Sous Chef

About This Role

The Sous Chef supports overall kitchen operations within the university dining program, overseeing a specific kitchen section like grill, pastry, or cold dishes. This role ensures efficient preparation, cooking, and presentation of meals for students, faculty, and staff, maintaining high standards of quality, safety, and hygiene.

Responsibilities

• Manage daily operations of a designated kitchen section (e.g., grill, pastry, hot, or cold kitchen)
• Prepare, cook, and present dishes in accordance with university dining standards and menus, ensuring consistent quality
• Maintain organization and cleanliness of assigned section, including equipment cleaning and maintenance
• Assist in menu planning and creation of new dishes aligned with dining goals and student preferences
• Prepare ingredients, sauces, and dishes according to recipes, meeting quality and timing requirements
• Monitor food stock, ensuring product rotation to avoid wastage and timely production of meals during peak hours
• Collaborate with leadership and team members to ensure seamless kitchen operations
• Oversee, mentor, and train junior kitchen staff (cooks and other team members) in an assigned section
• Adhere to all food safety standards, health, safety regulations, and sanitation procedures
• Monitor inventory of ingredients and supplies in assigned section and communicate ordering needs
• Contribute to cost control and minimize food waste through portion control guidelines
• Ensure all dishes meet the University’s standards for taste, presentation, and nutritional value
• Address customer feedback and ensure dietary needs (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, allergen-free) are met
• Stay up to date with culinary trends, techniques, and dietary preferences

Requirements

• Culinary Arts degree or equivalent professional culinary training and 2 years of professional kitchen experience
• Strong knowledge of food safety and hygiene practices
• Experience in managing a specific kitchen section (e.g., grill, pastry, or sauces)
• Ability to work efficiently while maintaining high-quality standards
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills
• Ability to mentor and train diverse, junior kitchen staff
• Ability to work nights, weekends, or holidays as needed

Qualifications

• Culinary Arts degree or equivalent professional culinary training
• 2 years of professional kitchen experience or similar experience as a Chef de Partie

Certifications