Cafe Executive Sous Chef

Compass Group•Stanford, CA

3d•$85,000 - $90,000•Onsite

About The Position

Bon Appétit Management Company is hiring a Cafe Executive Sous Chef to serve as a key culinary leader for Arbuckle Café and Catering at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Working closely with the Executive Chef, this role oversees daily food production, menu execution, team development, and operational excellence for a high-volume café serving approximately 950–1,300 guests daily, while also supporting campus catering. The chef leads café kitchen operations and supervises approximately 20 union culinary associates, ensuring consistent breakfast and lunch service and Bon Appétit's standards for food quality, presentation, food safety, and hospitality. The role contributes to menu planning and development, culinary innovation, employee training, inventory management, and cost control. The account serves breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday and operates a dedicated catering program seven days per week, with two on-site production kitchens, including a catering kitchen. The position offers exposure to diverse, globally inspired menus in a world-class academic environment.

Requirements

Associate's degree in Culinary Arts, a culinary certificate, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Progressive culinary leadership experience in corporate dining, higher education, hospitality, restaurant, or catering environments.
Experience leading teams in a high-volume foodservice operation.
Strong background in scratch cooking and a variety of global cuisines.
Knowledge of food costing, inventory management, and purchasing practices.
Comprehensive knowledge of food safety, sanitation, production systems, and culinary trends.
Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office applications.

Nice To Haves

Experience working within a union environment preferred.
Catering and special event experience strongly preferred.
P&L experience is a plus but not required.
ServSafe Certification preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead daily café kitchen operations, ensuring food quality, consistency, and service execution.
Supervise, coach, and develop approximately 20 hourly union culinary associates.
Partner with the Executive Chef on menus, seasonal offerings, recipes, and daily features aligned with guest preferences and culinary trends.
Oversee breakfast and lunch food production and efficient execution in a high-volume environment.
Support catering operations, including large-scale events, conferences, leadership functions, and annual commencement activities.
Maintain food safety, sanitation, workplace safety, and HACCP standards.
Assist with purchasing, receiving, inventory management, product utilization, and cost controls.
Monitor labor efficiency and support staffing and scheduling initiatives.
Ensure culinary team members receive appropriate training, onboarding, and professional development.
Collaborate with front-of-house and catering teams to deliver hospitality experiences.
Assist with implementation of culinary programs, recipes, and initiatives developed by regional culinary leadership.
Contribute to financial performance through food-cost management, waste reduction, and operational efficiencies.