Production Sous Chef

Community FoodBank of New Jersey•Hillside, NJ

27d•Onsite

About The Position

Join our team and become a part of something bigger – a force for change in the fight against hunger. The Community Foodbank of New Jersey is more than just a food bank – we champion healthier lifestyles and positively impact social and economic change. Together we can create a stronger, more resilient New Jersey for everyone. Community FoodBank of New Jersey is seeking a passionate and experienced Production Sous Chef to join our Community Kitchen team. This hands-on culinary leader will oversee daily meal production, ensuring the consistent preparation of high-quality, nutritious meals that support community feeding programs and other initiatives. The ideal candidate combines strong culinary expertise with operational excellence, a collaborative leadership style, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Working alongside kitchen staff, apprentices, volunteers, and cross-functional teams, the Production Sous Chef will oversee meal preparation for programs including Kids Cafe, Summer Feeding, Medically Tailored Meals, emergency feeding initiatives, and other meal production programs as developed.

Requirements

Minimum of 8-10 verifiable years of industry experience as a Sous Chef, Kitchen Manager or equivalent in a high-volume kitchen environment.
Verified ServSafe Certification.
Culinary Arts or Food Service Management degree from an accredited university or equivalent industry experience required.
3-5 years of experience in Food Service coupled with an agility and emotional intelligence to lead a complex and geographically diverse team.
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: Collaborative people leader with strong vision to deliver profitable business results.
Able to influence and inform strategic development for function and business.
Great presentation skills with ability to effectively convey ideas and solutions.
Must be willing and able to carry bulk materials consistently, up to about 50 lbs.
Demonstrated project management skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite applications.

Responsibilities

Assist the Executive Chef in planning, organizing, and overseeing all catering food production and execution.
Lead the preparation, cooking, packaging, and presentation of food for on-site and off-site catering events while ensuring exceptional quality and consistency.
Coordinate daily catering production schedules with the production kitchen to ensure efficient workflow and timely completion of all orders.
Supervise kitchen staff, temporary employees, volunteers, and culinary trainees during catering production and event execution.
Monitor food safety and sanitation practices to ensure compliance with ServSafe guidelines, local health department regulations, and organizational policies.
Maintain inventory of catering-specific food, supplies, smallwares, and equipment; assist with ordering and receiving.
Work collaboratively with the Catering Team, Production Team, and other departments to ensure successful event execution.
Train, coach, and mentor culinary staff on production techniques, customer service, food presentation, and kitchen best practices.