Exec Sous Chef in Ames, Iowa at GATEWAY HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTER

The Gateway is the largest, full-service hotel and conference center in Ames, Iowa, with 187 guest rooms, a three-meal restaurant, and 16,000 sq. ft. of banquet and meeting space.

The Executive Sous Chef is responsible to assist the Executive Chef to deliver a first-class culinary experience that exceeds guest and visitor expectations.

Must have experience in preparing high quality food for multiple banquet events at a time, while delivering quality food service to a full service 90-seat, three-meal restaurant.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Assist Executive Chef in the execution and design of restaurant and banquet menus that exceeds guest expectations.

• Participate in the recruitment, training & development of kitchen personnel.

• Lead team to the successful and timely execution of service.

• Assist Executive Chef manage and coordinate all related culinary and kitchen activities.

• Assign, coordinate and supervise the food production areas in both the ISR and Conference Service (CS) prep areas.

• Ensure established documentation procedures, (cooling temperature log, waste log, product need list, etc.), are adhered to.

• Maintain an accurate and current recipe production guide and ensure all recipes are adhered to by kitchen personnel.

• Empowered to quickly and responsibly resolve any service recovery issues that may arise.

• Ensure ticket times are kept to a minimum (15 minutes) and the timing of execution produces food items minimally held on the expediting line (the pass).

• Maintain an organized (mise en place), clean & sanitary work area. Follow the “clean as you go” philosophy (lead by example!).

• Ensure all products are properly labeled, dated and rotated (FIFO) in accordance with Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals (lead by example!).

• Assess food items daily to ensure they meet quality standards set forth by the Executive Chef, while fostering a culture within your team to do the same.

• Communicate with Chef, immediately, issues that may arise in relation to service, food quality, staffing (or general employee concerns), equipment or any general concerns that may impact guest satisfaction.

• Using payroll system, monitor kitchen personnel’s hours to ensure accurate documentation of time that is reflective of time scheduled. Keeping overtime to an absolute minimum and approved only by the Executive Chef.

• Assist in monthly inventory, including price updates each month.

• Maintain a positive and professional attitude and demeanor consistent with the Gateway Values.

• Demonstrate the attributes set forth in our Values: Honesty, Integrity, Enthusiastic, Positive Attitude, TEAMWORK, Caring for the Guest and Each Other, Professionalism, Sharing & Transparency – the good and the bad, Treat each other with Respect & Dignity, Always Learning, Work towards continuous improvement, Celebrate Cultural & Individual Diversity, HAVE FUN at Work!

• Other duties as assigned.

• High school diploma or GED.

• Your experience matters: Consideration will be given to candidates that demonstrate they possess the knowledge and skill set to be successful in this position. You must have a minimum of 3 years’ experience as a Sous Chef or 4 years restaurant, hotel, country club (or similar venue) experience, with 2 years in a kitchen supervisory role.

• ServSafe (or equivalent) Food Manager Certification or ability to obtain within 6 months of hire.

• Weekend availability and scheduling flexibility is necessary.

• Excellent verbal communication and organizational skills.

• Must be able to execute assigned tasks in an accurate and timely manner (sense of urgency).

• Excellent understanding of the various cooking methods used in a professional kitchen, ingredients commonly used in a kitchen and kitchen equipment.

• Working knowledge of various basic computer software programs, e.g: MS Office to include Word & Excel.

• Must be able to squat, lift and push 55lbs.

Preferred

• Culinary degree or current enrollment in a culinary program.

• Previous kitchen experience in a hotel, country club, event catering or similar venue.