2026 April-October Seasonal Banquet Sous Chef/Assistant

Custer State Park Resorts•Custer, SD

About The Position

A hands-on working supervisory position that supports and assists the chef/kitchen manager by ensuring a profitable and efficient kitchen operation. Supervises staff and ensures product quality. Assists with training. Coordinates activities of workers in food preparation and banquet food cooking, food and supplies ordering, storage and rotation and kitchen line when needed.

Requirements

Must meet or exceed all Level 3 and 4 requirements.
Must be able to speak, read, write and understand the primary language(s) used in the workplace.
Requires good standard and interpersonal communication skills, both verbal and written.
Exceptional organization, problem-solving and supervisory skills.
Knowledge of food and beverage menus, food preparation and presentation.
Ability to act independently with minimal or no supervision.
Must possess basic computational ability.
Must possess computer skills including, but not limited to, Microsoft Word and Excel.
Working knowledge of federal, state and local laws regarding employment and DOL, food safety, occupational safety and liquor liability.
Two years of past kitchen experience necessary.
One year of kitchen management experience necessary.
One year of line-cooking experience necessary.
Six months of prep-cook experience necessary.
Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions.
Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations.
Must be able to be upright on feet up to 8 hours at-a-time and able to work on the cooking line for up to 5 hours at-a-time.
Must be able to exert well-paced ability to reach other departments of the restaurant, kitchen and banquet rooms on a timely basis.
Must be able to lift up to 50 lbs. on a regular and continuing basis.
Requires grasping, lifting, writing, standing, sitting, walking, repetitive motions, listening and hearing ability and visual acuity.
Must have excellent hearing ability.
Talking and hearing occur continuously in the process of communicating with guests, supervisors and other employees.
Must have excellent vision.
Near vision and depth perception vision demands occur continuously.
Must have finger dexterity to be able to operate office equipment such as computers, printers, 10-key adding machine, multi-line touch tone phone, filing cabinets, FAX machines, restaurant point of sale, credit card machines and other office equipment as needed.

Nice To Haves

Additional one year of college or technical school cooking education certificate preferred.

Responsibilities

As a working supervisor, this is a hands-on position. Work either on the banquet prep line or cooking line leading by example.
Work the prep line or restaurant kitchen line as prescribed by chef.
Work a schedule prescribed by the chef/manager.
Work at least three-to-four nights per week and close three nights per week.
To uphold and abide by the company’s employment and management policies.
Serve as a role model throughout the restaurant and property in terms of attitude, behavior and appearance.
Help with banquet kitchen orientation and participate in training all new kitchen employees.
Assist chef and share responsibility for all product preparation, banquet cooking or line cooking to company recipe, presentation and quality standards.
Complete accurate budgeted kitchen work schedules, in the prescribed time frame, that ensure the proper staffing levels for cook’s line, dish station, prep areas and banquet kitchen.
Assure proper labor cost by budgeting and controlling labor cost daily by monitoring and adjusting staff levels as needed.
Actively support and work to inspire staff on shift-to-shift basis while coordinating their duties and productivity.
Utilize proper on-the-spot and private, one-on-one coaching and counseling skills to develop supervisors and employees.
Ensure all kitchen staff follow employee policies and procedures in behavior and attitude.
Maintain a flow of information and utilize proper communication for all kitchen employees and managers.
Maintain a professional working relationship with dining room staff and assist in correcting problems with the back of the house as they arise.
Discuss with the food and beverage manager any staff or management problems that may occur and help solve them.
Ensure a three-strike discipline policy is followed as written with proper documentation.
Do all necessary employee HR personnel forms timely and completely.
Work daily to maintain a safe and accident-free work environment.
Work daily to maintain a healthy and harassment-free work environment.
Assist chef to ensure banquet par and prep sheets are followed shift-to-shift by the staff for both banquet and restaurant menu production.
Learn to accurately break down BEO menus into prep and production sheets.
Ensure food invoices are coded properly and checked for price increases/decreases throughout the month.
Does food inventory process.
Takes opening, monthly and end-of-season physical inventories properly, timely and accurately.
Actively works to control food cost by adhering to proper recipe portioning and controlling food waste.
Assure all BEO Food product and service requests and assignments are delivered in excellent quality in a timely manner per BEO specs and guest satisfaction.
Assure good understanding, cooperation and communication between banquet captains/managers during preparation for and execution of banquet functions.
Assure proper planning, coordination and execution of function prepping, cooking, plating and serving.
Coordinate and deliver food to multiple functions at a time.
Assist chef and catering director with custom banquet menus and specialty event planning prep, production, cooking and delivery.
Carefully and accurately apportion foods and utilize food surpluses and leftovers.
Ensure all food supplies and other products are purchased from approved suppliers and received, stored and rotated properly and safely.