Chef Tournant / Junior Sous Chef

DeFoor Hospitality Group•Chattanooga, TN

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Join Our Team as a Chef Tournant — Lead, Create, and Grow. Ready to step into your first Sous Chef role? Chef Tournant is the culinary title for our entry-level Sous Chef position. In our kitchen, this role reports to our other Sous Chefs. We're looking for someone who brings genuine culinary creativity and the operational foundation to back it up. If you have a deep curiosity about food, broad culinary knowledge, real ideas about how to use it, and the drive to grow into kitchen leadership, this is the right next step. The Chef Tournant is a first step into kitchen leadership, supporting daily operations while developing the skills needed to run a professional kitchen. This role requires artistry, ingenuity, and a genuine creative voice — the Chef Tournant takes ownership over specific areas of menu development, bringing invention and imagination to the table alongside strong operational and team support skills. This role works closely with the Executive Chef and Sous Chef to maintain food quality, support the team, and keep service running smoothly.

Requirements

A genuine creative voice with the invention and originality to develop dishes and menus that stand out.
Solid understanding of food preparation, cooking methods, ingredients, equipment, and kitchen procedures.
Beginning to develop leadership and decision-making skills in a kitchen environment.
Ability to coordinate with a team and problem-solve during live service.
Ability to manage time effectively under pressure.
Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with both kitchen staff and management.
Flexible availability including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Working knowledge of kitchen management software and MS Office.
Organized, dependable, and able to take initiative without being prompted.
Previous experience in a similar kitchen role required.
Demonstrated ability to lead a station or section during service.
A 4-year culinary degree or equivalent experience

Nice To Haves

Experience with food costing, inventory, and kitchen operations preferred.

Responsibilities

Take ownership of specific areas of menu development, bringing originality and imagination to creating dishes that reflect a high standard of culinary artistry and skill.
Support the Executive Chef and Sous Chef with daily kitchen operations, including prep planning, station coordination, and service flow.
Begin leading sections of the kitchen and supervising line cooks and kitchen staff during service.
Assist with running service when the Sous Chef and Executive Chef are not available.
Assist in training and mentoring kitchen staff, and help make sure the team understands what is expected of them.
Help cross-train kitchen staff to make sure daily operations can run without interruption.
Contribute ideas for menu development and daily specials.
Check the quality of both raw and cooked food products to make sure standards are being met.
Ensure food quality, consistency, and presentation standards are met on every plate.
Assist with plating guidelines, garnishes, and the hands-on detail work that goes into every dish, applying ingenuity and a genuine eye for presentation.
Determine how food should be presented and assist with creating food displays.
Reduce the risk of food spoilage through proper rotation, storage before and after use, and overall stock management.
Participate in ordering, stock rotation, and inventory checks.
Monitor portioning and ingredient usage to help control food costs and reduce waste.
Set a positive example for guest relations and handle guest problems and complaints during service.
Assist with scheduling support and shift planning as needed.
Ensure full compliance with health, safety, and sanitation standards at all times.
Communicate effectively with front-of-house staff and management.
Perform any other job-related duties as assigned.