Food and Culinary Literacy Educator

Penn State University • University Park, IL

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About The Position

The Sustainable Food Systems Initiative at Penn State, University Park, PA, seeks one full-time Food and Culinary Literacy Educator who will facilitate food literacy programming for students to actively engage with the campus and community food system. This position reports directly to the Associate Director for Farm and Food Systems. The Sustainable Food Systems Initiative is a cross-institutional sustainability and leadership development initiative of Penn State Student Affairs. Annually, our programs engage with 40+ academic courses; dozens of community events, tours, and volunteer days; multiple student-led research projects; and 60+ student leaders. Community partners include groups such as food pantries, community gardens, area non-profits, and local farms. We are seeking a passionate and experienced Food and Culinary Literacy Educator to lead our food literacy programs for university students. This role blends culinary and nutrition expertise with education, sustainability, and wellness. The ideal candidate will inspire students to make informed, healthy, and sustainable food choices through hands-on cooking classes, workshops, and interactive demonstrations, with a strong emphasis on seasonal cooking using produce from our campus farm, reducing food waste, and building lifelong food skills. The ideal candidate will additionally mentor students to provide peer-to-peer learning and engagement in these areas.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree
• 3+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Office programs such as Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, and Teams
• Must be able to work in a variety of outdoor conditions, including exposure to heat, cold, and inclement weather.
• Must be able to safely lift and carry up to 40 pounds and perform physical activities such as bending, lifting, and twisting as part of the job duties
• ServSafe or equivalent food safety certification (or willingness to obtain)
• Must possess a valid driver’s license and have reliable transportation for work-related travel.
• Any successful candidate will need to be a detail-oriented leader and manager who can work collaboratively with a broad spectrum of partners, who possess excellent written and oral communication skills, a high degree of intercultural competence, and enthusiasm for working with students.
• The successful candidate will also need a willingness to work varied and non-traditional hours, including evenings and weekends, to support educational programming.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (nutrition, hospitality management, culinary arts, etc.), credentialed as a Registered Dietitian (RD) with strong culinary skills preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Experience working with students in youth or college settings, including support for diverse student populations and strong customer service skills
• Experience developing and leading workshops, courses, or curricula related to food systems, food literacy, and community engagement
• Experience with plant-based or culturally diverse cuisines, farm-based culinary settings, and or food security issues is a plus
• Marketing and social media knowledge preferred
• Highly organized, able to work with minimal supervision on work assignments, and able to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced work environment

Responsibilities

• Coordinate programming aimed at engaging students in co-curricular activities in sustainable food systems, facilitating partnerships between student organizations and community groups, and for building food systems literacy competence
• Develop and deliver campus- and community-wide events such as hands-on cooking classes, cooking competitions, guest chef nights, and food-themed wellness fairs to support student and community exploration in food literacy topics; support student leadership and learning in event planning
• Maintain a safe, clean, and inclusive kitchen learning environment
• Oversee students in supply chain logistics to recover and redistribute food, especially through co-advising of our campus Food Recovery Network
• Support internships and immersive experiences on relevant food literacy projects on campus
• Directly supervise part-time staff in developing, planning, and maintaining community partnerships and learning opportunities for students to engage with the community food system
• Develop students’ leadership skills and support their leadership in the program through peer-to-peer campus and community initiatives, and assist in the recruitment and retention of student leaders
• Support student, staff, and faculty connection and organization across departments and units relevant to food literacy; develop and maintain new academic department and student/community organization partnerships tangential to food literacy (i.e., health and wellness; cultural foodways and identity)
• Lead planning and development of student engagement programming at all institutional levels
• Ensure equitable access to food systems-related resources and university assets for students across campus
• Supervise student interns in work with multiple academic and support units, such as Nutrition or Hospitality Management
• Facilitate intern tasks and actively connect them to learning objectives and outcomes (cooking event planning, food security project development)
• Provide support to the program marketing and communications team as needed
• Track and document relevant programmatic metrics and data
• Utilize assessments to identify gaps and continuously improve a comprehensive food literacy curriculum tailored to college students
• Perform other related duties as necessary
• Manage programming and events budgets, and event contracts
• Support students in grant applications, fundraising, and other funding goals
• Provide recommendations for budgetary projections, allocations, and future needs

Benefits

• Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being.
• In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time.
• One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees