Chef, Kosher Dining (Part-Time, Academic Year Calendar)

Hillel at Kent State University

Role Overview

The Chef is an integral member of the Hillel at Kent State University team, eating welcoming dining experiences that support Jewish student life. This position oversees kosher meal preparation, kitchen operations, and inventory management, while helping to expand kosher dining options on campus. Regular schedule includes Friday afternoon/evening preparation and service for Shabbat dinner, as well as occasional weekend, holiday, and special event responsibilities. The Chef reports directly to the Operations Manager.

What You’ll Do

• Prepare menus, cook, and serve meals and snacks for Shabbat dinners, Jewish holidays, and special events, including Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Passover
• Support the development, implementation, and launch of kosher à la carte dining options available for purchase on campus
• Ensure compliance with all applicable food safety, sanitation, and health regulations
• Serve as primary contact for food vendors as well as kitchen equipment and supply vendors
• Coordinate the ordering and purchasing of food and kitchen supplies with Operations Manager
• Maintain food and supply inventories
• Maintain a clean and organized kosher kitchen including but not limited to small wares, paper products, cookware, food, etc.
• Ensure compliance with all kosher kitchen standards and procedures established by Hillel
• Organize kitchen and dining area
• Manage student employees in partnership with Operations Manager
• Oversee the setup and teardown for all meals and related events
• Other duties as required by Hillel staff

What You’ve Accomplished and What You'll Bring to the Job

• Experience working in a kosher kitchen preferred
• Experience catering large-scale events and special dietary needs
• Experience and proven ability in preparing meals that range from snacks for ten to multi-course meals for 100
• Maintain all required food safety certifications and permits required by the City of Kent and Portage County
• Demonstrated ability to multitask while maintaining strong attention to detail 
• Ability to work effectively with students, volunteers, university personnel, and Hillel staff 
• Excellent organizational skills

What You’ll Receive

• A part-time, non-exempt position with a competitive rate starting at $26.5/hour, commensurate with experience
• A flexible work schedule averaging 21–28 hours per week during the academic year:
• Hours may occasionally exceed 28 hours during Jewish holidays
• Friday evenings and some weekend hours required
• The opportunity to work with a small, welcoming, supportive team on a beautiful campus

About Hillel at Kent State University

Hillel at Kent State is the foundation for Jewish life at Kent State University, the University of Akron, and beyond, serving 1,250 Jewish students. We seek to inspire Jewish undergraduate and graduate students to make enduring commitments to Jewish life in ways that are meaningfully relevant to their lives. Our home, The Cohn Jewish Student Center, opened in 2009 as an 11,000-square foot state-of-the-art facility which sits in the heart of Kent’s campus. It is the first Hillel building on campus at a state school. Hillel at Kent State is located 25 minutes from Akron, Ohio and 40 minutes from Cleveland’s east side, home to a thriving Jewish community of 80,000+. Hillel at Kent State University is a partner agency of Jewish Federation of Cleveland, one of the premier Federations in the country, and additionally received support and partners with JewishAkron, the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation, and Canton Jewish Federation. 

The Jewish communities in Akron and Cleveland are large enough to have your choice from a variety of synagogues, Jewish organizations and cultural opportunities, but small enough that you’ll soon know people at the kosher butcher. They offer big city opportunities with midwest appeal. 

Questions? Please contact Rachel Felber, Hillel at Kent State University Executive Director, [email protected]

Hillel at Kent State is affiliated with Hillel International. Hillel International enriches the lives of Jewish students so they may enrich the Jewish people and the world, and envisions a world where every student is inspired to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning and Israel.