Sous Chef / Lead Cook

Details•San Diego, CA

2d•$23 - $26

About The Position

The Division of Student Affairs seeks an individual with a strong commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism and a strong interest in working at a mission driven, faith-based institution. The role of the Lead Cook / Sous Chef in supporting students and the USD Community responsibilities of the position are significantly tethered in the university’s contemporary Roman Catholic mission and commitment to creating an equitable, welcoming community for all. The Division of Student Affairs is committed to grounding our policies, programs, and procedures in antiracist practice. With this commitment, we recognize the importance of educating ourselves and holding one another accountable to ensure our work is approached through an equity, inclusion, and social justice lens. We recognize our need for ongoing development in this area and continue to strive to improve. We expect all members of the Division of Student Affairs are willing to engage in this work alongside us to uphold our Catholic mission in creating a welcoming environment where the dignity of all students, staff, administrators, and faculty at USD is embraced. The Sous Chef is responsible for aiding in the organization, coordination and supervision of the preparation of hot food production, maintenance of quality and/or portion control, and the maintenance of sanitation and safety standards. The Sous Chef, under the supervision of the Chef Manager, acts as a working supervisor in training, coordinating and evaluating the work of the lower level cooks. Typically, the Sous Chef performs the more difficult production duties, assist with covering stations, preparing for regular meal service, special event preparation, monthly inventory, serving line worksheets, participates in recipe and menu development. The Sous Chef assists the Chef by developing departmental goals and staff training/development. Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Culinary School graduate required.
At least two years of culinary/ food service experience in Hotel and/or restaurant.
At least two years of supervisory experience in a high volume food production environment.
Ability to work with minimal supervision and manage personal and subordinate staff workloads.
Thorough knowledge of classical and modern food preparation methods and techniques.
Considerable knowledge of proper cook times, temperatures and food preparation procedures and techniques.
Working knowledge of basic sanitation and safety requirements.
Ability to multi-task in a high paced environment.
Excellent knowledge of current culinary trends.
Strong communication skills and problem solving abilities; must be able to communicate with employees, University community members, and implement and maintain production records.
Ability to organize personnel, work and materials for maximum productivity; knowledge of basic ordering techniques and maintenance of par stock.
Proven ability to supervise and motivate staff, as well as evaluate performance and delegate appropriate responsibilities.
Excellent skills in the use of specific equipment and tools as identified below, as well as their preventive maintenance and calibration requirements.
Must be adaptable and flexible to change.
Remain calm and professional at all times.
Must be able to work a varied hourly work schedule including evenings, early mornings, weekends and holidays.
Must be able to work a flexible schedule to accommodate intersession and summer conference business.
Must have excellent personal hygiene because of contact with food and food products.
Successful completion of a pre-employment background check.
Persons offered employment in this position will be required to provide official education transcripts for degree verification purposes.

Responsibilities

Supervises and participates in the quality and quantity preparation of all meals and specialty items.
Acts as working supervisor for food production.
Reviews menu and helps assign and coordinate daily tasks.
Checks production sheet against inventory to assure necessary items are on hand; plans for backup items as needed.
Uses correct methods of preparation and instructs staff in correct methods.
Ensures products are made to specification and reviews recipes for variances in finished product, including yield, appearance, taste, texture.
Takes corrective action as needed in the absence of the Chef.
Coordinates and instructs staff in appropriate sequential production time frames for maximum quality control.
Ensures proper product portioning.
Responsible for the timely delivery, setup and dispensing of all items as specified.
Responsible for the proper storage and utilization of leftovers.
Ensures proper rotation and storage of all products.
In the absence of the Chef, conducts monthly inventory.
Helps forecast and order food and supplies.
Assists the Chef in developing strategic plans for food preparation in non-kitchen venues including the rental and organization of field kitchens.
Assists in forecasting proper quantity preparation for each item served.
Assists in the completion of daily production sheets; responsible for assisting in the completion of production/event records.
Assists Chef in the research, development and testing of new recipes and menus.
Attends weekly production meetings.
Coordinates production and delegations with Chef on a daily basis.
Has primary responsibility for the cleanliness of the kitchen.
Ability to prepare a variety of cuisine, using skill and creativity to develop new, unusual market driven menus.
Maintains good customer relations through attitude, appearance and attention to detail in daily work.
Maintains consistent high-quality standards; quality-tests every finished product for taste, texture, appearance and temperature.
Assures that all foods are attractively garnished and appropriately displayed.
Ensures that products are not held longer than establishing holding times.
Services customer/guest needs with the appropriate sense of business urgency to provide quality service.
Reports feedback from customer to supervisor.
Provides input on menu, and special meals.
Knows and follows all University and Dining Services policies and procedures.
Instructs staff regarding Dining Services policies and procedures.
Ensures that employees understand and adhere to all Dining Services polices and procedures.
Assists in the direction, supervision, training and evaluation of cooks and part-time staff.
Sets leadership example by willingness to work all job tasks.
Provides regular feedback to employees regarding performance.
Delegates assignments as appropriate and follows up to ensure work is accurate and complete.
Operates all kitchen equipment and trains others on proper use.
Responsible for smooth workflow, communication and ideas through a congenial, caring and supportive attitude.
Reports any problems (disciplinary or otherwise) to supervisor.
As appropriate takes immediate corrective action.
Implements and maintains proper safety and sanitation standards in the workplace.
Reports all equipment maintenance problems to supervisor.
Supervises employees in proper food handling methods and techniques.
Coordinates all scheduled cleanup operations.
In absence of supervisor, responsible for the security of the kitchen and kitchen areas.
Ensures excellent personal hygiene, including care of uniforms, shoes and head covering for all staff.
Supervises kitchen cleanliness/sanitation during operation.
Reports all accidents and/or injuries to supervisor or to Public Safety in the absence of a supervisor, immediately.
Reports all equipment maintenance problems to supervisor.
Ensures that all staff knows the location of fire extinguishers and Ansul System pull stations and how to use them.