Kitchen Runner

Amherst College•Amherst, NY

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Amherst College invites applications for the Kitchen Runner position. This is a full-time, year-round role supporting Dining Services by maintaining the flow, cleanliness, sanitation, and organization of kitchen and service areas. The Kitchen Runner transports and replenishes food and supplies, cleans and sanitizes areas and equipment, supports service needs, and helps maintain a safe and efficient operation. This role responds to changing priorities while ensuring work areas remain clean, organized, sanitary, and well-stocked. All Dining Services employees are responsible for understanding and implementing established food safety procedures and allergen prevention protocols, and must actively support individuals with food allergies. Employees are expected to apply knowledge from mandatory training sessions in their daily duties to protect the health and well-being of the community. The work schedule varies based on department needs and will be mutually agreed upon during the job offer phase. As part of essential services, this position requires reporting to work even when the college is closed, and a flexible schedule with extended shift times is necessary due to the nature of student life needs.

Requirements

High School Diploma or equivalent.
1-3 years of equivalent work experience in lieu of minimum education and related experience.
Ability to work efficiently in a high-volume, fast-paced dining environment.
Ability to perform routine cleaning, sanitation, and basic food preparation.
Ability to prioritize tasks and respond to changing operational needs.
Ability to safely use cleaning chemicals, sanitation supplies, kitchen tools, and equipment.
Ability to follow food safety, sanitation, recipes, and operational procedures.
Strong attention to cleanliness, organization, and detail.
Effective communication and teamwork skills.
Successful completion of required reference and background checks.
An acceptable criminal offender records information (CORI) check.
Successful completion of pre-employment physical and lift test.

Nice To Haves

Previous food service, sanitation, kitchen, or institutional dining experience.
Familiarity with basic food preparation, food safety, sanitation, and commercial kitchen operations.
Experience in a high-volume dining environment.
ServSafe Foodhandler Certification.

Responsibilities

Cleans and sanitizes kitchen, production, storage, and service areas, including floors, work surfaces, carts, equipment, and shelving.
Supports setup, replenishment, and breakdown of kitchen and service areas.
Transports food, supplies, smallwares, and equipment safely throughout the dining operation.
Monitors food and supply levels and communicates operational needs proactively.
Assists with receiving, storing, rotating, and organizing food and supplies.
Removes waste, recycling, cardboard, and other materials following established procedures.
Responds promptly to spills, sanitation concerns, and changing operational priorities.
Collaborates with culinary, service, and sanitation teams to maintain clean, organized, and efficient operations.
Performs basic food preparation, including washing, cutting, portioning, assembling, packaging, and labeling ingredients and menu items.
Follows standardized recipes, portioning guidelines, food safety standards, and established preparation procedures.
Assists with preparing and staging food and ingredients for production and service.
Maintains clean, organized, and sanitary work areas throughout food preparation.