Sous Chef

VH Lisle•Chicago, IL

19d

About The Position

The Sous Chef trains, supervises, and works with cooks and culinary staff to prepare, cook, and present food according to hotel standard recipes and quality standards. The role assigns duties to kitchen employees, selects and trains staff, schedules coverage while managing payroll costs, processes supply requisitions, and ensures food is properly received, stored, rotated, and handled in compliance with health regulations and cost and quality controls. The Sous Chef may also supervise daily cleaning of walk-in and reach-in boxes, maintain the vacation schedule, report equipment needing repair, and perform other duties as assigned, including supporting VIP parties and staff meetings. The position works in a hotel kitchen environment, with work tasks primarily indoors. The schedule may change to meet business needs, including work on Saturdays or Sundays; the company operates seven days a week, 24 hours a day. The posting lists an anticipated annual pay range of $70,000–$75,000, with the final offer dependent on factors such as experience, skills, education, internal equity, and market conditions. Eligible team members may have access to benefits, subject to eligibility requirements.

Requirements

Ability to speak, read, write, and understand the primary language or languages used in the workplace.
Good verbal and written communication skills.
Basic computer skills.
Thorough working knowledge of hot and cold food preparation.
Good working knowledge of sanitation standards and applicable health codes.
Basic mathematical skills for recipes, measurements, requisition amounts, and portion sizes.
Ability to work in extreme temperatures, including freezers at -10°F and kitchens at +110°F, possibly for one hour or more.
Ability to sit at a desk for up to five hours per day, with walking and standing required during the remainder of the workday.
Ability to handle kitchen tools and equipment and lift and carry items weighing up to 50 pounds throughout the kitchen.
Ability to perform cutting tasks on work surfaces 3 to 4 feet high.
Ability to use kitchen machinery, including slicers, buffalo choppers, grinders, and mixers.
Ability to lift up to 30 pounds regularly and continuously, and push or pull carts and equipment weighing up to 250 pounds occasionally.
Ability to bend, stoop, squat, stretch, and climb as required by job tasks.
Ability to work in limited spaces, move through the hotel in a timely manner, and tolerate noise loud enough to require shouting to be heard.
Manual dexterity and finger dexterity to operate kitchen and office equipment.
Ability to perform job functions with or without reasonable accommodation.
Availability to work a schedule that may include Saturdays and Sundays and may change according to business needs.

Responsibilities

Assign specific duties to kitchen employees to support efficient kitchen operations.
Inspect and select fresh, high-standard food products for menu preparation.
Use recipes and mathematical skills to prepare food.
Process supply requisitions.
Select, train, and supervise kitchen staff in proper menu preparation.
Schedule culinary staff to maintain appropriate coverage and manage payroll costs.
Ensure food products are received, stored at appropriate temperatures, and rotated in compliance with health regulations.
Follow procedures for controlling food costs and quality.
Supervise daily cleaning of walk-in and reach-in boxes.
Maintain the vacation schedule to support proper staffing.
Report equipment requiring repair to the chef and engineering team.
Perform other assigned duties, including supporting VIP parties and staff meetings.
Demonstrate culinary techniques, including cutting, cooking principles, plate presentation, safety, and sanitation practices.
Create, build, handle, and dismantle displays, including ice carvings.