Seasonal Culinary Assistant

Job Title: Seasonal Culinary Assistant   
Payroll Type:  Hourly
Part-time or Full-time
Pay Range $17.50-20
Reports to: Executive Chef/Sous Chefs       
Posted Date: 7/2025
Temporary help needed: August through mid-October

Days/Hours

  • Available Monday-Saturday (8:00-6:00 PM), some special events outside hours may be required

  • 20-30+/-  hours per week (hourly wage, non-exempt)

Job Goal 

Support La Soupe’s mission of feeding the food insecure by using rescued food to create meals while ensuring the quality of all food production, maintaining sanitation, and guiding volunteers in food prep/tasks.  

About La Soupe: La Soupe is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in the Cincinnati neighborhood of Walnut Hills.  It is the largest chef-led initiative in Ohio that bridges the gap between food waste and insecurity. Our chef-based model utilizes a large volunteer network to rescue perishables from farms, grocers, and wholesalers. Our highly talented Transform Team of chefs and volunteers transform this food into healthy soups and meals. While La Soupe chefs and volunteers are addressing the immediate needs of food waste and food insecurity, La Soupe dietitians, teachers, and advocates are dedicated to creating sustainable change through our programs that educate and empower communities to waste less and live healthier.

  

Core Responsibilities:

  • Assist in Prep/Prepare food using available resources to fulfill  production needs

  • Demonstrate safe food handling and cooking procedures and maintain ServSafe Certification

  • Understand the flow of how food is rescued, transformed, and shared, and is familiar with all supporting organization departments

  • Develop high-quality relationships with volunteers and coworkers

  • Engage with  guests and represent La Soupe in an informed manner 

  • Innovate new ideas for efficiency, food utilization, and meal creation

  • Keep refrigerators, freezers, and all kitchen areas clean and organized

  • Complete other responsibilities, including creating  specials, catering, and other projects

  • Respect all  La Soupe employees, volunteers, and property

Job Duties: 

  • Learn to help support the kitchen in fulfilling daily production requirements promptly, as instructed by the Executive Chef/Transform Chefs

  • Priorities include keeping refrigerators clean, organized, rotated, and stocked

  • Sort through available food products to determine both quality and safety, and help set utilization priorities

  • Offer feedback to the Executive Chef regarding production issues and opportunities

  • Direct volunteers in food preparation

  • Quality check prepared food by sharing with others and collaborating in preparation  

  • Maintain sanitation and safety standards in the work area and communicate needs as necessary

  • Assist other areas as needed and time allows

  • Assist with recycling/compost/pig program

  • Assist with inventory processes  

  • Follow the closing checklist, including daily cleaning

  • Check/respond to work emails as needed

  • Participate in occasional off-site/off-hours catering events with a professional appearance and demeanor

  • Read, understand, and follow guidelines as established in the Employee Handbook

    Ideal Characteristics:

    1. Self Motivator, keeps busy, sees the big picture, can recognize priorities of tasks

    2. Warm and friendly, highly flexible, takes feedback 

    3. Creative problem solver

    4. Food and waste prevention enthusiast

    5. Desire to help others   

    6. Advanced kitchen experience, catering know-how a plus

    7. BENEFITS

    8. Paid Holidays if normal work schedule falls on La Soupe observed Holiday, Free Lunch, Free parking

    9. No Health Insurance availability

      Please send a cover letter and resume to Stephen Williams, Executive Chef at Stephen@LaSoupe.org.

      PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT 

      The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

      While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sort, and lift. The employee frequently is required to climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee is occasionally required to sit. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. The employee should possess stamina for physical work. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to wet and/or humid conditions; moving mechanical parts; fumes or airborne particles; outside weather conditions; extreme cold and extreme heat. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud.