Exec. Sous Chef

gategroup•San Francisco, CA

About The Position

The Executive Sous Chef supports the Executive Chef with daily monitoring of meal preparation for multi-customer accounts and manages Chefs, Cooks, and production employees across food production areas of a large catering unit. The role promotes quality food service for airline clients and oversees product management and waste in a high-volume, complex hub or facility serving an international customer mix. The position reports to the Executive Chef and serves as lead chef when the Executive Chef is absent. The Executive Sous Chef supports menu and product quality, ensures menu presentations and specifications comply with recipes and portion requirements, oversees inventory and production planning, and helps manage products, costs, and operational variances. The role identifies and resolves problems, conducts audits, supports operational improvements, and coaches and develops culinary employees. It also maintains a safe, sanitary, and compliant production environment, including adherence to HACCP, FDA, company, and applicable legal requirements. The position develops employee skills and onboarding, trains and monitors staff, and supports retention. It maintains culinary equipment and promotes effective production techniques and process improvements. The Executive Sous Chef also prepares reports using food production, menu expense, dining, and customer data. This is an exempt, full-time position in the USA. Travel of up to 10% is required. A rotating schedule of more than 55 hours per week is typical.

Requirements

Associate or Bachelor degree in Culinary Arts or a related field; formal culinary education is required.
Certification as CCC from ACF, ProChef II, or equivalent.
7–10 years of progressive experience in Chef positions.
1–3 years of supervisory experience in a high-volume manufacturing, food production, restaurant, or catering environment.
In-flight catering experience or experience in a high-volume food-service environment.
Ability to cook meals according to detailed specifications.
Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
Strong and effective leadership skills, including the ability to manage 2–3 Sous Chefs and production employees.
Ability to train others and provide positive and negative employee feedback daily.
Excellent time-management skills and ability to handle multiple tasks while maintaining focus on priorities.
Strong organizational, analytical, communication, and leadership skills.
Ability to make operational changes to improve the work environment and unit performance.
Basic computer skills.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Ability to stand, bend, lift, and move intermittently during shifts of 10 or more hours.
Ability to lift, push, pull, and move products, equipment, and supplies weighing more than 25 pounds.

Nice To Haves

Current or previous labor relations experience.
Working knowledge of Microsoft Office products.
ServSafe certification.
Multilingual ability.

Responsibilities

Support the Executive Chef in overseeing food preparation and production and driving menu and product quality across production areas.
Manage and guide Chefs, Cooks, and production employees, and act as culinary lead in the Executive Chef’s absence.
Coordinate with the Buyer, Chefs, cooks, and team leaders to manage production, products, and costs.
Plan and support menu presentations, ensuring products, recipes, and portion specifications meet customer requirements.
Ensure employees understand menu and product specifications and receive required training.
Minimize waste through portion control, production management, overproduction management, and inventory control.
Use a pull system and ensure accurate, timely inventories so requisitions reflect demand.
Contribute information and analysis to culinary operational plans and reviews; implement production, productivity, quality, and customer-service standards.
Identify and resolve problems, complete timely audits, and support operational change and improvement.
Coach and counsel employees and prepare corrective actions when needed.
Maintain a safe, secure, sanitary, and healthy work environment; enforce applicable standards, procedures, and regulations.
Ensure compliance with HACCP, FDA, safety regulations, and company policies and procedures.
Communicate meal cycles accurately and on time, and monitor product yields to maximize usage.
Work with management staff to improve unit performance.
Maintain professional and technical knowledge and share relevant information with direct reports.
Ensure cooks and Sous Chefs have the skills needed to meet cooking and food preparation requirements for airline accounts served by the unit.
Train and monitor employees on work procedures and production methods to maximize productivity while controlling labor and food expenses.
Assist with cook development and training, employee onboarding, and retention.
Complete required company training, including ServSafe Sanitation Manager Certification.
Maintain culinary equipment, instruct staff in equipment use, troubleshoot breakdowns, maintain equipment supplies, and ensure preventive maintenance and repairs.
Evaluate cooking equipment against current and future unit needs.
Initiate and support NPT and time-saving production techniques and train others in specialty techniques.
Improve menu quality and consistency by analyzing production records and menu expenses, evaluating and redesigning processes, and implementing changes.
Prepare menu and food-preparation reports by collecting, analyzing, and summarizing food, dining, and customer data and trends.