Kitchen Assistants at NOLS Pacific Northwest assist in the preparation and serving of delicious and nutritious meals to students, faculty, and staff. This position presents the opportunity to work as a team, create meals catered to a large diversity of student needs, and explore using local Washington ingredients!

Key Logistical Information:

• Applicants must have legal working rights in the United States.

• Applicants must be 21 years of age - NOLS Insurance requires drivers to be at least 21 years old, have a clean driving record, and be able to pass a Motor Vehicle Check.

• Start date: May 20th, 2024.

• Questions? Please email peopleteam@nols.edu

What does a Kitchen Assistant do?

This role works under the supervision of the Kitchen Manager. It includes the following activities:

• Work with the kitchen manager to prepare and serve nutritious meals for 20-120 people.

• Maintain the sanitation and organization of the kitchen and dining area to meet the standards of the Skagit County Health Department.

• Assist with ordering, menu planning, sourcing, and weekly shopping.

• Maintain an organized and efficient system of waste disposal: recycling, composting, and fluid waste.

• Ensure proper handling of food to avoid cross contamination of allergens.

• Prepare “road meals” to be eaten by courses traveling to and from the field.

• Lead students and staff in kitchen and dining hall clean up process

• Perform transportation tasks to support operational logistics and other duties as assigned by Operations Manager

• Provide timely and growth-oriented feedback to supervisor and co-workers.

What makes a great Kitchen Assistant at NOLS?

For this position, we are seeking a person who is passionate about working as a team, adapting to challenges, and most importantly, healthy food!

• Enthusiastic to learn about cooking and food production and have excellent customer service and communication skills

• Ability to be self-directed, take initiative, and make decisions independently

• Able to lift and carry 50+ lbs (items such as bags of flour, full pots, and boxes of produce)

• Able to follow instructions and work as park of a team

• Willing to accommodate flexible work hours/schedules including holidays/weekends and arrive promptly to work

• Eager to live and work in a small community that shares responsibility for maintaining common areas.

• Be comfortable driving passengers in a 15 passenger van with trailer.

Who are we and what can we offer you?

NOLS is a nonprofit global wilderness school that seeks to help people step forward boldly as a leader.

We believe that anyone can be a leader; it is our role to provide the environment and training to help people discover their full potential. We do that in classrooms close to home and in remote wilderness areas around the world. We are an organization with heart, expertise, and wildness, and these qualities help us support powerful, authentic experiences.

We are looking for a hardworking individual who understands and shares our passion to join our dynamic and growing team.

NOLS really is a great place to work:

• We have locations in seven U.S. states, and six countries; and courses in all 50 U.S. states and over 10 countries.

• We have fantastic employee discounts on top outdoor gear brands

• All employees can benefit from free outdoor equipment rentals at our various locations

• Insurance Coverage: Medical, dental, and vision benefits are available at a special NOLS rate to seasonal employees. 

• Wellness Time: Accrued leave that may be used for many HR-approved reasons throughout the season.

• Employee Assistance Program: Access to counselors that are available 24/7 to assist employees with work-life balance concerns.

Next steps

At NOLS we use the Applied platform for our recruitment. Applied aims to overcome unconscious bias in recruiting. Instead of using your resume alone, we'll be asking you to answer questions to test skills needed for the role. The responses are then anonymized, and reviewed in a random order by members of our team. 

The Applied platform also asks some demographic questions before you start your application. We at NOLS never see the responses to these demographic questions with your application. We only see summary statistics to help us check if our candidate pool is balanced and if everyone has an equal chance to get hired irrespective of their background. If you prefer, you can easily opt out of answering these questions.

All you need to do is start the process by clicking on the yellow button on the top right. 

Additional Information

Pre-Employment Check

• A criminal background check is required from all NOLS employees.

• NOLS participates in E-verify for U.S. employees, and other relevant employment verification systems based on location. Applicants must have legal working rights in the United States.

• Current NOLS employees please note it is NOLS policy to conduct an internal reference check with human resources and/or your current supervisor as part of the reference check process. If you have any questions or concerns about this process please contact peopleteam@nols.edu.

Equal Employment Opportunity

NOLS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, genetics information, disability unrelated to job or admission requirements, or status as a protected veteran. The school’s nondiscrimination policy applies to all phases of its employment process, its admission and financial aid programs, and to all other aspects of its educational programs and activities. Retaliation directed to any person who pursues a discrimination complaint or grievance, participates in a discrimination investigation, or otherwise opposes unlawful discrimination is prohibited.

Reasonable Accommodation

NOLS values community and fosters a sense of belonging for our employees and applicants. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations in the workplace because they embody these values, as well as our operating principle of promoting a positive, safe, and learning environment. Reasonable accommodations may be requested for disability; limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition; religion; and domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, or harassment. Reasonable accommodations may be requested at any point of the employment process, including during recruitment. Please email peopleteam@nols.edu with your request.