Kitchen Associate II (For INTERNAL candidates only)

The San Antonio Food Bank INC•San Antonio, TX

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Kitchen Associate II is an experienced, cross-trained food production employee who independently performs a broad range of kitchen production tasks while maintaining food safety, meal quality, accuracy, and efficiency. The role supports complex production activities, troubleshoots routine station-level issues, and coaches Kitchen Associate I staff without serving as a formal supervisor. The position reports to the Kitchen Manager and receives day-to-day direction from Kitchen Leads. The employee prepares and packages meals across multiple stations, maintains proficiency with commercial kitchen equipment, verifies station readiness and production accuracy, completes required records, and follows approved recipes, menus, food safety procedures, and special diet controls. The role also supports training, cross-station coverage, emergency and disaster feeding, special events, and other assigned operations. Employees may not independently change approved recipes or meal instructions, assign staffing schedules, issue discipline, or assume leadership authority reserved for Kitchen Leads and Kitchen Managers. The work is primarily performed in a commercial kitchen, with varying temperatures including walk-in coolers and freezers. Travel to partner sites with varying conditions may be required; the work environment is usually moderately noisy. The schedule consists of assigned production shifts, including early mornings and occasional weekends as needed.

Requirements

At least two years of relevant high-volume food service, institutional kitchen, school nutrition, or comparable production experience, or demonstrated equivalent proficiency.
Ability to independently follow standardized recipes, accurately measure and portion food, and operate commercial kitchen equipment safely.
Ability to work proficiently across multiple kitchen stations and recognize food safety, quality, and production discrepancies.
Experience documenting production tasks or ability to learn production records and electronic systems.
Ability to obtain required food handler training or certification within the employer-established timeframe.
Ability to regularly lift and move up to 50 pounds, with appropriate assistance or equipment as needed.

Nice To Haves

Experience in CACFP, NSLP, SBP, SFSP, or another regulated meal service environment.
Experience with special diet meal preparation, allergen controls, or high-volume meal packaging.
Experience coaching or training coworkers.
Familiarity with Mosaic or similar production software.
ServSafe Manager certification.
Bilingual English/Spanish.

Responsibilities

Independently prepare, cook, portion, assemble, package, and label meals across multiple production stations using approved standardized recipes and production specifications.
Operate assigned commercial kitchen equipment proficiently and follow safe setup, use, cleaning, and shutdown procedures.
Verify station readiness, ingredients, recipe yields, portions, counts, packaging, and labels; identify errors before products advance.
Recognize workflow delays, shortages, food quality concerns, and waste; resolve routine station-level issues within approved procedures and escalate matters requiring authorization.
Support the accurate completion and review of station production records, temperature records, and quality checks; flag incomplete or inconsistent documentation.
Provide flexible production coverage across stations and help maintain continuity during staffing changes or high-volume periods.
Follow food safety, sanitation, personal hygiene, allergen prevention, temperature control, and cross-contamination procedures; promptly report hazards and deviations.
Prepare and package meals according to approved menus, standardized recipes, portion sizes, age-group requirements, production instructions, and special diet controls.
Complete production records, temperature logs, sanitation checks, and other assigned documentation accurately and on time; report discrepancies and corrective actions.
Escalate proposed substitutions through established approval channels; do not independently change approved recipes, ingredients, special diet instructions, or meal components.
Demonstrate approved production techniques and coach Kitchen Associate I staff, volunteers, or trainees on station tasks, equipment, recipes, sanitation, and documentation.
Provide factual input on trainee readiness and demonstrated competencies to Kitchen Leads and Kitchen Managers; do not conduct formal performance evaluations.
Maintain cross-training across core kitchen functions and participate in continuous improvement efforts.
Communicate production status, shortages, equipment issues, quality concerns, and unfinished tasks to the Kitchen Lead or Kitchen Manager.
Work respectfully with colleagues, volunteers, interns, and trainees; follow established safety, attendance, uniform, and workplace conduct standards.
Support emergency and disaster feeding, special events, and other essential SAFB operations as assigned.
Perform other related duties as assigned.