive Chef and works closely with the culinary team. The Culinary Assistant serves meals and beverages, takes food orders as needed, prepares and delivers room-service trays, responds courteously to requests, and helps make meals and special events enjoyable. The role also assists with food preparation, deliveries, inventory, food storage and rotation, dishwashing, sanitation, cleaning, compliance logs, and reporting equipment or maintenance concerns. The work requires regular interaction with older adults and adherence to established procedures and applicable food-service requirements. Essential functions include effective communication; reading and following menus, labels, instructions, safety information, and documentation; standing and walking for extended periods; bending, reaching, stooping, kneeling, pushing, and pulling; and regularly lifting, carrying, and moving items weighing up to 50 pounds. The employee safely handles food, dishes, cookware, equipment, cleaning supplies, and other materials, and works around heat, steam, hot surfaces, sharp utensils, cleaning products, wet surfaces, and temperature changes. A flexible schedule based on community needs may include weekends, holidays, and additional hours. Reasonable accommodations may be provided as required by law.

Requirements

Passion for serving older adults.
Positive, friendly, dependable, and hardworking attitude; takes pride in providing good service and doing the job well.
Strong communication and customer-service skills.
Ability to present and serve food in an appealing manner.
Understanding of or willingness to learn sanitation, food-safety, and infection-control practices.
Ability to work collaboratively with coworkers and community team members, follow directions and established procedures, and help where needed.
Ability to meet applicable pre-employment, training, and regulatory requirements.
Ability to read and follow menus, food labels, cleaning instructions, safety information, and required documentation.
Ability to stand and walk for extended periods; bend, reach, stoop, kneel, push, and pull as required.
Ability to regularly lift, carry, and move items weighing up to 50 pounds.
Ability to safely handle food, dishes, cookware, kitchen equipment, cleaning supplies, and other materials, and work around heat, steam, hot surfaces, sharp utensils, cleaning products, wet surfaces, and temperature changes.

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.
Present meals appealingly, respond courteously to resident requests, and help create an enjoyable dining experience.
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 required 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.
Maintain regular and reliable attendance and work a flexible schedule based on resident and community needs.