Sous Chef, Chinese Cuisine
About The Position
The Chinese Cuisine Sous Chef, Operations assists the unit’s Executive Chef in designing and preparing meals for Chinese, Taiwanese, and Hong Kong airline customers. The role also requires experience with Japanese culinary profiles. The Sous Chef provides culinary expertise and leadership, promotes quality food services, ensures food safety and sanitation requirements are followed, and drives food production with the assistance of Food Supervisors. The position oversees hot and/or cold kitchen production, food quality and quantity, staffing, scheduling, training, labor and food expense control, and compliance with company policies and applicable food regulations. It reports to the Executive Sous Chef, Operations, or Executive Chef, Operations, and may have up to 40 direct reports. The role is full-time, involves travel of up to 25%, and typically follows a rotating schedule of over 55 hours per week, with shifts of 10 or more hours.
Requirements
- At least 1–3 years of experience as a Chef and/or Sous Chef.
- At least 7 years of experience as a cook.
- At least 3 years of experience in Chinese cuisine.
- Ability to cook meals according to detailed specifications.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
- Strong and effective leadership skills and ability to manage a team of cooks.
- Ability to train others.
- Ability to give employees positive and negative feedback on a daily basis.
- 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.
- Ability to work in a production kitchen where temperature and noise may cause physical discomfort.
- Completion of all company-required training, including ServSafe.
Nice To Haves
- Associate degree in Culinary Arts or a Culinary Arts certification.
- Previous 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.
- Current or previous labor relations experience.
- Experience with menu design.
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office products.
- ServSafe certification.
- Bilingual Mandarin language skills.
Responsibilities
- Ensure food specifications and labor objectives meet company and customer requirements.
- Supervise department quality and quantity; ensure products are produced and dated to specification and the coding system is followed, including applicable FDA, USDA, HACCP, and other governmental regulations.
- Track attendance, prepare paperwork, set up shifts, and assign employees to sections while optimizing schedules.
- Order raw materials from the storeroom and produce additional meals at short notice as needed.
- Prepare daily production sheets, assign employee tasks, and direct employees using production sheets and passenger counts.
- Take responsibility for food items after requisitioning them from the storeroom.
- Train and provide recurrent training to employees on proper preparation procedures.
- Ensure safety procedures are followed and maintain cleanliness throughout shifts.
- Manage daily hot and/or cold kitchen production to achieve quality and consistency.
- Ensure compliance with company Wage & Hour policy, including employee rest and meal breaks and required company processes.
- Train and monitor employees on work procedures to maximize productivity while minimizing labor and food expenses.
- Monitor manpower planning and schedule employees.
- Support employee retention and reduce turnover.
- Coach and counsel employees and prepare corrective actions in compliance with applicable union or collective bargaining agreements.
- Ensure employees in the chain of command are assigned to correct cost centers and job titles.
- Verify union-represented employees’ pay rates against wage scales and seniority.
- Complete all required company training, including ServSafe, and comply with company policies, procedures, and processes.
- Travel as required, up to 25%.
Benefits
- Paid time off.
- 401(k) with company match.
- Company-sponsored life insurance.
- Medical, dental, and vision plans.
- Voluntary short-term and long-term disability insurance.
- Voluntary life, accident, and hospital plans.
- Employee Assistance Program.
- Employee discounts.
- Weekly pay for union employees.
- Free hot, healthy meals for unit operations roles.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
Associate degree
