Day Services Kitchen Specialist

Who You Are:

• Supportive: You agree to center the youth experience, build trust, and follow through on your investment to the young people that we serve.
• Compassionate: You offer empathy without judgment, listen effectively, and create a safe space for young people to share their stories and struggles.
• Resilient: You are committed to showing up consistently and holding the youth experience separate from your own.
• Growth-Oriented: You embrace continuous learning, seeking new knowledge and skills to better support yourself and the youth that we serve.
• Equitable: You understand how systemic oppression impacts the lives of youth in programs and the systems that you will support youth in navigating. You support our unwavering commitment to dismantling these barriers and fostering a truly equitable space where every voice is heard and valued.

What You'll Do:

• Prepare and serve daily meals and snacks for youth accessing Day Services Drop-In, ensuring food is nutritious, safe, and culturally responsive
• Maintain a clean, organized, and health-compliant kitchen environment, including daily cleaning, food storage, and sanitation practices
• Monitor food inventory, manage ordering of supplies, and reduce waste through thoughtful planning and tracking
• Ensure compliance with all food safety standards, including proper food handling, labeling, and temperature control
• Support the overall Drop-In environment by engaging positively with youth, helping create a welcoming and safe space
• Collaborate with program staff to align kitchen operations with daily programming and youth needs
• Participate in kitchen systems development, including implementing and maintaining opening/closing procedures and accountability tools
• Respond to immediate kitchen or facility needs, including supporting resets, deep cleans, or safety corrections when necessary

Qualifications:

• 2+ years of experience cooking in food industry required; experience managing food services preferred.
• Ability to work with multicultural staff and youth required.
• Must be willing to be CPR trained and certified.
• Must be willing to take Food Safety Training and obtain an Oregon Food Handlers Card.
• Must have access to an automobile, a valid driver’s license, and active auto insurance on that vehicle.

A person in this position must be able to perform with or without accommodation the essential functions of this job including any physical requirements associated with this role. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. If the position may require the use of any personal protective equipment, New Avenues will have such equipment on hand for the employee’s use.

Any candidate deemed viable for this position based on resources and resume submission will be contacted to participate in a screen interview to discuss interest and job compatibility. Of those screened, advancing candidates will be asked to participate in a subsequent interview or interviews to evaluate job qualifications and interest further. From this process, a hiring selection will be made.

Apply Today:

If you're ready to use your desire to ignite hope and inspire change, we encourage you to apply today.

New Avenues for Youth is an Equal Opportunity Employer.