Food Service Specialist - IDEA Rundberg (Immediate Opening)

IDEA Public Schools•Austin, TX

About The Position

The Food Service Specialist ensures that appropriate quantities of food are prepared, portioned, and served to IDEA students. The role includes preparing fruits and vegetables, following recipes and kitchen processes, monitoring students during meal periods, and completing kitchen cleaning duties. The position involves cooking, cleaning, restocking, and resetting the kitchen for the next day. Staff may need to adapt quickly between serving food and washing dishes, work around the academic calendar, and move cafeteria tables daily because the cafeteria is shared with a gymnasium. Regular school days involve eight hours of work, with some overtime and, depending on campus, possible Saturday work. There may be extended periods without work during school breaks. The role requires safe food handling and sanitation practices, familiarity with food production procedures, basic math for portioning, and the ability to use kitchen equipment. Physical tasks include lifting, bending, walking, and moving cafeteria tables and garbage. The Food Service Specialist works with students as customers, takes direction and feedback, and is expected to take pride in the food served and to adapt to changing needs. IDEA Public Schools is a multi-state network of tuition-free, Pre-K–12 public charter schools. The organization describes its mission as helping students get to and through college and emphasizes accountability, urgency, adaptability, feedback, collaboration, professionalism, and its Core Values.

Requirements

At least 1 year of experience in a job involving physical activity or being on one's feet for multiple hours per day.
Ability to understand recipes and follow safe food handling and sanitation practices.
Working knowledge of kitchen or food production procedures, or ability to learn them quickly.
Ability to operate kitchen equipment, tools, and utensils.
Basic math skills for food portioning.
Ability to work well under pressure in a team setting.
Ability to lift, bend, pull, push, twist, and walk, and to move cafeteria tables and dispose of garbage.
Ability to work around an academic calendar, including extended periods when there is no work during school breaks.
Ability to work eight hours per day on regular school days, with some overtime; Saturday work may be needed depending on campus.
Ability to work with medium- to large-sized equipment such as ovens, slicers, and steamers.

Nice To Haves

High school diploma (preferred but not required).
Food Handler’s Permit (City or County) preferred.
Interest or passion for working with food.

Responsibilities

Prepare, portion, and serve appropriate quantities of food to students.
Cut and chop fruits and vegetables, follow recipes, and adhere to kitchen processes.
Monitor students during meal periods, including encouraging consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, promoting appropriate behavior, and preventing food sharing.
Clean the kitchen by sweeping, mopping, wiping tables, washing dishes, and disposing of trash.
Cook, clean, restock, and reset the kitchen for the next day.
Move cafeteria tables daily and dispose of garbage.
Use kitchen equipment, tools, and utensils, including medium- to large-sized equipment.
Adapt to changing duties, including switching between food service and dishwashing.
Take direction and feedback, reflect on performance, and correct mistakes promptly.

Benefits

Performance bonus based on team performance and goal attainment.
Medical plan with the majority of the employee premium for the base plan covered, and most costs for spouse/domestic partner and children subsidized.
Eligible staff may receive up to 8 weeks of paid family leave for the birth or adoption of a child, depending on tenure and caregiver designation.
Tuition reimbursement of up to 50% of tuition for a qualifying degree program, capped at $5,250 per year and subject to manager discretion and budget availability.
Employer-paid mental and behavioral health services, including five face-to-face counseling sessions per year, unlimited 24/7 telephonic counseling, and other work-life services.
Dental and vision plans.
Disability insurance.
Life insurance.
Parenting benefits.
Generous vacation time.
Referral bonuses.
Professional development.
Relocation allowance may be offered to defray moving costs, if applicable.