Position Type:
Food Service/Assistant Cooks
Date Posted:
6/17/2026
Location:
To be assigned
Base hourly rate is $16.52 with additional compensation for work-related experience and level of education.
Purpose: The Assistant Cook assists in food preparation and kitchen operations to ensure proper nutrition and safeguard the health of students, staff, and visitors. To accomplish these tasks the Assistant Cook must work closely with the staff and administration of USD 253.
Responsible to: Food Service Director or Production Manager or Leader
Payment rate: As established by the Emporia Board of Education
Qualifications:
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- Experience in large-scale food preparation and kitchen management.
- Desire to continue career improvement.
- Health and Inoculation Certificate on file in the Central Office.
- Such alternatives to the above qualifications as the board may find appropriate and acceptable.
Essential Functions:
- Assist in food preparation and kitchen operations to ensure proper nutrition and safeguard the health of students, staff, and visitors.
- Ensure that all programs and activities conform to district guidelines.
- Communicate effectively with all members of the school district and community.
- React to change productively and handle other tasks as assigned.
- Appropriately operate all equipment as required.
- Support the value of an education.
- Support the vision and mission of USD 253.
Physical Requirements/Environmental Conditions:
- Requires prolonged sitting or standing.
- Occasionally requires physical exertion to manually move, lift, carry, pull, or push heavy objects or materials in excess of 30 lbs.
- Occasionally requires stooping, bending, and reaching.
- Must work in noisy and crowded environments.
General Responsibilities:
- Assists the department in food preparation and kitchen operations to ensure proper nutrition and safeguard the health of students, staff, and visitors.
- Ensure the high standards of health and safety in food preparation.
- Assist in training of new employees and assist substitutes.
- Assist in keeping an accurate daily record of food products produced and served and associated information.
- Assist in ensuring all special instructions are carried out and paper work is completed.
- Oversee the preparation of food products assigned, to include following approved recipes to maximize the use of raw food supplies.
- Ensure all food products are prepared, presented, and served in a visually appealing manner, to include garnishing where possible and where necessary.
- Ensure proper clean-up and storage of food products and leftovers.
- Maintain and practice proper sanitary safety practices and standards.
- Respect the confidentiality of records and information regarding students, parents, and teachers in accordance with accepted professional ethics, and state and federal laws.
- Strive to maintain and improve professional competence.
- Stay abreast of new technologies, data management and communication.
- Comply with legal and regulatory requirements as provided by state and federal law.
- Uphold and enforce board policy, administrative procedures, and school rules/regulations including but not limited to:
- Acceptable use of technology
- Sexual and racial harassment
- Child abuse reporting
- Health and safety including all precautions of the Blood borne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan
- Maintain safe and well-organized instructional spaces.
- Respond to change in a productive manner.
- Strive to communicate the positive aspects of our school program to the public in word and deed.
- Other duties as assigned by the Food Service Director, Production Manager or Leader.