Soft Landing Missoula
(a fiscally sponsored project of Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs)
United We Eat Kitchen Assistant Manager
The United We Eat Kitchen Assistant Manager is a full-time position that supports Soft Landing Missoula’s dynamic non-profit organization as a team player, focusing on a variety of aspects of our United We Eat Program. The Kitchen Assistant Manager works directly with refugee and immigrant chefs, volunteers, and Soft Landing Missoula staff to provide leadership and hands-on support in the kitchen. This role helps ensure the creation of high-quality meals and events that delight Missoulians and provide meaningful experiences and income for refugee and immigrant chefs.
Success in this position requires strong communication skills, kitchen experience, cultural humility, adaptability, and enthusiasm for working in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. The Kitchen Assistant Manager helps ensure the smooth running of day-to-day operations while contributing to a positive experience in the kitchen for refugee and immigrant chefs and community volunteers—bringing teamwork and leadership to a dynamic kitchen that celebrates culture, food, and community connection.
About United We Eat:
United We Eat (UWE) is Soft Landing Missoula’s food-based outreach program that uses food to build cultural bridges and create social and economic opportunities for refugees and immigrants. Through Supper Club dinners, cookie sales, and the popular UWE@home weekly take-out program, refugee and immigrant chefs share their culinary traditions with the Missoula community. United We Eat has become a cornerstone of Soft Landing’s mission to foster connection, belonging, and opportunity for all.
About Soft Landing Missoula:
Soft Landing Missoula (SLM) partners with our community to provide supportive services and welcome for refugees and immigrants in Missoula, working together to create a home where new neighbors can integrate and thrive. We believe in a world where refugees and immigrants have opportunity, dignity, and the freedom to build the life they wish to live as members of a welcoming community.
Soft Landing Missoula operates under Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization providing fiscal sponsorship.
This role reports to the UWE Kitchen Manager and is supervised by the UWE Program Manager.
Benefits: Generous benefits package includes health, vision, and dental insurance (individual premium paid in full by Soft Landing Missoula), 12 paid holidays, 4 weeks paid vacation, 2 weeks paid sick leave, parental/medical leave.
Wage: $20/hour for 35 hours/week (see schedule below)
Responsibilities:
The UWE Kitchen Assistant Manager will assist the Kitchen Manager and Program Manager with the following tasks:
Support, interact with, and provide direction for UWE chefs.
Support, interact with, and provide direction for UWE volunteers to ensure smooth, efficient operations.
Follow and enforce ServSafe standards, including temperature control, food storage, and safe handling protocols.
Maintain a clean and organized kitchen and assist with deep cleaning projects as needed.
Develop and execute prep lists, ensuring accuracy and efficiency in food preparation.
Document ingredient quantities and recipe methodologies.
Open and close the kitchen independently, following established procedures.
Organize inventory, order, and shop for ingredients and kitchen supplies as needed.
Transport leftover food safely to designated community partners (Missoula Free Fridges, SLM office, Poverello Center).
Use Excel and Google Sheets to organize, format, and update information as assigned.
Create and update educational signage for kitchen operations and customer engagement.
Participate in occasional SLM/UWE special events, including some weekends.
Support and expand UWE’s cultural, culinary, and language exchange—enhancing both kitchen operations and community outreach.
Training Provided:
Soft Landing Missoula will provide and cover the cost of the following training:
ServSafe Food Manager Certification
Meal planning, purchasing, and costing
Cross-cultural collaboration, including working with refugee and immigrant chefs to develop and confirm weekly menus, and using translation tools to support communication and inclusion
The Ideal Candidate Will:
Have 4+ years of professional kitchen experience
Possess knowledge of kitchen operations and food preparation
Have leadership experience and enjoy teaching and sharing knowledge with others
Be friendly, positive, and socially aware in a diverse kitchen environment
Enjoy working with people from a variety of cultural and religious backgrounds
Work hard for the success of others and thrive as a collaborative team player
Remain calm, focused, and adaptable under pressure or uncertainty
Demonstrate strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills
Have excellent communication skills and English language fluency
Be able to work independently while contributing to a team-oriented environment
Be capable of filling in for the Kitchen Manager when needed
Be an enthusiastic representative of Soft Landing Missoula and help share the story of United We Eat
Note: Not sure you meet 100% of the qualifications? If you believe you could excel in this position, we encourage you to apply.
Physical and Transportation Requirements:
Ability to lift up to 50 pounds (23 kilos) repeatedly over the course of a shift
Ability to stand and move for several hours at a time
Ability to work 8+hour shifts multiple times a week
Reliable transportation to and from the kitchen and for shopping tasks
Availability to work 35 hours per week, including some weekend hours as needed
Schedule
The UWE Kitchen Assistant Manager position is full-time. Most shifts fall between 9:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., with weekly Tuesday evening shifts as late as 9:00 p.m., depending on program needs.
Schedule:
Monday: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (8hr)
Tuesday: 11:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. (12:30 – 9:00 p.m. for some events) (8hr)
Wednesday: 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (7hr)
Thursdays: 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (6hr)
Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. (6hr)
Please note, as special events or shopping require, you will be asked to work weekends or evenings. Thursdays and Friday afternoons can offer some scheduling and remote vs. in-person flexibility if approved by the Kitchen Manager and Program Manager.
Application Timeline and Start Date
Application review will begin in mid-November 2025. Applications submitted after that date are encouraged and will continue to be accepted and reviewed until the position is filled and removed from the Soft Landing Missoula Job Openings page.
We anticipate a start date in January 2026. The position includes a three-month probationary period to ensure mutual fit and successful onboarding.
To apply: Email resume, one-page cover letter, and list of 3 references to beth@softlandingmissoula.org.
PDF format preferred.
