Bilingual Commercial Airline - Catering Sous Chef

Abby's Catering•Houston, TX

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Sous Chef is a production-focused leadership role responsible for overseeing daily culinary operations in a high-volume airline catering environment. This position ensures all menu items are executed exactly according to approved recipes, airline specifications, portion standards, and production schedules, while maintaining strict compliance with HACCP, food safety, and traceability requirements throughout the production process. This is not a creative or menu-development role. Success in this position is measured by accuracy, consistency, compliance, documentation, and on-time kitchen departures. The Sous Chef leads teams to execute established processes with discipline, efficiency, and accountability in a 24/7, deadline-driven operation.

Requirements

Minimum 3+ years of culinary leadership experience in high-volume, structured environments
Proven ability to work in process-driven, recipe-controlled production operations
Ability to thrive in cold-room production environments (as low as 36°F) for extended periods
Availability for rotating shifts, weekends, holidays, and overtime as required
Strong leadership, organizational, and communication skills
Bilingual English/Spanish required (verbal communication for team leadership)
Ability to read and interpret airline recipes, plating instructions, and batch production guides
Basic computer skills (Microsoft Office and production systems)
Reliable, proactive, and able to work independently
High School Diploma or equivalent required
Must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. (no sponsorship available)
Food Handler / Food Safety Manager Certification required (ServSafe or equivalent)

Nice To Haves

Culinary Arts certificate or degree preferred
Airline or aviation catering experience strongly preferred

Responsibilities

Maintain daily compliance with all Food Safety, HACCP, GMP, and traceability standards
Enforce sanitation, personal hygiene, and PPE requirements across all shifts
Conduct line checks, audits, and documentation reviews; address deviations immediately
Ensure all production meets airline, customer, and regulatory requirements
Maintain a safe, organized, and hazard-free kitchen environment at all times
Oversee proper handling, cleaning, and sanitation of all kitchen tools and equipment
Ensure workstations and production areas are cleaned, sanitized, and reset per standards
Report equipment issues promptly and ensure corrective actions are completed
Support workflow efficiency, layout discipline, and operational improvements
Lead, train, and supervise culinary teams to execute standardized menus without deviation
Execute approved recipes, batch instructions, portion standards, and plating guides exactly as written
Coordinate daily production priorities based on flight schedules and kitchen departure times
Verify compliance with recipes, specs, and airline presentation requirements
Ensure finished products are delivered on time for all kitchen departure deadlines
Control food costs through portion accuracy, FIFO rotation, waste reduction, and labor oversight
Provide hands-on coaching to reinforce recipe compliance and execution discipline
Maintain clean, organized production areas across all shifts
Promote teamwork, accountability, and clear communication
Support menu rollouts, production tests, and airline programs as designed—not modified
Perform additional responsibilities as assigned by the Executive Chef