Sous Chef

Highgate Hotels • New York, NY

27d • Onsite

About The Position

The Sous Chef is responsible for ensuring that meals from the kitchen meet standards for quality, consistency, appearance, taste, and food cost. The role provides staff training, supports corporate quality standards, and helps establish and enforce food specifications, portion control, recipes, and sanitation practices. The Sous Chef also controls food and labor costs while maximizing guest satisfaction.

At Park Lane New York, the Sous Chef oversees daily kitchen and food-production operations, including hot food from the main kitchen and bakery and cold food from the pantry. The role coordinates preparation around forecasts and customer counts, monitors food quality and presentation, addresses guest complaints, and ensures compliance with operating procedures, requisition processes, sanitation requirements, and corporate outlet standards. The position also oversees food purchasing, inventories, production sheets, cost and operational reports, staff reviews, and kitchen loss prevention.

The position requires at least four years of related progressive experience, or culinary-graduate status with at least two years of progressive experience in a hotel or related field. Long hours may sometimes be required, and the physical demands include lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, or otherwise moving objects weighing up to 50 pounds occasionally and/or 20 pounds frequently or constantly. Experience in a union environment is highly desirable.

Requirements

• At least four years of related progressive experience, or graduation from a culinary program with at least two years of progressive experience in a hotel or related field.
• Knowledge of food and beverage preparation techniques, health department rules and regulations, and liquor laws and regulations.
• Ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing, with employees and guests at all levels in an attentive, friendly, courteous, and service-oriented manner.
• Ability to listen to, understand, and clarify concerns raised by employees and guests.
• Ability to multitask and prioritize departmental functions to meet deadlines.
• Ability to understand and evaluate complex information and data from various sources to meet objectives.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of information.
• Ability to maintain a warm, friendly, attentive, courteous, and service-oriented demeanor.
• Ability to work long hours when required.
• Ability to exert up to 50 pounds of force occasionally and/or 20 pounds frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.
• Maintain regular attendance in accordance with hotel standards and scheduling requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in a union environment is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Work with other food and beverage managers and keep them informed of food and beverage issues.
• Keep the immediate supervisor informed of problems or matters requiring attention.
• Coordinate and monitor loss-prevention activities in kitchen areas.
• Prepare and submit required reports on time, including wage progress, payroll, revenue, employee schedules, and quarterly action plans.
• Monitor the quality of food products and their presentation.
• Oversee daily kitchen and food-production operations, including hot food from the main kitchen and bakery and cold food from the pantry.
• Inform cooks of daily forecasts and customer counts so they can prepare hot and cold food for timely service.
• Respond to guest complaints in a timely manner.
• Ensure compliance with standard operating procedures in all outlets and with requisition procedures.
• Conduct staff performance reviews in accordance with Highgate Hotel standards.
• Understand, implement, and monitor corporate promotions in outlets, including buffet and three-meal concept standards.
• Know and enforce local health department sanitation laws.
• Assess food portion sizes, visual appeal, taste, and serving temperature.
• Check stations at the end of each shift for proper food storage and sanitation.
• Check food purchases for proper ordering, quality, and price structure.
• Oversee daily food preparation, outlet sanitation, receipt of daily inventories, log-on reports, and food-cost reports.
• Prepare daily food production sheets.
• Attend required hotel meetings and training, and participate in manager-on-duty coverage as required.
• Maintain regular attendance, personal appearance, and grooming standards, including wearing a nametag.
• Comply with hotel standards and regulations and contribute to safe, efficient operations.
• Maximize productivity, identify problem areas, and assist in implementing solutions.
• Handle problems by anticipating, preventing, identifying, and resolving them as needed.
• Perform other duties as requested by management.

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Life insurance
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer matching contributions
• Paid holidays
• Paid vacation
• Paid sick leave in accordance with applicable law
• Employee assistance program
• Educational opportunities and tuition reimbursement
• Paid jury duty leave, personal leave, medical leave, and military leave in accordance with applicable law

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed