Dining Principal Food Service Worker

Benefits to working at UC Santa Cruz include:

• Medical, Dental & Vision Care Insurance Plans
• UC Retirement Plans
• Group Term Life Insurance
• Legal Insurance
• Pet Insurance
• Paid Holidays plus accrued vacation and sick leave
• Meal Allowance

HOW TO APPLY

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INITIAL REVIEW DATE (IRD)

UC Santa Cruz jobs are posted until filled. All application materials submitted by 11:59 pm on the IRD will be routed to the hiring team for consideration. NOTE: Applicants who miss the IRD are still encouraged to apply; their materials will still be forwarded for consideration if requested by the hiring team. Application materials cannot be accepted outside of the jobs portal. Applications cannot be edited on an applicant's behalf. For more information about the IRD and the applicant review process, .

The IRD for this job is: 07-08-2026

ABOUT UC SANTA CRUZ

UC Santa Cruz is a public university like no other in California, combining the experience of a small, liberal arts college with the depth and rigor of a major research university. It's known as an unconventional place where innovation and experimentation is part of the campus's DNA. That playful, bold spirit still thrives today, all on a campus renowned as among the most beautiful in the world.

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

Colleges, Housing, and Educational Services (CHES) is a multi-funded organization within the Division of Student Affairs and Success (DSAS) at the University of California (UC) Santa Cruz. CHES provides leadership in the areas of college student life and residential services, housing services, facilities, capital planning, dining services, conference services, early education services, business and financial analysis for these areas.

CHES provides on-campus housing and dining services to approximately 9,500 undergraduate and graduate students in ten residential colleges and six multi-college affiliated residential communities, which support single students and students with families.

UC Santa Cruz Dining is instrumental in the success of our students as well as providing services to staff, faculty and guests of the campus. Our mission is to be committed to creating a diverse, safe, fun and trusting environment for our guests and team; building an innovative dining program providing high quality service and food while embracing social, nutritional and financial responsibilities.

More information can be found at:

JOB SUMMARY

Under the supervision of Dining Management, the Principal Food Service Worker will work independently in the daily oversight of a Dining Hall Restaurant, Retail location, and/or Catering operations. The incumbent serves as "Lead" for a team and performs a variety of duties related to semi-skilled food preparation, serving or maintenance functions in the kitchen or dining area plus cash handling, customer service, event/food preparation and delivery and overseeing safety and sanitation of the location. The Principal Food Service Worker is expected to have substantial knowledge of the complex operation of the dining or kitchen area and to have previous experience or training in their particular area of work.

APPOINTMENT INFORMATION

Budgeted Salary: $25.10/hourly
Under California law, the University of California, Santa Cruz is required to post a reasonable estimate of the compensation for this role. The salary shown above is the budgeted amount the University reasonably expects to pay and the salary extended should not exceed this posted amount.

Benefits Level Eligibility: Full benefits

Schedule Information:

• Full-time, Fixed
• Percentage of Time: 100%, 40 Hours per Week
• Days of the Week: To be determined and details to be discussed at the interview
• Shift Includes: Day, Evenings Night, Weekends, to be determined and discussed at the interview

Employee Classification: Partial Year Career, Furlough to be determined and details to be discussed at the interview

Job End Date: None

Work Location: UC Santa Cruz Main Campus - Location will be with Catering

Union Representation: Service Employees (SX)

Job Code Classification: FOOD SVC WORKER PRN (005650)

Travel: Never or Rarely

JOB DUTIES

45% - Daily Operations

• Depending on location, The Principal Food Service Worker's work assignment may include any or all of the following responsibilities:
  Responsible for opening, closing and operating a Dining, Retail or Catering location.
• Serves as a work leader and may assist in the training and leading of an assigned team in performing unskilled and semi-skilled tasks; cutting and preparing fruits and vegetables by hand or by using mechanical equipment; sets up food service lines by arranging foods or desserts, setting up the salad bar and stocking and preparing beverages; serves customers; collects, washes and stacks clean dishes; cleans and scrubs pots and pans; operates complex automatic dishwashing equipment; cleans conveyers, racks and sets up trays; cleans and mops floors in kitchen, food service area and dining room.
• Assists in the barista/host/cashier area.
• Serves as counter attendant in Dining, Retail or Catering location with responsibility for correct handling of cash transactions and maintaining satisfactory customer relationship during an assigned shift.

