Deli Clerk job description template

Deli clerks slice meats and cheeses to order, prepare salads and sandwiches, and keep the deli case clean, full and safe. For many shoppers, the deli counter is the reason they choose your store. A strong post mentions your menu, whether you make food from scratch and the food-safety training you’ll provide.

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Deli Clerk

Part-time
Your Company is looking for a deli clerk to serve customers at our counter and help keep our deli case looking and tasting great. You’ll slice meats and cheeses to order, make sandwiches and prepared foods, and follow careful food-safety and cleaning routines. We’ll train you on our slicers and recipes. If you like working with food and enjoy friendly chats with regulars, we’d love to meet you.

What you’ll do

  • Slice meats and cheeses to each customer’s requested thickness and weight
  • Prepare sandwiches, salads and party platters using our recipes
  • Weigh, wrap and label items accurately, including price and date
  • Check and log temperatures of cases, coolers and hot foods on schedule
  • Clean and sanitize slicers, counters and utensils following food-safety rules
  • Rotate products, date everything and discard items past their use-by time
  • Take phone and catering orders and have them ready on time
  • Offer samples and suggest new items to customers at the counter

What we’re looking for

  • Food handler certification if required in our state, or willing to get it (we’ll help)
  • Comfortable using sharp knives and meat slicers safely after training
  • Careful about hand washing and keeping raw and ready-to-eat foods apart
  • Able to stand at the counter for long stretches and lift cases up to 40 lbs
  • Friendly and patient with customers during the lunch rush

Nice to have

  • Previous deli, restaurant or food service experience
  • Knowledge of cheeses, cured meats or specialty foods
  • Catering or party-platter experience

Schedule

Part-time, including lunch-rush, evening and weekend shifts. Hours may increase around holidays when catering orders pick up.

What we offer

  • Discount on deli and store purchases
  • A free sandwich on shifts
  • We cover the cost of food handler training
  • Paid training on slicers, recipes and food safety

Add your pay, location and schedule when you post. Jobs that show pay get noticeably more applicants.

Screening questions for a deli clerk

Ask these on the application form to sort applicants quickly. They’re added automatically when you post this template.

  • Do you have a food handler card, or are you willing to get one?Yes / No · required
  • Have you used a commercial meat slicer before? Tell us where.Short answer
  • Which days and times are you available, especially on weekends?Short answer · required

Deli Clerk interview questions

  1. How do you keep raw meat from contaminating ready-to-eat foods?
  2. A customer asks for a pound of turkey sliced thin, and you cut too much. What do you do?
  3. What steps would you take to clean a slicer at the end of a shift?
  4. Three customers are waiting and the phone rings with a catering order. How do you handle it?
  5. How would you help a customer who can’t decide between two cheeses?
  6. What would you do if you noticed the deli case was running too warm?
  7. Tell me about a time you worked with food. What did you enjoy about it?

Tips for hiring a deli clerk

  • Ask candidates to slice and wrap a few orders on a paid trial shift so you can see their knife safety and pace.
  • Check your state and local health department rules for food handler cards, and say in the post that you’ll help new hires get one.
  • Restaurant prep cooks and line cooks often make excellent deli clerks, and some are looking for steadier daytime hours.
  • Ask references specifically about cleanliness habits, which are hard to judge in an interview.