Preservation Assistant

Position Summary

As the Preservation Assistant, you will contribute to the development, operations, and capacity building of the Grace Klein Community Food Preservation Initiative, where we transform and reallocate rescued, bulk surplus food into nutritious meals, reducing food waste and feeding food‑insecure individuals.

• Develop and maintain food safety protocols, inventory systems, and recipe documentation procedures.
• Coordinate with FeedBHM’s food rescue team to schedule timely delivery of appropriate food for kitchen use.
• Assist with mitigating food waste on all levels, including farmer food and compost.
• Collaborate with chefs, culinary schools, and food professionals to create meals using rescued food.
• Recruit, train, and manage kitchen volunteers and interns, ensuring adherence to safety and hygiene guidelines.
• Plan and execute batch cooking days and events to maximize rescued food use.
• Build systems to evaluate kitchen workflow, volunteer feedback, and recipe quality for continuous improvement.
• Educate the community on food preservation through workshops, social media, blog posts, content writing, and printed/digital materials.
• Create and maintain a recipe library featuring affordable and nutritious meals using common surplus ingredients, with potential for publishing.
• Develop take‑home preservation kits, DIY meal resources, and written educational materials for families in the FeedBHM network.
• Track metrics related to meals prepared, food volume rescued, and volunteer hours.
• Maintain compliance with health regulations and organizational policies.
• Maintain cleanliness, organization, and supplies.
• Support expansion efforts such as FeedBHM Pelham, mobile kitchens, or additional kitchen sites.
• Represent the Food Preservation Initiative at community events, speaking engagements, or partner engagements.
• Assist in finding and creating donor and grant applications related to initiative operations and outcomes.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Experience in kitchen management, culinary arts, or food service operations is strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with food safety practices and nutritional guidelines.
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Experience in training and leading volunteers or teams.
• Comfortable using digital tools for inventory tracking, scheduling, and documentation.
• Comfortable with the handling of all types of perishable produce.
• Passion for food justice, waste reduction, and community empowerment.

Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter outlining their qualifications and interest in the position to Natalie King at na
. Please include “Preservation Assistant – Job Application” in the subject line of your email.

Location:

2701 Morgan Road, Bessemer, AL 35216