Food Prep Helper/Kitchen Pantry Work:

• Leads assigned crew in performing kitchen/pantry work of preparing various fruits and vegetables for use in kitchen cooking or in salad bar or other food service presentations, replenishing dry storage bins, cleaning equipment and sinks in the kitchen areas, sweeping, and mopping as needed.
• Leads team in meal set-up for hot and cold items and assists in producing dessert set-ups for various meals.
• Leads crew in preparing basic cold sauces; demonstrates appropriate and effective food presentation and merchandising techniques in the display of food and other service presentations (decorations and decorating); follows menus, production sheets and recipes accurately, measuring or weighing food ingredients, operates equipment such as: mixer, slicer, chopper, steamer, ovens, steam jacket kettles, beverage equipment, garbage disposal, and uses knives and other utensils.
• Incumbent may make sandwiches to order or in advance.
• Demonstrates appropriate and effective food presentation and merchandising techniques in display of food and other service presentations including napkin folds, decorations and decorating.

Receiving:

• Under the supervision of Dining Management and the direction of the Senior Storekeeper, performs general receiving duties.
• Receives and inspects all food supplies.
• Stores all items in specified areas in accordance with Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) guidelines.
• Dates and rotates all inventory items using the FIFO (First In, First Out) Principles. Assists management with inventory and ordering.
• Organizes and cleans all storage spaces.
• Receives and assists with daily deliveries and reviews invoices for accuracy and the proper conditions of supplies.
• Transfers supplies to other units when needed.
• Assists Dining Management and the Senior Storekeeper in ordering, using a computerized food management system, and in submitting invoices to the Food Service Manager for approval and signature.
• Maintains a professional working relationship with all staff. Maintain working relationships with vendors and other food service units to render assistance in times of food/non-food shortages.

15% - Safety and Sanitation

• Ensures that all food is held and loaded at safe temperatures.
• Maintains work rule standards and policies regarding employee uniforms, personal appearance, and hygiene.
• Ensures compliance with all regulation mandated by local, state and federal agencies in regards to safety, health and sanitation regulations.
• Ensures that Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) guidelines are followed closely in maintaining temperatures of perishable products. On a daily basis, will record temperatures of all refrigerators, freezers, and maintains records for three months.
• Works in a safe and responsible manner while not putting others at risk. This includes complying with applicable policies and regulations, using personal safety gear, observing warning signs, learning about potential hazards and reporting unsafe conditions. Safely operates and maintains equipment appropriate to the classification and the tasks assigned.

Dining Room:

• Leads crew in performing dining room work of setting up food service areas, distributing prepared food on time for specific meals in service areas.
• Restocks food into serving areas as needed, filling cold wells with ice; restocking dining room area with trays, dishes, silverware, napkins, food self service areas (beverages, salads, bread, desserts, soft serve, etc.).
• Returns unused food from serving area.
• Labels leftover food and ensures proper storage.
• Maintains cleanliness of designated work areas at all times including cleaning cold wells, food warmers, counter tops, pass through refrigerators, toasters, sinks, etc..

Dish Washer:

• May lead a team of dish washers and direct their work in breaking down soiled dining trays; appropriately pre-rinsing, washing by hand or loading dish washer with soiled trays, dishes, glasses, utensils and flatware and running them through the dish washing machine using
  correct procedure of safety and sanitation; unloading dish washer, sorting, stacking and placing clean dishes, flatware, glassware, trays and utensils into proper transporting equipment.
• Operating, maintaining and cleaning the following equipment: dish machine, garbage disposals, mops, brooms and tray conveyor devices; as needed bringing out clean dishes to dining room to restock supplies.
• May also wash pans and utensils used in the kitchen, clean food preparation areas and operate specialized pot cleaning equipment if available.
• During and fo