Temporary Kitchen Support - Sous Chef & Dishwasher (One-Night Event)

Organization: Sharing Excess
Location: Drexel Food Lab — Philadelphia, PA
Date: Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Shift: 3:00 PM – 9:30 PM (approx. 6.5 hours)
Pay: $20–$25/hour, depending on experience
Position Type: Temporary, one-time engagement (2 positions available)

About Sharing Excess

Sharing Excess is a Philadelphia-based food rescue nonprofit dedicated to recovering surplus food and redistributing it to communities in need. Each year, our volunteers move millions of pounds of food that would otherwise go to waste.

This September, we're hosting a Volunteer Appreciation Event to thank our most dedicated volunteers with a hands-on guided cooking experience at the Drexel Food Lab. We're hiring experienced kitchen support to help our Head Chef make the evening run smoothly — and to make sure our volunteers feel taken care of.

The Role

You'll support Chef Brou in preparing for and running a guided cooking experience in which volunteers prepare an appetizer and an entrée course. This is a working kitchen role with a teaching element: part prep, part coaching, part cleanup.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Head Chef with pre-event food preparation and mise en place (arrive at 3:00 PM to prep before guests arrive)
• Support volunteers throughout the cooking experience — guiding technique, answering questions, and keeping stations organized during appetizer and entrée preparation
• Help maintain kitchen safety, sanitation, and workflow throughout service
• Manage dishwashing, general kitchen cleanup, and breakdown after the event ends

Qualifications

• Prior professional kitchen experience (line cook, prep cook, or sous chef experience preferred)
• Comfortable teaching or guiding non-professional cooks in a group setting
• Strong food safety knowledge; ServSafe certification a plus
• Reliable, punctual, and able to work the full 3:00 PM – 9:30 PM shift
• Able to stand for extended periods and lift up to 40 lbs

Nice to Have

• Experience with events, catering, or teaching/demo kitchens
• Familiarity with the Drexel Food Lab or similar shared-kitchen spaces

Why This Gig

• Straightforward, well-defined one-night commitment — no ongoing schedule
• Paid at $22/hr
• A genuinely good room: 20 people who volunteer their time to feed their neighbors, having a night out on us
• A first look at Sharing Excess for anyone interested in food systems or food-recovery work