Central Washington University is recruiting two Panda Wok Cooks to join our Panda Express team in Ellensburg, Washington. This role is an important member of our team as they enhance the vision for the University. The role is a 10-month cyclic, campus-based position, which means you get to see the lives you are impacting. We're offering a competitive salary plus the awesome CWU benefits.
Who we are:
We are a team of individuals committed to Changing Students' Lives. No matter what job, each of us plays a part in supporting and empowering our students to fulfill their dreams.
Working in higher education provides career growth and career choice. Think of a university campus like a mini city, operating across 380 acres. You'll find robust academics, libraries, athletics and sporting events, full service and quick serve dining, conferences and events from small to large, recreation centers, housing, health services, police and public safety for the campus population of ~8,300 students.
Central Washington University has been named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Top Producing Institution for the 2022-2023 academic year. In addition, for seven out of eight years, CWU was a recipient of the prestigious Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. RentCafe has also named CWU #13 of the Top 20 Best College Towns in the U.S. in 2025.
Come join us on our journey to encourage, inspire, and create spaces where all identities thrive on campus.
Tour our campus in Ellensburg here. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjdhOegDa9A
What we offer:
Our investment in you begins the day you join our team, a healthy and successful future for you is important to us. We offer medical, dental, life and disability insurance, retirement and optional savings plans, tuition assistance for you and your dependents, discounts across town, an employee assistance program for individualized counseling, and a wellness incentive program. Learn more: Benefits, Perks, and Leave and Total Rewards Calculator.
The Role:
The food service worker lead leads the work of others. This position is directly involved in leading, directing and training the staff including student food workers and on-call staff. This position ensures professional food and beverage preparation, leads food production, and helps prep for next day's meals, ensures proper food storage practices are taken, and maintains a sanitary work environment.
The food service worker lead is responsible for preparing all dishes and beverages according to recipes and standards, with accountability for:
- Ensuring recipes compliance, execution, and food safety practices
- Preparing all dishes to meet company standards for flavor, color, and aroma
- Guiding Kitchen Help and assisting with their training
- Performing all Back of House (BOH) and Front of House (FOH) responsibilities
The food service worker lead can be assigned to various locations across campus during the academic year, including:
- Panda Express
- The Village Grill
- Café and Market's
- Student Union and Recreation Center
In alignment with Central Washington University's vision, mission, and values, CWU Dining Services plays a key role in supporting these principles while also upholding our department¿s own vision, mission, and values. Our vision is to be a key campus partner in promoting the growth of our community through shared culinary and educational experiences. As a member of Dining Services, you will be directly involved in these efforts and are expected to embody both the university, and department, vision, mission, and values in your work. All employees are expected to uphold and contribute to CWU's vision, mission, and values, fostering a culture of student success and institutional excellence.
