Senior Campus Sous Chef - Union College

Compass Group•City of Schenectady, NY

2d•$85,000 - $90,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Campus Sous Chef plays a key leadership role in delivering an exceptional dining experience for the Union College community. Working alongside the Executive Chef, this position helps oversee daily culinary operations across residential dining and campus events while ensuring the highest standards of food quality, safety, and hospitality. The ideal candidate is a passionate culinary professional who thrives in a fast-paced, high-volume environment, enjoys mentoring teams, and is committed to creating memorable dining experiences for students, faculty, staff, and guests.

Requirements

3+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience in high-volume dining, higher education, hospitality, corporate dining, or a similar foodservice environment.
Experience leading and developing culinary teams in a fast-paced operation.
Strong background in scratch cooking, batch production, and large-scale food preparation.
Knowledge of menu development, food costing, inventory management, purchasing, and labor management.
Comprehensive understanding of current culinary trends, nutrition, presentation, and sustainable food practices.
Working knowledge of HACCP principles, food safety regulations, and sanitation best practices.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and general computer applications.

Nice To Haves

Associate degree in Culinary Arts, culinary certificate, or equivalent combination of education and professional culinary experience.
Catering and special event experience preferred.
ServSafe Certification preferred.

Responsibilities

Partner with the Executive Chef to lead the daily culinary operations, ensuring consistent execution, quality, and presentation across all dining locations.
Supervise, coach, and develop culinary team members while fostering a positive, collaborative kitchen culture.
Assist with menu planning, recipe development, and seasonal offerings that balance creativity, nutrition, and operational efficiency.
Oversee food preparation and production to ensure consistency, proper portioning, and adherence to Compass Group standards.
Execute high-quality catering and special events, supporting a wide variety of campus functions throughout the year.
Assist with purchasing, inventory management, receiving, and product rotation while maintaining food and labor cost controls.
Ensure compliance with all food safety, sanitation, HACCP, and workplace safety standards.
Support the implementation of new culinary concepts, wellness initiatives, and sustainability programs.
Collaborate with campus partners to deliver an outstanding guest experience and respond proactively to customer feedback.
Step into a leadership role in the absence of the Executive Chef, helping ensure smooth day-to-day operations.