Full-Time Culinary Center Associate

Job Title: Culinary Center Associate

Branch or Department: Culinary Center

Salary/Wage: $18.92 per hour

Reports to: Culinary Center Director

FLSA Status: Overtime Non-Exempt

Supervises: N/A

Benefits Classification: Full-Time

Work Location: Culinary Center

Job Grade: 3

Hours per Week: 40

Work Schedule: Evenings and weekends required

Hour per year: 2080

Revision Date: 6/6/2023

Archive Date:

Culture Statement

Mid-Continent Public Library's mission and internal values are reflected everyday through our people. We strive to provide customers with the best possible library experience through our commitment to exceptional customer service. We uphold the values of intellectual freedom: we ensure the free flow of information and ideas. We are fair: we know that every customer and co-worker may not need an identical solution to meet their needs but rather all customers and co-workers have access to all resources that meet their individual needs. We have integrity: we work to meet our Library's mission with honesty and trust. It is both what we do and how we do it. We are diverse, equitable and inclusive: MCPL believes that a diverse, equitable and inclusive organization creates a more dynamic workplace and puts us in a place to better serve the community.

Position Overview

The Culinary Center Customer Service Associate will assist the Culinary Center management team with communicating Culinary Center services to customers, facilitating culinary programs, and helping clean and maintain the kitchen spaces. This position will assist with Culinary Center food program development and implementation, and may assist with food business services.

Essential Functions

• Receives and responds to in-person, email, and phone inquiries for the Culinary Center

• Supports Culinary Center programming

• Including scheduling programs and communicating services, programs, and information regarding the Culinary Center with customers and presenters

• Attends scheduled programs to assist program presenters with setup and clean up, providing food prep, AV setup, kitchen clean up, and other duties as needed

• Monitors program activity and collects program data

• Assists with Culinary Center business services

• Occasionally directs usage of the kitchen and answers client questions in absence of other staff

• Helps maintain cleanliness and food safety compliance

• Helps maintain the cleanliness of the Culinary Center at the direction of Culinary Center management, including cleaning kitchen equipment and doing dishes

• Enforces food safety standards

• Occasionally serves as the onsite food safety manager

Non-Essential Functions

• Assists Culinary Center management with program development and food business services development

• Assists with social media content

Education and Experience

• High School Diploma/HiSet/GED Completion Required

• Culinary Education or technical school courses Preferred

• 2 years Customer Service experience Preferred

• 2 years Food Service Preferred

• ServSafe certification Required within 90 days of hire

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Job Knowledge

• Moderate knowledge of food and kitchen safety.

• An ability to assist with cooking and educating is essential to performing this job at a satisfactory level.

Technology

• Basic knowledge of commercial kitchen equipment is necessary to perform this job at a satisfactory level.

• Basic knowledge of audio-visual equipment and related programs is required to perform this job at a satisfactory level.

• Demonstrates proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 to perform this job at a satisfactory level.

• Ability to use and troubleshoot technology used for programming is necessary to perform this job at a satisfactory level.

• Ability to effectively communicate with teammates, maintain calendars, take notes, and compile data, is necessary to perform this job at a satisfactory level.

All successful team members at MCPL should demonstrate:

• Ability to use effective verbal, written, and discreet communication with management, co-workers, and the public

• Ability to work effectively in a team environment

• Knowledge of department processes and procedures and critical thinking skills to make decisions pertaining to the position

• Proficiency in providing friendly and solution-oriented customer service attitude and delivery with internal and external customers

• Fundamental understanding of how DEI principles impact the workplace and library services

Age Requirement

• Must be at least 18 years of age

MVR Requirement

• None

Work Environment

• (Indoor/Outdoor) Works both indoors and outdoors and must have considerable tolerance for weather conditions, dust, mold, scents, allergens, and communicable diseases which enable the employee to work outside at a facility, handle construction and library materials, work in older buildings and on jobsites, and interact with coworkers and the public

Essential physical abilities to be accomplished with or without reasonable accommodation are:

Daily (greater than 50% of the time)

• Standing (up to 1 hour at a time)

• Walking (even ground)

• Lifting 1-25 pounds

• Sitting

• Bending/Stooping

• Kneeling

• Reaching above shoulder

• Climbing stepstools

• Receiving Communication and Instructions (vision, reading, hearing)

• Conveying Communication and Instructions (Speaking, writing)

• Using computer data entry tools - keyboard, mouse, touchscreen, scanner

Frequently (up to 50% of the time)

• Pushing/Pulling 1-40 pounds

• Standing (more than 1 hour at a time)

Occasionally (approximately 1-2 times per month)

• Walking (variable surfaces)

• Lifting 26-40 pounds

• Lifting 40+ pounds

• Pushing/Pulling 40+ pounds

• Climbing ladders

NOTE: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employee may perform other related duties as required to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

All applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or other protected class in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Any applicant requiring an accommodation should contact the Mid-Continent Public Library Human Resources Department at 816.836.5200.

Applicants will be considered for employment opportunities on the merits of their skills and experience related to the position sought. Employment offers are conditional upon submitting a criminal records check, identity verification, and national sex offender registry check. Applicants will not be denied employment solely or in part because of a prior conviction, unless MCPL determines the conviction is job-related. If a background check yields information that is of concern to MCPL, the applicant will be given an opportunity to review the background check findings and present information regarding inaccuracy, mitigating circumstances, and rehabilitation.