About Us - Values Overview

Department Summary

The University of North Texas College of Merchandising, Hospitality & Tourism (CMHT) in Denton is a nationally recognized, top-tier program focusing on consumer-driven industries, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in merchandising, digital retailing, and hospitality management.

Position Overview

The Culinary Laboratory Coordinator supports the preparation and operation of culinary laboratory courses offered by the hospitality management program. The position works closely with faculty to coordinate ingredients, supplies, equipment, laboratory setup, inventory, sanitation, and general course support.

The Culinary Laboratory Coordinator helps ensure that culinary laboratories are prepared, organized, clean, and fully equipped for scheduled classes and other approved instructional activities.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in culinary arts, hospitality management, foodservice management, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

· Experience working in a commercial kitchen, culinary laboratory, institutional foodservice operation, restaurant, catering operation, or similar environment.

· Knowledge of food preparation, sanitation, storage, purchasing, receiving, and inventory-control procedures.

· Experience operating and cleaning commercial culinary equipment.

· Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple course schedules and operational priorities.

· Ability to communicate and work effectively with faculty, staff, students, vendors, and service providers.

· Current food-protection manager certification or the ability to obtain certification within a specified period after employment.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

· Knowledge of commercial kitchen and culinary laboratory operations.

· Knowledge of food-safety, sanitation, purchasing, receiving, storage, and inventory practices.

· Ability to interpret recipes, production schedules, faculty requisitions, and equipment specifications.

· Ability to source common and specialty ingredients, supplies, and equipment.

· Ability to maintain accurate purchasing, inventory, sanitation, and equipment records.

· Ability to organize work independently and meet time-sensitive laboratory preparation deadlines.

· Strong communication, problem-solving, and customer-service skills.

Preferred Qualifications

· Knowledge of commercial kitchen and culinary laboratory operations.

· Knowledge of food-safety, sanitation, purchasing, receiving, storage, and inventory practices.

· Ability to interpret recipes, production schedules, faculty requisitions, and equipment specifications.

· Ability to source common and specialty ingredients, supplies, and equipment.

· Ability to maintain accurate purchasing, inventory, sanitation, and equipment records.

· Ability to organize work independently and meet time-sensitive laboratory preparation deadlines.

· Strong communication, problem-solving, and customer-service skills.

Required License/Registration/Certifications

Job Duties

Laboratory Course Support

· Coordinate with faculty to identify ingredient, equipment, and supply needs for culinary laboratory courses.

· Prepare laboratories before classes by organizing ingredients, equipment, utensils, and student workstations.

· Weigh, measure, portion, label, and organize ingredients according to faculty instructions.

· Prepare requisition carts and materials required for scheduled laboratory activities.

· Assist faculty during laboratory classes with ingredient distribution, equipment setup, product storage, and general laboratory operations.

· Support the breakdown, cleaning, and resetting of laboratories between classes.

· Communicate ingredient availability, substitutions, equipment concerns, and other operational issues to faculty.

Receiving

· Receive deliveries and verify the quantity, quality, condition, and accuracy of products.

· Research and source specialty ingredients and equipment needed for advanced culinary courses.

· Maintain professional relationships with food, equipment, and specialty-product vendors.

· Assist with establishing new vendors through university purchasing processes.

· Maintain purchasing records, receipts, invoices, and other required documentation.

Inventory and Storage

· Maintain inventories of food products, supplies, chemicals, equipment, smallwares, linens, and instructional materials.

· Monitor inventory levels and order products needed for scheduled laboratory activities.

· Properly label, date, rotate, store, and secure food and supplies.

· Maintain clean and organized dry-storage, refrigerated, frozen, chemical-storage, and equipment-storage areas.

· Conduct periodic inventories and identify damaged, expired, missing, or obsolete items.

· Support efforts to control costs and reduce unnecessary food and supply waste.

Laboratory Sanitation and Organization

· Maintain culinary laboratories and storage areas in a clean, sanitary, safe, and orderly condition.

· Monitor cleaning schedules, sanitation practices, refrigeration temperatures, and supply levels.

· Coordinate routine and periodic deep cleaning of laboratories, equipment, refrigeration units, and storage areas.

· Maintain adequate stocks of cleaning supplies, chemicals, towels, and linens.

· Identify and report sanitation, maintenance, pest-control, or safety concerns.

Equipment and Facility Support

· Operate, clean, inspect, and maintain commercial culinary equipment.

· Ensure that equipment is properly assembled, stored, and available for scheduled classes.

· Identify equipment maintenance, repair, or replacement needs.

· Perform basic troubleshooting and coordinate service requests with vendors or university facilities personnel.

· Maintain equipment inventories and records of maintenance, repairs, and warranties.

· Research and recommend equipment, smallwares, and supplies.

· Assist with receiving, installing, organizing, and storing newly purchased equipment.

Physical Requirements

Communicating with others to exchange information.
Lifting and Moving objects up to 50 pounds.
Repeating motions that may include the wrists, hands and/or fingers.
Sedentary work that primarily involves sitting/standing.

Environmental Hazards

Elevated temperatures.
Noisy environments.
Elevated temperatures.

Work Schedule

Hours vary

Driving University Vehicle

No

Security Sensitive

This is a Security Sensitive Position.

Special Instructions

Applicants must submit a minimum of two professional references as part of their application. If needed, additional references can be added after the application has been submitted. 

Benefits

For information regarding our Benefits, click here.

EEO Statement

The University of North Texas System is firmly committed to equal opportunity and does not permit –and takes actions to prevent – discrimination, harassment (including sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking), and retaliation on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status in its application, employment practices, and facilities; nor permits race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, veteran status, or sex discrimination and harassment in its admissions processes, and educational programs and activities. UNT System Administration promptly investigates complaints of discrimination, harassment, and related retaliation and takes remedial action when appropriate. System Administration also takes actions to prevent retaliation against individuals who oppose any form of harassment or discriminatory practice, file a charge or report, or testify, assist, or participate in a related investigation or proceeding.