Executive Sous Chef

Sonesta Hotels•San Juan, PR

25d

About The Position

The Executive Sous Chef follows and maintains standard procedures for banquet functions and supervises the banquet kitchen. The role includes ordering for functions, maintaining food cost and inventory, and ensuring food quality, presentation, and consistency. The Executive Sous Chef supervises culinary staff, organizes production and purchasing, supports coordination between the kitchen and front-of-house teams, and helps maintain professional standards across food and beverage operations. The role involves administrative work assigned by the Executive Chef, staff training and scheduling support, menu and presentation development, and responsibility for food and labor costs. The employee may also be asked to work in other hotel areas or assist with operational needs beyond the duties listed. The role requires delivering engaging guest service and building respectful, effective relationships with colleagues. Work includes nights, weekends, and holidays as needed. The position involves regular standing and walking, occasional lifting or moving of up to 25 pounds, and occasional exposure to outside weather, extreme cold, and extreme heat.

Requirements

At least three years of experience in a culinary supervisory or management role.
Culinary degree or related experience.
ServSafe certification.
Track record of delivering exceptional guest or client experiences.
Knowledge and dexterity in using complex kitchen equipment.
Expertise and experience in planning, designing, and preparing meals.
Strong communication skills, including clear communication for training, safety, and interactions with guests and associates.
Excellent time-management and organizational skills.
Proven leadership and creative abilities in the kitchen.
Appropriate professional appearance and demeanor.
Ability to read and interpret safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
Availability to work nights, weekends, and holidays as needed.
Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees.
Ability to solve practical problems and work with concrete variables in situations with limited standardization.
Ability to interpret written, oral, diagram, or schedule-based instructions.
Ability to regularly stand, walk, talk, and hear; occasionally use hands, reach, stoop, kneel, crouch, and crawl; and occasionally lift or move up to 25 pounds.

Responsibilities

Supervise chefs and cooks from diverse backgrounds and training to produce consistently superior cuisine.
Plan and organize production, purchasing, and scheduling.
Maintain a strong working relationship with the front-of-house team to support communication and teamwork across food and beverage operations.
Establish professional demeanor and standards for the outlet management team.
Delegate responsibilities effectively, making use of the culinary team's strengths.
Perform administrative tasks assigned by the Executive Chef.
Apply a thorough range of cooking techniques, including sautéing, braising, poaching, grilling, frying, and steaming.
Create innovative dishes and plate presentations using seasonal and regional ingredients.
Work efficiently to meet business deadlines and demands.
Check staffing, uniforms, and daily production sheets.
Check production for all meal periods to ensure consistency.
Train staff on menu items.
Manage food and labor costs in all outlets.
Hold and attend regular staff meetings.
Maintain a clean and safe work environment in accordance with local health department rules and regulations.
Monitor guarantees and counts for banquet food functions and property events.
Review event order sheets for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, receptions, and special events.
Attend BEO, staff, pre-shift, food and beverage, and other meetings assigned by the Executive Chef.
Assist with schedules, events, and the needs of other chefs at the property.
Deliver passionate, engaging guest service by recognizing guests and anticipating their individual needs.
Follow the GUEST service model: greet guests warmly, use eye and ear contact and guests' names, establish or anticipate needs, solve and own requests or complaints, and thank guests.
Treat colleagues with respect and dignity.
Perform other assigned duties and assist hotel operations in other areas when needed.