Food cook

Haverford College invites applications for our full-time (40 hours per week), non-exempt, benefits-eligible Hot Food Cook opportunity.

Haverford Offers Great Benefits : The College offers a comprehensive benefits program that includes possible work-from-home opportunities, automatic 10% retirement contribution to your retirement account upon eligibility (no match required), a 50% tuition benefit for dependent children upon eligibility, 14 paid holidays (including the week before New Year's Day off), Health Savings Account contribution of $700 for individuals and$1400 for families (no match required), affordable medical plans, and a beautiful arboretum campus with walking trail and easy public transportation access. Please visit the Benefits page () for more information.

Work Location: Dining Center

About the Position

The Hot Food Cook performs a variety of culinary duties related to the preparation and presentation of meals, and is responsible for portion control and general food production procedures in the kitchen. This position requires working early morning hours, evening hours, weekends, and holidays as needed, and is considered essential staff.

Primary Responsibilities

• Prepare entrees, soups, and side dishes for meals
• Pre-check the production sheet to ensure that all items are available for the meal in the correct quantity and quality
• Instruct swing cook, and direct general kitchen workers and student workers
• Check equipment to ensure it is available, clean, and in good working order
• Cook and/or otherwise prepare food in accordance with the production sheet menu, correcting, if necessary, recipes for yield and quality after review with the manager
• Time food preparation to coincide with starting meal hours and ensure that all food items are ready to serve at the necessary time
• Make substitutions as dictated by meal counts and approved by the manager
• Prepare food in small batches, when possible, to ensure freshness and high quality
• Monitor service line to ensure proper food service utensils are available, to instruct servers in food portion size, and to decorate line for proper presentation
• Consult with the manager to determine the use of leftover food
• Properly store leftover food in accordance with HAACP and Serv Safe guidelines
• Assess the quality of all food items coordinating with the manager
• Ensure that items on the service line are properly labeled
• Consult with the receiver to ensure food items are pulled for the next day's meals and notify the manager of any problems
• Maintain proper food temperatures of both hot and cold foods (hot above 140F and cold food below 40F), taking corrective action when necessary; keep accurate food temperature charts, reporting problems to supervisors
• Adhere to standards outlined by the sanitation program (Serv-Safe), Lower Merion Health Department, and Haverford College Dining Services
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned
• Work special events and catering functions as needed
• Clean equipment used in the preparation of the meal
• Coordinate cleaning schedule for the kitchen with other kitchen staff and student workers
• Complete production sheet and submits to manager

Line of Report: The Hot Food Cook reports to the Executive Chef and Sous Chef/Culinary Supervisors. General Food Services Workers may report to this person.

Minimum Qualifications

• Three years of experience as a cook in the food service industry or any combination of education and experience in producing the necessary skills, abilities, and knowledge

Professional Competencies

• Ability to operate industrial-type kitchen equipment including but not limited to meat slicer, steamer, steam kettles, ovens, cooking utensils, buffalo chopper, deep fryer, mixer, grill, and range
• Ability to properly use various knives, hand tools, utensils, and equipment to portion, cut, slice, score, julienne, whip, beat, or otherwise prep food
• Ability to perform basic mathematical functions
• Ability to use and convert weights and measures, both liquid and dry
• Effective communication skills to include reading, writing and following instructions
• Ability to view small print in various forms (such as cash register keys, receipts, and instruction sheets)
• Must be mobile between work stations and numerous campus buildings, able to climb stairs while carrying heavy items, to bend over/pick up and lift heavy items up and down, and to work in extreme temperatures

We are aware that some people are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet qualifications as described in the job advertisement. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and recognize that a successful candidate may come from a less traditional career trajectory, and have skills and abilities gained outside a classroom context, or an equivalent skill set. We encourage you to apply and share how you meet the position's qualifications.

Special Requirements

• Serve Safe Certification or ability to obtain certification at the college's expense within 3 months
• Aller-train Certification or ability to obtain certification at the college's expense within 3 months

To Apply : Interested applicants are invited to submit an application, to include a cover letter and resume by visiting rnal/job/Haverford-Campus/Hot-Food-Cook_R823 . The application deadline is November 12, 2025 . Application review will begin after the deadline has passed. Please email [email protected] with questions about submitting your materials. Should the search committee be interested in pursuing your candidacy, you will hear from them directly. Finalists will be asked to provide three professional references.

Haverford College is an Equal Opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice, and providing equal opportunities and access to all individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry, age, marital status, disability, or veteran status. Women, non-binary and transgender individuals, people of color, Indigenous people, and those with other or multiple historically marginalized and/or underrepresented identities are especially encouraged to apply.

We at Haverford College recognize that we live and work on Lenape land and pay respect and honor to the caretakers of this land, from the time of its first human inhabitants until now, and into the future. We seek to maintain and build upon our current and ever-evolving connections with members of Lenape tribes and communities, in recognition of our intertwined histories and with a goal of moving toward right relationship between the Haverford of today and Lenape peoples.