Sous Chef - LSC

VALENCIA GROUP•Austin, TX

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Sous Chef is the senior culinary leader at Lone Star Court, overseeing all kitchen operations for the Water Trough, in-room dining, and banquet events. The role oversees menu development, food quality, kitchen staffing, and cost controls, while working hands-on during service and upholding food safety and guest-satisfaction standards. This is an exempt management position reporting to the Food and Beverage Manager. Work schedules may vary and may require more than 40 hours per week or more than 8 hours per day, including evenings, weekends, or peak operational periods, to meet business needs. The Sous Chef directly supervises Line Cooks and the Stewarding team and partners with the Food & Beverage Manager and other hotel teams on culinary operations.

Requirements

At least 4 years of progressive culinary or kitchen experience, including at least 2 years in a sous chef, kitchen manager, lead cook, or other kitchen-team leadership role.
Food Handler’s certification and, where required, food manager certification.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Effective time-management and problem-solving skills.
Ability to work well with a team and demonstrate attention to detail.
Excellent organizational and interpersonal abilities.
Ability to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.

Nice To Haves

Culinary degree or equivalent culinary training; equivalent combinations of education and experience are considered.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain menus and specials for the Water Trough, in-room dining, and banquet events with the Food & Beverage Manager, ensuring quality, consistency, and cost-effectiveness.
Manage food costs, inventory, ordering, and receiving.
Run the line and expedite during service; oversee daily preparation, production, plating, and presentation standards.
Ensure proper equipment maintenance and kitchen cleanliness.
Recruit, hire, train, schedule, and directly supervise culinary and stewarding staff.
Conduct performance reviews and manage staffing to labor budget targets.
Lead pre-shift line-ups and ongoing culinary training; designate a lead cook to run the kitchen when the Sous Chef is off property.
Ensure food quality, presentation, and ticket times meet guest expectations; oversee special dietary requests and allergen orders.
Ensure in-room dining orders leave the kitchen complete, including all items and condiments.
Respond to guest feedback about food quality in partnership with the Food & Beverage Manager.
Train Line Cooks on recipes, station setup, and plating standards; mentor lead cooks and promote accountability, cleanliness, and culinary excellence.
Partner with the Food & Beverage Manager on menu pricing, food cost reporting, and banquet event planning (BEOs).
Communicate production needs, specials, unavailable items, and timing with Water Trough, bar, and banquet leadership.
Ensure compliance with food safety, sanitation, and HACCP standards; oversee food storage, labeling, dating, and temperature logs.
Prepare the kitchen for health inspections; promote safe knife handling and equipment use, and report hazards immediately.
Maintain cleanliness and organization in all work areas; behave courteously with guests and team members; report unsafe conditions; ensure hotel equipment is in proper working condition; attend required meetings; follow company policies and procedures; and perform additional duties as assigned.