Food & Nutrition Associate

Emory Healthcare•Lithonia, GA

1d•$18 - $22

About The Position

The Food & Nutrition Associate prepares, portions, and serves food for patients on general and modified diets, retail food service, and catering operations. The role supports meal assembly, service-station setup, and food distribution while maintaining food-safety, sanitation, infection-control, and customer-service standards. The posting also refers to this role as a Food Service Worker and describes its contribution to the operations of the Food and Nutrition Services department. The associate prepares and presents meals according to menus and dietary guidelines; handles, stores, labels, and dates food; monitors and records food and equipment temperatures; and operates dishwashing and selected food-service equipment. Duties also include cleaning work areas, receiving and storing deliveries, transporting food carts to patient-care units and other hospital locations, and communicating food-quality or service concerns. The role may include operating a retail cash register and, after training, assisting with basic cooking or baking tasks. The position requires reading, writing, and following instructions; customer-service, critical-thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills; sound judgment in a fast-paced setting; and basic computer skills. A high school diploma or equivalent and one year of food-service experience are preferred. Physical demands include lifting up to 50 pounds, carrying objects up to 25 pounds, and varying amounts of standing, walking, and sitting. Work conditions and exposures may vary by assigned work area and tasks; travel may be required.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent preferred.
One year of food-service experience preferred.
Ability to read, write, and follow instructions.
Demonstrated customer-service, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to make sound judgments while processing information quickly in a fast-paced environment.
Basic computer skills, including logging in and out of workstations, checking email, and completing online employee training modules.
Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and carry objects up to 25 pounds.
Ability to meet the physical demands described, including standing, walking, sitting, and close eye work such as computer use, typing, reading, and writing.

Responsibilities

Prepare, portion, and serve food for patient meals, retail service, and catering operations.
Set up meal-service stations and ensure appropriate food presentation and portion control.
Assemble and serve meals according to selected menus and dietary guidelines.
Assist with patient tray assembly and food distribution as needed.
Follow food-safety, sanitation, and infection-control policies and procedures, including hand hygiene and use of protective equipment.
Take and record temperatures of food and food-service equipment and document results according to department procedures.
Use FIFO protocols for food storage and rotation; label and date food items appropriately.
Load, operate, and unload commercial dishwashing equipment; wash dishes, flatware, and serving utensils according to sanitation standards.
Operate selected food-production or service equipment as needed and may operate a cash register for retail food services.
Receive deliveries and store food items and supplies appropriately.
Requisition or retrieve ingredients from storage according to menu or recipe requirements.
Maintain clean and sanitary food-preparation areas and equipment; clean and organize work areas throughout the shift.
Mop floors; wash tables, counters, walls, and kitchen surfaces; empty and clean trash containers; and remove kitchen waste.
Transport food carts to patient-care units and other hospital locations as required, following department delivery procedures.
Report food-quality concerns, service issues, and patient or customer feedback; communicate recommendations for service improvements to supervisors.
May receive training to assist with basic cooking or baking tasks.
Perform other duties as assigned to support department operations.