Position Overview:
The Kitchen Service Associate supports the daily preparation, cooking, serving, dishwashing, deep cleaning, and organization of SEED LA’s in-house food service program.
SEED LA is a boarding school environment serving approximately 280 students through multiple daily meal periods, including breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner. SEED LA serves students and families from the South-Central Los Angeles community and surrounding areas, and this role supports a food service program committed to dignity, wellness, cultural responsiveness, and consistent daily care.
This is a hands-on kitchen position. All team members are expected to support food preparation, meal service, dishwashing, sanitation, equipment cleaning, and routine deep-cleaning tasks as part of daily operations. This role helps ensure students receive safe, nourishing, well-prepared meals in a respectful, clean, and welcoming environment.
Because SEED LA participates in school meal programs, this position requires strict adherence to approved menus, production records, portioning guidelines, allergen procedures, and National School Lunch Program requirements. Team members are expected to communicate with management before using unforecasted ingredients, making substitutions, or changing planned menu items. Strong inventory control, menu accountability, and clear communication are foundational expectations of this role.
As SEED LA transitions to an in-house food service model, this role will help build a strong foundation for a student-centered meal program rooted in care, consistency, cultural responsiveness, and operational excellence. This position will also support SEED LA’s long-term vision of developing a Garden to Table initiative, connecting school meals, student wellness, local sourcing, sustainability, and hands-on food education.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Food Preparation & Cooking
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Prepare ingredients according to recipes, production sheets, and supervisor direction.
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Assist with cooking breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, and special event meals.
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Follow proper portioning, batch cooking, and service timing procedures.
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Help maintain food quality, flavor, presentation, and temperature standards.
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Support scratch-cooking and culturally responsive menu items when assigned.
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Label, date, store, and rotate food properly using FIFO.
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Communicate shortages, substitutions, production concerns, or equipment issues to the Kitchen Manager.
Meal Service
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Set up and break down service lines for breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, and special events.
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Serve students and staff with professionalism, patience, and respect.
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Follow portion control and school meal service guidelines.
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Help maintain smooth student flow during meal periods.
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Refill service items, monitor presentation, and maintain cleanliness during service.
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Reinforce cafeteria expectations in a positive and supportive way.
NSLP Compliance, Menu Adherence & Ingredient Control
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Follow all National School Lunch Program, school meal pattern, portioning, and menu compliance requirements as directed by management.
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Prepare and serve menu items according to approved recipes, production records, and forecasted menus.
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Do not use ingredients, menu items, substitutions, or add-ons that are not listed on the approved menu, forecast, or production plan without prior approval from management.
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Notify the Kitchen Manager or Food Service Manager immediately if a forecasted ingredient is missing, unavailable, damaged, expired, or insufficient for production.
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Communicate before making any substitutions that may affect meal compliance, allergens, inventory, cost, or student accommodations.
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Follow approved portion sizes and serving instructions to support accurate reimbursable meal service.
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Support accurate production records by reporting actual usage, substitutions, leftovers, shortages, and service counts.
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Help protect tight inventory controls by using only assigned ingredients for the correct meal period, menu item, or production task.
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Do not remove, repurpose, open, or use reserved ingredients without approval.
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Follow labeling, dating, storage, and FIFO procedures to reduce waste and maintain accurate inventory.
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Understand that menu adherence, ingredient control, and communication are essential responsibilities of this position.
Cleaning, Dishwashing & Sanitation
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Wash dishes, utensils, trays, pots, pans, sheet pans, serving tools, and kitchen equipment as needed.
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Operate the dish machine safely and follow proper dishwashing procedures.
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Clean and sanitize workstations, prep tables, service lines, sinks, carts, shelves, storage areas, and equipment.
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Support daily, weekly, and scheduled deep-cleaning tasks.
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Clean walls, floors, drains, mats, trash areas, walk-in cooler, freezer, dry storage, dish area, and kitchen equipment as assigned.
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Break down boxes, remove trash, replace liners, and maintain clean waste areas.
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Sweep, mop, and reset the kitchen, cafeteria, and service areas as needed.
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Follow proper chemical use, sanitizer concentration, handwashing, glove use, and food safety practices.
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Complete or support cleaning logs, sanitation logs, and closing checklists as assigned.
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Maintain a clean, safe, organized, and inspection-ready kitchen environment.
