What are the responsibilities and job description for the Kitchen Production Assistant position at Conscious Cup Coffee Roasters?
About Conscious Cup Coffee Roasters
Conscious Cup Coffee Roasters is a family owned specialty coffee roaster founded in 2006 and based in Crystal Lake, Illinois. The company operates five retail cafés in Crystal Lake, Cary, Barrington, Palatine and Libertyville, roasts all of its coffee at its Crystal Lake roastery, and supplies wholesale and catering clients across the Chicago area.
Purpose of the Position
The Kitchen Production Assistant works beside the Kitchen Manager in the production kitchen at the Roasting Works in Crystal Lake. The position makes the syrups, sauces, prepared foods and cold brew that supply the five Conscious Cup cafés, catering and wholesale. The position is part time, starting on Mondays and Tuesdays and adding Wednesdays once the assistant is trained, for up to about 24 hours per week.
Production Duties
- Batch the core and seasonal syrups, weigh ingredients, record batch yields, and help scale small test recipes to full batches.
- Produce the drink sauces and the food sauces, including chipotle sauce and pesto.
- Slice ham and other deli meats on the power slicer to the specified thickness and portion weight, then portion, wrap, label and date them for delivery.
- Brew, filter and keg the in-house cold brew, clean the kegs, and check keg gaskets and seals.
- Prepare for catering events, including labeling and bottling syrups.
- Prepare wholesale orders, including labeling and bottling syrups and sauces.
- Label every container with product name, batch date and use by date, and keep the allergen reference current for each syrup and sauce.
- Check in supplier deliveries, rotate stock first in, first out, and count kitchen inventory.
- Pack and stage café orders for the Wednesday delivery.
Cleaning, Sanitation and Equipment Maintenance
- Wash, rinse and sanitize all tools, containers, kegs and bottles used in production.
- Break down, clean and sanitize the meat slicer after each use, following the manufacturer's procedure.
- Clean and sanitize work surfaces, sinks, floors, coolers and dry storage on a set schedule.
- Record cooler and freezer temperatures and report any reading above 41°F to the Kitchen Manager the same day.
- Report equipment faults and carry out routine maintenance such as gasket replacement and filter changes.
- Follow the cooling, date marking and allergen separation procedures of the Illinois Food Code.
Required Qualifications
- Enrollment in, or completion of, a culinary arts program, or one year of commercial kitchen experience.
- Safe knife skills and the ability to follow a written recipe by weight.
- Age 18 or older. Federal Hazardous Occupations Order No. 10 (29 CFR 570.61) prohibits workers under 18 from operating or cleaning power-driven meat slicers.
- Illinois food handler training within 30 days of hire, as required by the Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act (410 ILCS 625/3.06). Conscious Cup pays for the course.
- Ability to lift 25 to 50 pounds or more several times during a shift, to stand for 8 hours, and to bend and reach.
- Task orientation and strong organizational skills.
- Reliable transportation to Crystal Lake.
Preferred Qualifications
- ServSafe Food Protection Manager certification.
- Experience with deli slicing, sauce work or batch production.
- Availability to add Wednesday within the first few months.
Compensation and Benefits
The position is part time and paid $17 to $19 per hour. Benefits include Illinois paid leave accruing at one hour for every 40 hours worked, a $5 per hour holiday premium on 8 paid holidays, an employee discount, paid certifications and industry opportunities, and an employee referral bonus.
How to Apply
Apply through Indeed with a resume. Every application is reviewed by the company.
Conscious Cup Coffee Roasters is an equal opportunity employer.
Pay: $17.00 - $19.00 per hour
Expected hours: 16.0 – 24.0 per week
Benefits:
- Employee discount
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
- Referral program
Application Question(s):
- Are you currently enrolled in, or have you completed, a culinary arts program? If yes, name the school.
- How many months have you worked in a commercial kitchen?
- Are you available to work Monday and Tuesday daytime shifts each week?
- Would you be available to add Wednesday within the next few months?
- Are you 18 years of age or older? (Federal law restricts operation of power meat slicers to workers 18 and over.)
- Have you operated a commercial meat slicer, and do you know how to break one down for cleaning?
- Do you hold a current Illinois food handler certificate or a ServSafe certification?
- Can you lift 25 to 50 pounds several times during a shift and stand for 8 hours?
- Do you have reliable transportation to Crystal Lake?
- Describe a recipe you scaled from a small batch to a large batch and how you kept it consistent.
Work Location: In person
Salary : $17 - $19