Food Services Associate

Job Description

Description

Your passion belongs at UNC Health. Join more than 56,000 teammates working together to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve across North Carolina.

NFS Production Services | UNC Medical Center | Chapel Hill, NC

Prepare food that supports patient care, one tray at a time.

Full-time | $18.00 - $24.66/hour | No prior experience required | Training provided

At UNC Health, every meal is part of the patient care experience. Food provides comfort, supports recovery, and helps patients and families feel cared for during important moments.

As a Food Services Associate in Production Services, you will prepare ingredients and produce salads, sandwiches, desserts, and simple cold food items for direct patient trayline service. You will follow standardized recipes, production sheets, portion guidelines, and established food safety and sanitation standards.

Apply today if you are dependable, willing to learn, and ready for steady, meaningful work that helps patients receive safe and timely meals.

Job Details

Detail

Information

Job Title

Food Services Associate

Job ID

239597

Department

NFS Production Services

Organization

UNC Medical Center

Employment Type

Full Time

FTE / Hours Per Week

40.00 standard hours per week

Location

Chapel Hill, NC

Shift / Schedule

Full-time role with a variable schedule based on department needs, including some weekends and holidays. Production kitchen operates 24 hours per day, 365 days per year to support patient care.

Pay Range

$18.00 - $24.66 per hour hiring range. Pay offers are determined by experience and internal equity.

Why This Role Matters

In this production role, you help patients receive safe, accurate, and timely food items prepared according to standardized recipes and portion guidelines.

You will help:

• Prepare food items that support direct patient trayline service
• Follow recipes, production sheets, and portion guidelines
• Support food safety, sanitation, and infection prevention standards
• Work with production and trayline teams to meet service timelines
• Use food products efficiently to reduce waste and support cost-effective operations

What Youll Do

In this role, you will work under routine supervision and will not perform independent cooking of hot entrees or menu planning.

• Prepare ingredients for food production, including washing, peeling, cutting, slicing, and measuring items as directed
• Produce salads, sandwiches, and desserts for patient trayline service
• Assemble cold and simple food items for direct patient consumption
• Follow food safety, sanitation, and infection prevention standards
• Maintain proper food temperatures, labeling, dating, and storage practices
• Keep workstations, equipment, and coolers clean, sanitary, and organized
• Follow written and verbal instructions from supervisors and production leadership
• Wear required Nutrition and Food Services uniforms and non-slip footwear

You will work collaboratively with production and trayline teams to support safe, timely meal service.

What Makes This a Good Opportunity

• Full-time hours with a clear hiring pay range
• No prior experience required
• Training and support provided
• Steady, hands-on work in a healthcare setting
• Clear daily responsibilities and team-based support
• Opportunity to build food service and healthcare operations skills

Minimum Requirements

• Education: None required as long as other position qualifications are met. High school diploma or GED preferred.
• Experience: No prior experience required. One to three months of food service, kitchen support, or production experience preferred.
• Licensure/Certification: No licensure or certification required.
• Training Provided: Food safety training, such as ServSafe or equivalent, plus OSHA and workplace safety training, including fire safety, chemical handling, bloodborne pathogens, choking response, and emergency procedures.
• Skills: Ability to read and write in English, perform basic math for measuring and portioning, follow recipes and production instructions, use basic kitchen tools safely, and monitor appropriate food holding temperatures.
• Physical Requirements: Ability to stand and walk for most of the shift, bend, reach, stoop, use hands for food preparation tasks, and lift or move supplies up to approximately 50 lb.

Who We're Looking For

This may be a good fit if you:

• Are dependable and comfortable working in a fast-paced kitchen setting
• Pay close attention to recipes, portions, labels, dates, and food temperatures
• Take pride in clean, organized work areas
• Can follow written and verbal instructions
• Enjoy teamwork and supporting patient care behind the scenes
• Are willing to work a variable schedule, including weekends and holidays

No prior food service experience is required. We provide training and support to help you succeed.

At UNC Health, our values show up in how we prepare meals, support each other, and serve patients with care. You will join a team that values respect, inclusion, teamwork, and service.

Why Join UNC Health?

When you join UNC Health, you become part of a large academic health system where every role supports patient care.

Whether you are starting your career, returning to the workforce, or looking for a meaningful place to grow, you will have opportunities to learn, build skills, and contribute to a team with purpose.

Apply Today

Your work may begin in the kitchen, but your impact reaches every patient we serve.

If you are dependable, service-minded, and ready to learn, this is a strong opportunity to build experience in healthcare food service while supporting patient care.

Ready to apply? Visit the official UNC Health Careers site and search for Food Services Associate, Job ID 239597.

Equal Employment Opportunity and Employment Eligibility

UNC Health is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran or political affiliation. All interested applicants are invited to apply for career opportunities. Please refer to UNC Health's Employment Application Accessibility page if you need a reasonable accommodation to search and/or to apply for a career opportunity. To verify employment eligibility, UNC Health is committed to Form I-9 and the E-Verify process.

UNC Health Nutrition & Food Services Serving with purpose. Caring with compassion. Nourishing healing every day.

Job Details

Legal Employer: STATE

Entity: UNC Medical Center

Organization Unit: NFS Production Services

Work Type: Full Time

Standard Hours Per Week: 40.00

Salary Range: $18.00 - $24.66 per hour (Hiring Range)

Pay offers are determined by experience and internal equity

Work Assignment Type: Onsite

Work Schedule: Variable

Location of Job: US:NC:Chapel Hill

Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: No

This is a State position employed by UNC Health Care System with UNC Health benefits. If, however, you are presently an employee of another North Carolina agency and currently participate in TSERS or the ORP, you will be eligible to continue participating in those plans at UNC Health.

Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran or political affiliation.

UNC Health makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees religious practices and beliefs, as well as applicants and employees with disabilities. All interested applicants are invited to apply for career opportunities. Please email [email protected] if you need a reasonable accommodation to search and/or to apply for a career opportunity.