R&D Kitchen Assistant

Trident Seafoods is North America’s largest vertically integrated seafood company—partnering with fishermen, employees, and communities to responsibly harvest, process, and share wild Alaska seafood with the world. With deep roots in Alaska and operating across the globe, Trident is a privately held company headquartered in Seattle, committed to nourishing the world while upholding the highest standards for safety, sustainability, and excellence.

At Trident Seafoods, we work together for something bigger than ourselves. From nourishing the world with the best protein on earth to protecting our oceans, serving our fishermen, and supporting communities in Alaska and beyond, here, you’ll find a values-driven culture where your growth matters, your work has purpose and your contributions are recognized and appreciated—because at Trident, we believe meaningful work connects us all.

This is a full-time, 32-hours per week position scheduled from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. The position is based at our R&D Center at Pier 91 in Seattle. Local candidates only, please.

Summary: The R&D Kitchen Assistant supports daily research and development activities at the Innovation Center. This role assists Food Technologists and the culinary team with sample preparation, product evaluations, customer presentations, and general laboratory and kitchen operations. The position is also responsible for maintaining clean, organized, safe, and sanitary R&D work areas and equipment.

Essential Functions (Responsibilities, Tasks, and Supervisory Requirements)

• Assist Food Technologists with R&D projects, including sample preparation, product cutting, sensory evaluations, and cooking validations.
• Support the culinary team during customer presentations by preparing and cooking samples, chopping vegetables, plating dishes, and assisting with presentation setup and cleanup.
• Prepare raw materials for sample making, including cutting, portioning, and forming fish products.
• Package R&D samples and create shipping labels for Fed Ex shipments.
• Clean and maintain safe, sanitary, and organized conditions in the food laboratory, display kitchen, and conference room area.
• Wash dishes, utensils, and equipment used by the R&D team throughout the day, as needed, using a commercial dishwasher (typically twice daily), and return all items to their designated storage locations.
• Clean deep fryers and replace cooking oil as needed, typically every two to three weeks.
• Clean air vents, ovens, and grills monthly; clean laboratory freezers and refrigerators weekly; and coordinate the removal of expired or unneeded ingredients and products.
• Assist the R&D team with walk-in freezer cleanouts and dispose of product samples as required.
• Operate and perform routine care of basic and specialized food laboratory and kitchen equipment; ensure equipment is cleaned and sanitized regularly; and perform thermometer calibrations.
• Monitor inventory of cleaning and sanitation supplies and communicate replenishment needs in a timely manner.

The essential functions listed above are not exhaustive. The organization may assign other duties as needed to meet business requirements. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

Required Qualifications (education, years of experience, KSAs)

• Ability to read and interpret documents in English such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence in English.

Preferred education and experience

• A high school diploma
• Previous experience working in the food service industry, food safety, or related field is preferred.
• Currently…