Cafeteria Aide - Full-Time

About the Role

This role focuses on support services functions, including dietary and food services, environmental services, general facilities, repair and maintenance, parking, sterilization, and transportation. The position primarily involves preparing and serving meals based on general or special diets, operating and maintaining kitchens, cafeterias, and counters, managing food inventories, scheduling vendor deliveries, food preparation, and menu planning while adhering to regulatory guidelines.

An experienced staff member trained in multiple areas of the department, this role may assist with training and informal supervision of less experienced staff.

Responsibilities

• Maintains and communicates accurate and updated diet order information to ensure patients receive appropriate meals, nourishments, and commercial enteral products.
• Elicits patient information regarding food preferences, intolerances, likes, and dislikes; alerts the Clinical Dietitian to any nutritional problems.
• Assists patients with menu selection and writes/corrects regular and modified diets.
• Ensures high accuracy and appropriateness of patient trays; delivers and picks up trays from patients.
• Follows all precautions on patient units by donning and doffing PPE appropriately and performs hand hygiene according to standards.
• Stocks nursing unit pantries with nourishments and dietary supplies using a first-in, first-out system.
• Ensures accurate tray assembly on the patient tray line.
• Prepares normal menu items, salads, sandwiches, desserts, and special items.
• Operates kitchen utensils to weigh, measure, mix, wash, peel, cut, grind, stir, strain, season, and knead food items.
• Assists in preparing hot and/or cold foods and properly stores food, following temperature requirements and spoilage guidelines.
• Maintains accurate sanitation and temperature logs in the work area according to regulatory requirements.
• Assists with setup, stocking, serving, and delivering food from counters, steam tables, and workstations.
• Cleans and sanitizes dishware, equipment, workstations, pots, utensils, floors, walls, dish machines, etc.
• Strips, sanitizes, stacks patient trays and utensils in the dish room; reassembles the tray line.
• Removes trash, recyclables (bottles, cans, cardboard), and maintains designated areas.
• Maintains collaborative, team relationships with peers and colleagues to contribute to goal achievement and foster a positive work environment.
• May prepare special nutritional products such as infant formulas, modular tube feedings, or powdered nutritionals for high-risk adult patients.
• May operate a cash register, receive payments, make change, and issue receipts.
• May assist with orientation and training of employees.
• Assists in monitoring employee productivity and provides suggestions for increased service or productivity.
• May participate in quality assurance/control data collection and review.
• May communicate with Registered Dietitians for nutrition consults to improve patient care.

Requirements

• Two (2) years of food service experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Dietetic tech degree.
• High School diploma or equivalent.

Skills & Abilities

• Ability to read, write, and understand written instructions.
• Interpersonal skills necessary to interact with patients, patient care teams, and employees.
• Familiarity with therapeutic diets.
• Knowledge of sterile food handling techniques.
• Ability to operate simple mechanical devices such as coffee urns, dish machines, slicers, and trash compactors.
• Ability to use a knife for slicing, cutting, and dicing.

Physical Requirements

• Standing and walking for 95% of the day.
• Straining and lifting approximately 30 lbs; pushing loaded carts (approximately 400 lbs).
• Manual dexterity to handle money, work a cash register, and prepare food.
• Exposure to infectious diseases due to interacting with sick patients.
• Possible exposure to hazardous chemicals due to cleaning and sanitation.
• Requires ability to hear phoned patient orders and supervisors' instructions.
• Exposure to heat, cold, steam, chemicals, and hot equipment.
• Frequent exposure to garbage and trash.

Benefits

• Competitive salaries and benefits that start on day one.
• 403(b) retirement with company match.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Free on-campus parking.
• Career growth opportunities.
• Guaranteed hours and set schedule.

Pay

Pay Range: $17.00 - $19.40 per hour.

Schedule

• 40 hours per week.
• Hours between 6:30 AM - 8:30 PM.
• Every other weekend (Saturday-Sunday) and every other holiday required.

About Lowell General

For more than 125 years, Lowell General has served the Greater Lowell community with pride. We balance the first-rate care of a premier medical center with the warmth of a four-time Magnet®-recognized community hospital. As part of Tufts Medicine, our team of over 3,000 dedicated care providers offers complete, connected care when and where patients need it most.

Lowell General Hospital achieved its fourth Magnet Recognition in March 2025, awarded by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for excellence in nursing care. Magnet status is the highest level of recognition for healthcare organizations, with only nine percent of U.S. hospitals achieving this status and fewer than one percent earning a fourth consecutive designation.