Culinary Educator (Part-Time)

Position Summary:

Culinary Educator is a part-time position on Children's Aid's Go!Healthy SNAP-Ed team working three days per week in Manhattan and the south Bronx or one day per week on Staten Island. The Culinary Educator hosts cooking demonstrations using locally grown, seasonal produce and supports nutrition education efforts for Go!Healthy's Food Box Program. Food Box is a SNAP-Ed initiative where community members can purchase pre-packed bags of produce sourced from local farms at Children's Aid Community Centers and Schools.

The ideal candidate will have experience in food and nutrition education specifically around cooking with fresh fruits and vegetables, and be adept at communicating its health benefits to community members. The position will require physical labor, including lifting heavy boxes and bags of fruit and vegetables, and also the ability to work outside throughout the year.

Essential Duties:

• Understand and promote the organization's Mission, Vision, and Core Values to ensure alignment with organizational policies and procedures.
• Prepare for and implement interactive cooking demonstrations during food box distributions. Includes purchasing ingredients before arrival on site to ensure availability for preparation and cooking.
• Maintain food safety standards during recipe preparation and sampling. Responsible for ensuring proper food handling and maintaining clean, organized equipment inventory.
• Work as part of a team to set up and break down during food box distributions, including carrying tents, tables, and other supplies between storage areas and the on-site distribution location.
• Actively engage with community members, share knowledge, and facilitate discussions around healthy eating and food preparation.
• Ensure smooth and compliant program implementation by completing administrative work, including tracking logs, receipt reimbursement, and other tasks as needed.
• Support program outreach and social media efforts by attending community events and creating content for participant communication and social media according to the program's communication strategy.
• Assist periodically with program inventory by helping to organize supplies and equipment, and maintaining a clean storage area.
• Conduct recipe research to continue building and diversifying the Go!Healthy SNAP-Ed recipe library, while updating existing recipes to ensure they remain accurate and consistent.
• Participate in Go!Healthy trainings, team meetings, and events.
• Must abide by privacy laws, including HIPAA, etc.
• Perform other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications:

• Minimum of one year of nutrition and/or cooking education experience with youth or adults required.
• Higher education coursework in nutrition, dietetics, community and behavioral health, health education, public health, or culinary arts is preferred.
• ServSafe certification or successful completion of the NYC Food Protection course within three months of hire date.

• Spanish language skills strongly preferred.
• Availability to work the following days in the neighborhoods noted below on a weekly basis from March to November (approx. 6 hours/day):
  
  
  
  • Tuesdays: Washington Heights
  • Wednesdays: Harlem
  • Thursdays: South Bronx
  • OR one day on Tuesdays in northern Staten Island only
  
  
  
  

Key Competencies:

• Ability to develop and lead community engagement initiatives to promote local food, healthy eating, and cooking, and create educational content that inspires excitement and participation.
• Evidence of culinary expertise, including knife skills. Ability to follow recipes and shop for ingredients on a budget. Personal passion and eagerness to teach others can stand in place of professional culinary experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of local, seasonal food and increasing access in urban communities.
• Ability to adapt or tailor recipes to the culture and preferences of communities served.
• Prior experience working with diverse populations preferred, specifically in a community setting.
• Strong facilitation skills and enthusiasm for sharing knowledge and fostering a sense of community around sustainable food practices.
• Commitment to effective communication with supervisors and team members.
• Able to build rapport and trust with site partners and community members.
• Loves working in a team and values cultivating a strong team dynamic.
• Eager to contribute to a greater mission-driven purpose, with a strong desire to promote healthy eating, local food systems, and community well-being