About this Role:
Located in Blacksburg, VA, MINE, ME & US Montessori School is seeking a culinary professional for this role. The position calls for the appropriate background in a professional setting, with preference given to those having worked in a school or childcare setting.
About our school:
MINE, ME & US Montessori School provides a nurturing, educational, authentic Montessori environment for children ages 6 weeks through 15 years. We are a year-round school where children are encouraged and supported to do the important lifework of becoming a fully developed, whole person who is mindful of individual, environmental, and community responsibilities.
MINE, ME & US Montessori School employs individuals who:
- View young children as human beings deserving of the highest respect for their unique wisdom, thoughts, feelings, and intuition
- Are passionate about our natural world and about working with children to create habits of environmental stewardship
- Enjoy the world of food and feel compelled to share with young children the joys of a high-quality culinary experience
- Truly and fundamentally enjoy being around children, and respect the innate capacity and independence of the child
- Are interested in a career, not just a job
- Are available for full-time, in-person work
The culinary curriculum is instrumental to the high-quality learning experience that MMUMS provides to children and families. We are looking for a competent individual to lead our food program who holds a passion for cultivating the love of food and cooking with children and support efforts to build positive relationships with food. This position involves leading efforts to plan, prepare, and plate meals three time daily for children ages 6 weeks through 15 years. MINE, ME & US Montessori School serves made-from-scratch, organic and vegetarian/vegan meals and snacks for the members of the school community each day.
This job also involves providing culinary classes for children and take-home meals for families. The program includes MMUMS-community culinary celebrations once per quarter and this individual will be responsible for planning, preparing, and plating food for each of these events.
The ideal candidate will be a hard-working and dependable professional able to undertake a variety of food planning and preparation tasks. This person will be comfortable working with a high degree of attention to detail and organization with the ability to move and learn quickly. We are looking for someone with extensive cooking experience including strong knife use skills and experience with vegetarian/vegan cooking. Additionally, the ideal candidate can demonstrate a cooking prowess to effortlessly combine ingredients to produce flavorful, nutritional meals.
This person must maintain a consistent schedule and be reliable in attendance.
Job duties include:
- Leading the food program
- Managing and collaborating with food program assistant
- Menu planning and ordering to accommodate the budget
- Maintaining inventory of food, food prep materials, and other kitchen necessities
- Preparing, plating, and serving two snacks and one lunch, daily
- Overseeing dishwashing and cleaning (limited to the kitchen)
- Planning for culinary events during the school day, such as cultural celebration meals
- Planning for MMUMS family culinary events (once quarterly)
- Adherence of Health Department and best-practices for safe and healthy food handling
- Coordinate with teaching teams and administration to ensure compliance with established policies
- Working knowledge of and full compliance with food allergy accommodations
- Maintain trusting relationships with children, parents, and teachers in the school community
- Working directly with children to support culinary classes and food preparation tasks
- Regular offering of take-home meals for families to purchase
Schedule:
- Full-time
- Daytime hours to accommodate all tasks
- Monday to Friday, including most federal holidays (exceptions include Labor Day, Memorial Day, and Fourth of July)
- Occasional early evening events, such as quarterly family culinary events
- 6 full weeks of scheduled paid time off to align with the MMUMS school calendar
- One to two days of menu planning each month
- Occasional later evening to accommodate child cooking classes
Job Requirements:
- Proven experience working in the culinary world
- Working knowledge of Virginia Health Department policies and procedures
- Knowledge of best-practices for safe and healthy food handling
- Demonstrated professional communication skills (verbal and written)
- Ability to manage staff (food program assistant)
- Ability to physically perform job which includes being on your feet all day
- Strong communication skills across a team of professionals
We rely on employees who are:
- Dependable - consistent attendance and focus is critical
- Adaptable/flexible - can manage frequent changes from day-to-day in response to changing needs of children and program
- Detail-oriented - can manage small and large tasks with multiple moving parts
- Independent/self-starter - can manage time and tasks without regular supervision
- High stress tolerant - thrives in high-pressure and high-activity environment
- Calm and joyful demeanor around children
Employees are required, by law, to hold the following current certifications (may be obtained upon hiring):
- CPR/First Aid
- Virginia Preservice Training
- Child Abuse and Neglect: Recognizing, Reporting, and Responding for Educators
- ServSafe Food Manager
Benefits include:
- Adjustable pay scale based on experience and performance
- Paid time off (6 weeks) aligned with MMUMS calendar
- Health insurance options
- Professional and career development support
- Freshly made lunch and snacks daily with options for take home meals
- Tuition assistance following a year of employment
Job Types: Contract, Full-time
Pay: From $15.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Food provided
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Tuition reimbursement
Application Question(s):
- What do you feel is your greatest asset that you will bring to this school community?
- What has been your most exciting moment while either working with children or in a culinary environment?
Experience:
- Food preparation: 1 year (Preferred)
- Food management: 1 year (Preferred)
License/Certification:
- Food Handler Certification (Preferred)
Work Location: In person
