Entry Level Culinary Assistant Jobs
New grad culinary assistant jobs welcome recent graduates and entry level candidates with zero to two years of experience, where a strong internship or hands-on portfolio can matter more than a long resume. Most openings are on-site roles across Retail, Education, and Food & Beverage, with employers like Whole Foods Market, Eataly, and Auburn University hiring at this level now.
Find JobsOverview
Open roles7
Top stateVirginia
Top employerWhole Foods Market
Top cityMcLean, VA
Work type100% On-site
Top industryRetail
Showing 5 of 7+ Entry Level Culinary Assistant jobs
Culinary Operations Cook
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Added 1w ago
Auburn University
Culinary Operations Cook
Auburn University, Alabama
Added 1w ago
Prepared Foods Department Supervisor (Culinary, Deli) - Full Time
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Added 2w ago
Whole Foods Market
Prepared Foods Department Supervisor (Culinary, Deli) - Full Time
Hinsdale, Illinois
Added 2w ago
Chef Instructor - Cooking Classes & Culinary Events (Seasonal)
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Added 3w ago
Eataly
Chef Instructor - Cooking Classes & Culinary Events (Seasonal)
Santa Clara, California
Added 3w ago
Prepared Foods Department Supervisor (Culinary, Deli) - Full Time
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Added 1mo ago
Whole Foods Market
Prepared Foods Department Supervisor (Culinary, Deli) - Full Time
McLean, Virginia
Added 1mo ago
Prepared Foods Department Supervisor (Culinary, Deli) - Full Time
We won't show you this job again
Added 1mo ago
Whole Foods Market
Prepared Foods Department Supervisor (Culinary, Deli) - Full Time
Bellingham, Washington
Added 1mo ago
Added 1w ago
Culinary Operations Cook
Auburn University·Auburn University, Alabama
Job functions:
$31k - $45k/yr
1+ yr exp.
ServSafe Certification
Full Time
1,001-5,000 employees
Job Description
Pay Range: USD $31,200.00 - USD $45,210.00 /Yr. Overview:
The College of Human Sciences School of Hospitality Management is seeking a Culinary Operations Cook. This position is responsible for preparing and serving high-quality food for customers within the Hey Day Market Incubation Unit for the Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management. This position supports daily culinary operations by ensuring efficient food preparation, presentation, and service while adhering to established food safety, sanitation, and quality standards. The role contributes to a positive customer experience and supports the instructional and operational goals of the hospitality program.
Responsibilities:
- Assists in preparing the kitchen for daily service by setting up workstations, organizing supplies, and preparing assigned menu items according to established recipes, quality standards, and portion guidelines.
- Helps maintain a clean, sanitary, and safe kitchen environment by following food safety regulations and properly cleaning equipment, tools, and work areas.
- Supports meal service by transporting prepared food and beverages to designated service areas efficiently and safely.
- Contributes to a positive dining experience by providing courteous, timely, and customer‑focused meal and beverage service.
- Assists with storing, labeling, rotating, and handling food products and supplies to maintain freshness, reduce waste, and meet safety requirements.
- Helps with receiving and organizing food and supply deliveries, verifying accuracy under supervision, and assisting with basic inventory tasks.
- Supports the sourcing of food and supply items from approved local vendors when needed, following purchasing guidelines and budget parameters as directed.
Level I:
- High school diploma or equivalent and 1 year of experience in food services including food preparation, commercial kitchen operations, use of professional cooking equipment, or related culinary environment.
Level II:
- High school diploma or equivalent and 3 years of experience in food services including food preparation, commercial kitchen operations, use of professional cooking equipment, or related culinary environment.
License and Certifications:
- SAFE Serve Certification required upon hire
- Knowledge of state and local health department regulations related to food storage and preparation.
- Knowledge of commercial kitchen operations and food‑service workflows.
- Knowledge of inventory management.
- Skilled in preparing and cooking menu items using standardized recipes, portion controls, and proper culinary techniques to ensure consistent quality.
- Ability to work efficiently in a fast‑paced kitchen environment.
- Ability to communicate effectively with coworkers, vendors, and customers.
- Life-Changing Impact: Our work changes lives through research, instruction, and outreach, making a lasting impact on our students, our communities, and the world.
- Culture of Excellence: We are committed to leveraging our strengths, resources, collaboration, and innovation as a top employer in higher education.
- We’re Here for You: Auburn offers generous benefits, educational opportunities, and a culture of support and work/life balance.
- Sweet Home Alabama: The Auburn/Opelika area offers southern charm, vibrant downtown scenes, top-ranked schools, and easy access to Atlanta, Birmingham, and the Gulf of Mexico beaches.
- A Place for Everyone: Auburn is committed to fostering an environment where all faculty, staff, and students are welcomed, valued, respected, and engaged.
- Ready to lead and shape the future of higher education? Apply today! War Eagle!