Food Safety & Compliance
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Follow all food safety, HACCP, and school nutrition procedures.
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Record temperatures, cooling logs, sanitation checks, and other logs as assigned.
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Follow allergen procedures and avoid cross-contact.
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Maintain confidentiality regarding student allergies, dietary needs, and accommodations.
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Follow NSLP and school meal service requirements as directed by management, including meal counts.
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Support accurate meal service and production documentation as needed.
Garden to Table & Student Wellness Support
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Support SEED LA’s long-term goal of developing a Garden to Table food program.
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Assist with the use of school-grown, locally sourced, or seasonal ingredients when available.
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Help prepare meals that connect students to fresh foods, cultural food traditions, and wellness.
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Support occasional food education, tastings, or student engagement activities connected to the meal program.
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Follow proper handling, washing, storage, and preparation procedures for fresh produce and garden-based ingredients.
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Help create a kitchen culture that values sustainability, reduced food waste, and respect for ingredients.
Inventory & Receiving Support
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Assist with organizing dry storage, walk-in cooler, freezer, paper goods, and chemicals.
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Help receive, store, label, and rotate deliveries.
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Report low inventory, damaged items, expired products, or equipment concerns.
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Support basic inventory counts when needed.
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Follow FIFO and proper storage practices to reduce waste and maintain food quality.
Physical Requirements
The physical requirements described here represent those that an employee must meet to successfully perform the essential functions of this position, with or without reasonable accommodation:
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Ability to stand and walk for extended periods during scheduled shifts.
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Ability to work in a fast-paced kitchen environment with frequent bending, stooping, reaching, and repetitive motions.
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Ability to lift, carry, push, and/or pull up to 50 pounds.
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Ability to use standard kitchen equipment and tools safely, including knives, ovens, stovetops, dish machines, and food preparation equipment.
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Ability to maintain attention to task while following food safety and sanitation procedures.
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Sufficient vision, hearing, and communication ability to safely perform kitchen duties and respond to instructions, equipment alerts, and safety concerns.
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Ability to tolerate exposure to heat, steam, and temperature fluctuations.
Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this position, with or without reasonable accommodation:
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Work is performed primarily in a commercial kitchen and food service environment within a school setting.
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Frequent interaction with kitchen team members, supervisors, and occasional interaction with students, staff, or guests.
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Fast-paced environment with multiple tasks, time constraints, and high-volume meal service periods.
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Exposure to moderate to high noise levels, hot surfaces, sharp objects, and wet or slippery floors.
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Regular adherence to health, safety, and sanitation standards, including proper food handling and cleaning procedures.
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Schedule may include early mornings, afternoons, evenings, weekends, and occasional holidays based on school and food service needs.
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Requires teamwork, reliability, and the ability to follow directions while maintaining a safe and respectful workplace.
Please Note the Shift Hours for this position
Typical shifts are:
AM Shift: Monday – Friday 5:30 am – 2:30 pm
PM Shift: Monday – Thursday 12:30 pm – 9:00 pm and Friday 9:30 am – 6 pm
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A commitment to SEED’s mission and belief that with the right resources, any child can attend college and achieve their dreams
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A commitment to SEED’s core values of: COMPASSION, GRATITUDE, GROWTH, INTEGRITY, PERSEVERANCE, RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY
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A commitment to equity, leadership, and a focus on data-driven results.
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Minimum 2 years previous food service, restaurant, catering, school kitchen, or institutional kitchen experience.
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California Food Handler Card required, or ability to obtain before start date.
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Ability to follow recipes, instructions, portion guides, checklists, and safety procedures.
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Ability to follow approved menus, production records, recipes, portion guides, and NSLP compliance procedures.
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Willingness to communicate before making substitutions or using ingredients that are not forecasted for the assigned menu.
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Ability to understand that inventory control, menu adherence, and compliance are core responsibilities of the role.
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Ability to work respectfully with students, staff, and coworkers.
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Willingness and ability to support dishwashing, trash removal, sanitation, and deep-cleaning duties as part of the regular role.
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Ability to follow cleaning schedules, checklists, chemical safety procedures, and sanitation standards.
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Dependable, punctual, and team oriented.
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Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and inventory, nutrition analysis, or point-of-sale systems.
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Strong leadership, communication, problem-solving, and team development skills.
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Passion for working with and supporting teenagers in an educational setting.
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Flexibility, creativity, professionalism, and collaborative spirit.
