Food Service - Jr Sous Chef

SSA Group • Rochester, NY

4d

About The Position

SSA Group partners with cultural attractions to shape hospitality experiences through admissions, culinary, and retail services. The Jr Sous Chef supports kitchen operations and helps deliver warm, welcoming, and memorable experiences for guests and clients. This role ensures the kitchen is prepared and staffed for daily operations and that food quality, safety, availability, merchandising, and service standards are met. The Jr Sous Chef supports the Sous Chef with assigning work, coaching employees, planning and completing daily tasks, and maintaining smooth service. The role also supports staff training and performance management, communicates operational issues to management, and helps maintain a clean, safe, and organized work environment. The position includes varied hours and may require working nights, weekends, and holidays. Candidates should have 1–2 years of culinary experience.

Requirements

• 1–2 years of culinary experience.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to communicate with the General Manager and personnel.
• Proven leadership skills and an understanding of team building and development, including fostering partnerships with other branch managers.
• Exceptional problem-solving and decision-making skills, with the ability to stay organized.
• Multitasking, attention to detail, analytical, planning, and leadership skills.
• Ability to remain flexible in a fast-paced environment.
• Team-oriented, personable, professional, upbeat, energetic, and able to take initiative and use tact and diplomacy.
• Computer knowledge and skills sufficient for basic office functions.
• Physical ability to stand for extended periods and move and handle boxes weighing 10–35 pounds as required by operations.
• Ability to work varied hours and days, including nights, weekends, and holidays, as needed.

Responsibilities

• Deliver warm, welcoming, and memorable experiences for every guest and client in keeping with 452 Hospitality.
• Ensure the restaurant or location is adequately prepared and staffed in the back of house for daily operations.
• Oversee kitchen duties and ensure quick-service and food-service, safety, quality, availability, merchandising, and guest-service standards are met and exceeded.
• Oversee safety logs, including food temperatures, rotation, and waste.
• Ensure staff follow proper uniform, hygiene, handwashing, and glove-use practices.
• Support SSAfety training in knife handling and ensure direct reports properly use knives and slicers.
• Create daily prep and item lists and delegate work to employees as needed.
• Support operations and fill staffing or workflow gaps to help ensure smooth service.
• Maintain checklists for routine and daily cleaning tasks, ongoing projects, and menu planning.
• Assist the Sous Chef in assigning associates to duties and coaching them through projects, daily tasks, and guest interactions.
• Respond to guest and client feedback and report it to the operations manager to help prevent recurring complaints.
• Train new employees and issue performance reviews.
• Manage and issue progressive documentation to coach and counsel employees on performance, with oversight from the operations manager.
• Report employee attendance and hour discrepancies to the payroll department.
• Oversee break and rest-break management for back-of-house employees.
• Inspect equipment and perform routine maintenance and cleaning as necessary.
• Help complete daily tasks in a timely manner.
• Communicate issues related to daily service or quality to the Sous Chef and Food Service Operations Manager(s).
• Work directly with restaurant supervisors to ensure their locations operate to standard.
• Remain knowledgeable about and supervise in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws.
• Perform other tasks as necessary and uphold company policies and procedures.
• Maintain a clean, safe, and organized work environment.
• Promote an inclusive and supportive approach within the Brand team and across units, remove barriers, and empower team members’ growth and opportunities.
• Lead by example in sustainability and conservation efforts, apply relevant business practices, and provide opportunities to teach unit staff as necessary.
• Engage with SSA and unit teams in community activities and opportunities to give back.

Benefits

• Eligible for overtime pay.
• On-Demand Pay Program providing access to a portion of earned wages before payday.
• Meal plan and employee discounts at applicable locations.
• 401(k) program with a 15% company match, subject to eligibility requirements: age 21 or older, after one year of employment and 1,000 hours worked, with enrollment during open enrollment periods.
• Tuition discount through a partner college.
• Up to 8 hours of bereavement leave.
• Holiday pay at 1.5 times the regular rate for hours worked on Christmas Day and Thanksgiving Day.
• Paid sick leave in accordance with applicable state and local laws; accrual rates, caps, and usage rules vary by location.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed