Sous Chef St Martins University

Compass Group•Lacey, WA

2d•$67,000 - $87,000

About The Position

Bon Appétit Management Company partners with Saint Martin's University to provide fresh, scratch-made, locally sourced dining experiences across campus. The dining program includes residential dining, retail operations, convenience services, and catering, including a full-service dining hall, two coffee bars, a campus convenience store, and catering for events ranging from casual meetings to formal university functions. The Sous Chef is a hands-on member of the culinary leadership team who partners with the Executive Chef and fellow managers to oversee daily food production, team development, quality assurance, and operational execution across multiple dining venues. The role supports residential dining, retail foodservice, and catering while upholding standards for food quality, sustainability, safety, and guest satisfaction.

Requirements

Three or more years of progressive culinary leadership experience in higher education, restaurants, hotels, catering, healthcare, or contract foodservice.
Experience with high-volume scratch cooking operations.
Strong knowledge of food production, menu execution, inventory management, and labor planning.
Experience supporting catering and special event programs.
Demonstrated success leading and developing culinary teams.
Knowledge of food safety regulations and HACCP principles.
Strong organizational, communication, and leadership skills.
Ability to work flexible hours, including occasional evenings, weekends, and special events.

Nice To Haves

Associate's degree or formal training in Culinary Arts.
ServSafe Manager Certification, or willingness to obtain it.

Responsibilities

Assist the Executive Chef in directing culinary operations for campus dining and catering.
Lead daily kitchen production and service while maintaining high standards for food quality, freshness, consistency, and presentation.
Execute scratch-made menus using seasonal and locally sourced ingredients whenever possible.
Support menu development, recipe testing, and implementation of new culinary offerings.
Plan and execute production for breakfast, lunch, dinner, retail food concepts, and special events.
Maintain quality standards in a high-volume foodservice environment.
Supervise, coach, and develop hourly culinary staff.
Train staff in culinary techniques, food safety, sanitation, and presentation standards.
Assist with scheduling, labor management, and daily staffing deployment.
Foster a culture focused on teamwork, engagement, inclusion, and professional growth.
Support the catering operation and oversee culinary execution for meetings, campus functions, receptions, banquets, and plated dinners.
Assist with catering menu planning, production scheduling, event preparation, and on-site execution.
Maintain compliance with food safety, HACCP, sanitation, and workplace safety standards.
Monitor inventory, receiving, storage, product rotation, and waste management.
Support purchasing and cost-control initiatives while preserving food quality.
Assist in achieving food-cost, labor-efficiency, and operational-performance goals.
Ensure adherence to Bon Appétit and university policies and standards.