Culinary Specialist, University Village

From fine dining restaurants to residential dining, USC Hospitality serves over 65,000 students, athletes, faculty, and staff, as well as our many visitors. Hospitality is one of the six core business units that comprise USC Auxiliary Services and one of the largest employers on campus. We are renowned for our fresh take on self-operated food concepts with restaurants between both campuses. The team at USC Hospitality is led by innovative chefs and directors who strive every day to craft nourishing and wholesome alternatives for our hungry Trojan Family and guests.

We at USC Hospitality take pride in offering the best in residential dining options to our students, athletes, faculty, and staff. From Parkside Restaurant & Grill, Everybody's Kitchen (EVK) to the University Village, our team works hard to make sure there are fresh, healthy options for all of our developing Trojans. We look forward to meeting the changing needs of the USC community, including the introduction of locally sourced whole foods to fuel our guests for studying and student life and home-style meals to welcome every guest into our family. Each restaurant offers a unique communal dining experience appealing to a variety of dining preferences and nutritional lifestyles of our diverse student population.

We are seeking a Culinary Specialist to join our rapidly growing team.

The Opportunity:

Are you passionate about serving quality food and providing exceptional customer service? Are you eager to construct award-winning meals? Join us! The Culinary Specialist will have the opportunity to prepare food for our guests, utilizing fresh, locally sourced ingredients. You will ensure that our high standards of excellence are maintained throughout our kitchens, keeping our inventories and facilities clean, organized and up-to-date. As a member of our team, you will take pride in exceeding the expectations of all of our customers and keeping the Trojan spirit alive!

The Accountabilities:

• Prepare food items according to the recipe or instructions provided by the Chef. Adhere to proper knife handling procedures.

• Provide customer services to faculty, staff, students, and guests.

• Assist the Chef by working in other areas of the kitchen as assigned.

• Maintain inventories.

• Maintain cleanliness of facilities.

• Maintain kitchen sanitation program. Comply with standard food handling and sanitation procedures.

• Adhere to department service standards and to all health, safety and University rules and regulations.

• Attend and participate in meetings as required. Report to station, ready to work at the time work assignment is scheduled to begin.

• Perform other related duties as assigned or requested. The University reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

The Qualifiers:

• Education: High School degree not required.

• Experience: 1 year.

• Expertise:

  • Knowledge of all kitchen equipment, small or large scale.

  • Knowledge of both restaurant and banquet style cooking.

  • Demonstrated customer service experience.

  • Experience working in a fast paced working environment.

  • Ability to effectively communicate in English.

  • Knowledge of standard food handling and sanitation procedures.

  • Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.

  • In addition, the successful candidate must also demonstrate, through ideas, words and actions, a strong commitment to USC's Unifying Values.

What We Prefer:

• High School Diploma.

• Culinary School Diploma.

• 2 years of experience in a restaurant, hotel, or high-volume banquet and catering environment.

• Ability to oversee student, temporary, and/or resource workers.

The Trojan Family Rewards:

We pride ourselves in creating the BEST USC EXPERIENCE, and that begins with our employees! We offer a wide variety of benefits and programs that support our staff and their families. For more information please visit https://employees.usc.edu/benefits-perks.

This support advocates work-life balance and employee well-being. As members of the Trojan family, employees are connected by the traditions and history that make us proud to be Trojans!

The work culture thrives on mutual respect, trust, and synergy amongst all of its members.

USC has great minds that transform the world with their talents and research. Will you be one? Join us!

FIGHT ON!

The hourly rate for this position is $25.50. When determining an offer, the University of Southern California considers factors such as the scope and responsibilities of the role, the candidate's experience, education, training, key skills, internal peer alignment, applicable laws, contractual requirements, grant funding, and market conditions.

Minimum Education: Less than high school
Minimum Experience: 1 year
Minimum Field of Expertise: Must successfully complete the culinary skills test administered by the Executive Chef. Knowledge of all kitchen equipment, small or large scale. Knowledge of both restaurant and banquet style cooking. Demonstrated customer service experience. Experience working in a fast paced working environment. Ability to effectively communicate in English.