Auburn University
Culinary Operations Cook
Auburn University, Alabama
Added 1w ago1,001-5,000 employees
Job functions:
$31k - $45k/yr
1+ yr exp.
ServSafe Certification
Full Time
Job Description
Pay Range: USD $31,200.00 - USD $45,210.00 /Yr. Overview:
The College of Human Sciences School of Hospitality Management is seeking a Culinary Operations Cook. This position is responsible for preparing and serving high-quality food for customers within the Hey Day Market Incubation Unit for the Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management. This position supports daily culinary operations by ensuring efficient food preparation, presentation, and service while adhering to established food safety, sanitation, and quality standards. The role contributes to a positive customer experience and supports the instructional and operational goals of the hospitality program.
Responsibilities:
- Assists in preparing the kitchen for daily service by setting up workstations, organizing supplies, and preparing assigned menu items according to established recipes, quality standards, and portion guidelines.
- Helps maintain a clean, sanitary, and safe kitchen environment by following food safety regulations and properly cleaning equipment, tools, and work areas.
- Supports meal service by transporting prepared food and beverages to designated service areas efficiently and safely.
- Contributes to a positive dining experience by providing courteous, timely, and customer‑focused meal and beverage service.
- Assists with storing, labeling, rotating, and handling food products and supplies to maintain freshness, reduce waste, and meet safety requirements.
- Helps with receiving and organizing food and supply deliveries, verifying accuracy under supervision, and assisting with basic inventory tasks.
- Supports the sourcing of food and supply items from approved local vendors when needed, following purchasing guidelines and budget parameters as directed.
Level I:
- High school diploma or equivalent and 1 year of experience in food services including food preparation, commercial kitchen operations, use of professional cooking equipment, or related culinary environment.
Level II:
- High school diploma or equivalent and 3 years of experience in food services including food preparation, commercial kitchen operations, use of professional cooking equipment, or related culinary environment.
License and Certifications:
- SAFE Serve Certification required upon hire
- Knowledge of state and local health department regulations related to food storage and preparation.
- Knowledge of commercial kitchen operations and food‑service workflows.
- Knowledge of inventory management.
- Skilled in preparing and cooking menu items using standardized recipes, portion controls, and proper culinary techniques to ensure consistent quality.
- Ability to work efficiently in a fast‑paced kitchen environment.
- Ability to communicate effectively with coworkers, vendors, and customers.
- Life-Changing Impact: Our work changes lives through research, instruction, and outreach, making a lasting impact on our students, our communities, and the world.
- Culture of Excellence: We are committed to leveraging our strengths, resources, collaboration, and innovation as a top employer in higher education.
- We’re Here for You: Auburn offers generous benefits, educational opportunities, and a culture of support and work/life balance.
- Sweet Home Alabama: The Auburn/Opelika area offers southern charm, vibrant downtown scenes, top-ranked schools, and easy access to Atlanta, Birmingham, and the Gulf of Mexico beaches.
- A Place for Everyone: Auburn is committed to fostering an environment where all faculty, staff, and students are welcomed, valued, respected, and engaged.
- Ready to lead and shape the future of higher education? Apply today! War Eagle!
See All 7 Entry Level Culinary Assistant Jobs
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Find JobsEntry Level Culinary Assistant Job Market
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Retail
- Education
- Food & Beverage
Entry Level Culinary Assistant Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get an entry level culinary assistant job?
Focus on hands-on experience: culinary school externships, volunteer kitchen work, or even a home catering portfolio can set you apart at this stage. Employers hiring entry level culinary assistants typically look for food safety awareness, a willingness to learn prep techniques, and reliability during service. Certifications like a food handler's card can give your application a concrete edge over candidates without one.
Which companies hire entry level culinary assistants?
Companies hiring entry level culinary assistants right now include Whole Foods Market, Eataly, and Auburn University, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. At this level, hiring tends to come from restaurants, hotel food and beverage departments, corporate dining programs, and healthcare or campus food service operations.
Are there remote entry level culinary assistant jobs?
Yes, though most culinary assistant work is hands-on and on-site by nature. About 0% of entry level culinary assistant openings are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, and those roles typically involve food styling, recipe testing coordination, or culinary content production rather than traditional kitchen prep work.
Are these new grad culinary assistant jobs?
Yes, these listings include new grad, recent graduate, and junior culinary assistant roles. A posting is new-grad friendly when it welcomes zero to two years of experience, accepts internship or externship work in place of full-time history, or explicitly invites applicants with a culinary school background or personal portfolio rather than requiring a long professional resume.
Which industries hire the most entry level culinary assistants?
Entry Level culinary assistant roles concentrate in Retail, Education, and Food & Beverage, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. These sectors drive junior hiring because they run high-volume kitchens with structured training, making them well-suited to candidates who are building foundational prep and food safety skills for the first time.