State of Maryland

A Food Service Assistant functions regularly as the lead worker of a team of employees performing food service work in a dietary section of a State institution or functions as supervisor of a separate dining area generally having no complex food production work.   Employees in this classification assign and supervise the work of patients, students, and other employees engaged in the minor preparation of food, the setting up of serving areas, and the maintaining of sanitary standards within a cafeteria, large patient serving area, or other responsible dietary areas.  Employees in this classification are required to be punctual in attendance and timely in the performance of assignments.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from higher level personnel in the dietary department.  Some general supervision is exercised over lower level workers and /or patients and students assigned to dietary areas.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

Leads a team of employees in the preparation of simple foods such as salads, desserts, and hot or cold beverages;

Supervises setting up of counters for meals including checking the temperature of steam tables, utensils for serving, dishes, glassware and silverware;

Coordinates meal schedules with nursing personnel;

Assigns duties to assistants and instructs in serving;

Assures that set standards of food portion control are maintained;

Checks quantity of food received from kitchen and records amount returned;

Prepares and submits daily patient census to central kitchen;

Supervises cleaning of counters, equipment, utensils, dishes;

Maintains monthly inventory of equipment;

Empties and scrubs garbage cans;

Cleans large pots, ovens, stoves and grease traps;

Keeps students or patient workers’ records;

Maintains record of patients on special dietsMay operate a cash register on a relief basis;

Performs other related duties.

Class Descriptions are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies.  Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

Class Descriptions provide information about the Nature of Work, Examples of Work, General Requirements and Acknowledgements.  The Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities; Minimum Education and Experience Requirements; Special Requirements; and recruitment and testing procedures are set by the using agency.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is not assigned to a bargaining unit, as indicated by the designation of S (Supervisor), M (Manager), T (Agency Head), U (Board or Commission Member), W (Student), X (Used by Agency or Excluded by Executive Order), or Z (Confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation.  An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime, as provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 8-305.