Food & Services Associate (Part-Time, Essie's Corner)

Job Details

Job no: 495903
Work type: Part Time
Location: Swarthmore
Categories: Staff, Hourly (Non-Exempt), On Campus

Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to inclusive excellence and nondiscrimination in its educational program and employment practices and encourages candidates who will further advance the goal of fostering a diverse and inclusive community. As one of the nation’s finest institutions of higher learning, Swarthmore College is global in outlook and draws students from around the nation and world. The 425‐acre campus is a designated arboretum, complete with gardens, rolling lawns, a creek, wooded hills, and hiking trails in the Crum Woods.

Who we are: Swarthmore College Dining Services are owned and operated by the College. We are proud to provide the campus with quality dining experiences in a variety of inviting, comfortable venues. We pride ourselves in our cuisine and hospitality, and believe that dining is a critical part of building intentional community in the spirit of Swarthmore. Our mission is to provide fresh, nutritious, and satisfying food in a welcoming environment each and every day. Throughout our dining locations and catering, we offer a diverse menu using the highest-quality ingredients and locally grown and produced products wherever available. We strive to make dining with us a both delicious and inclusive experience, and we work collaboratively with students to accommodate their needs.

The opportunity: Each position within the dining program will have different responsibilities based on their position, but will be expected to provide timely and reliable support for the food preparation, stocking, customer service, and cleaning functions for Swarthmore Colleges dining program. Each dining team member will ensure that they work towards the goals and mission of the dining program. All positions will help to ensure that the dining program offers a clean environment, that meals are served in a timely manner, and that we provide excellence in customer service to our guests. All dining team members are expected to interact with customers, co-workers, and supervisors as well as work effectively, both independently and as a team member.

Essential Responsibilities

• Provide energetic, efficient, professional and friendly service to customers.
• Provides prompt, efficient, and friendly service to a diverse clientele.
• Prepare hot and cold beverages and sandwiches to customer’s specifications.
• Sell retail products offered by the operation.
• Prepares and sells and serves all products by following recipes, methods and preparation techniques for all handcrafted products. All measurements should be according to standard procedures.
• Memorizes and understands all menu items and prepares these items according to recipes and item specifications.
• Must be aware of all daily specials.
• Inventory all products and order as necessary to maintain correct inventory levels.
• Accept cash, credit cards, department charges and OneCard. Completes cashier reports according to operating procedures
• Maintain a clean and sanitized work area in accordance with the operations cleanliness standards. Assists in cleaning all areas and equipment of the operation.
• Keeps equipment operating correctly according to procedures/instructions; troubleshooting breakdowns, performing preventative maintenance and reporting necessary repairs to workbox or vendor.
• Set up food stations. Collaborate with a Supervisor or Lead Associate to make sure that we have appropriate amounts of back up ingredients as stated by using established par levels.
• Prepare ingredients if required. Label tops of containers that contain fresh ingredients with name and date.

Required Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Ability to communicate with co-workers and management with professionalism and respect.
• Customer service experience
• Ability to work in a fast paced environment
• Willingness to be open to learning and growing
• Ability to prioritize and complete multiple concurrent tasks.
• Ability to operate or learn to operate kitchen equipment
• Occasional lifting of up to 25 pounds
• Standing on your feet for extended periods of time, reaching, lifting ,bending, and sitting.
• Must be flexible to work as needed during the day, evening, nights, and weekends. Dining services is a seven day a week operation open between the hours of 7:30am and 12 midnight.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 2 years of experience in customer service, kitchen experience, hospitality, or a closely related field.

The pay for this position is $20.00 per hour, which represents the College’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range at the time of posting.

PA Criminal Clearance Required Swarthmore College requires a PA Criminal background check for all staff positions prior to the start of employment. Swarthmore College actively seeks and welcomes applications from candidates with exceptional qualifications, particularly those with demonstrable commitments to a more inclusive society and world. Swarthmore College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.

Advertised: May 26 2026 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close: Open until filled