Awarded the Great Place to Work Certificate in 2024/2025 & 2025/2026

General Description of Work

With delegated authority, reporting to the General Manager, the Executive Chef, and the Chef de Cuisine, the Sous Chef is responsible for…

Essential Function:

• Manage and run production lines while coaching and developing lead team associates
• Helps with the Chef de Cuisine on food Cost of Goods (COGs)
• Ensure that all food and products are consistently prepared and served according to the restaurant’s recipes, portioning, cooking and serving standards.
• Make employment and termination decisions including interviewing, hiring, evaluating and disciplining kitchen personnel as appropriate.
• Provide orientation of company and department rules, policies and procedures and oversee training of new kitchen employees.
• Fill in where needed to ensure guest service standards and efficient operations.
• Prepare all required paperwork, including forms, reports and schedules in an organized and timely manner.
• Ensure that all equipment is kept clean and kept in excellent working condition through personal inspection and by following the restaurant’s preventative maintenance programs.
• Ensure that all products are ordered according to predetermined product specifications and received in correct unit count and condition and deliveries are performed in accordance with the restaurant’s receiving policies and procedures.
• Control food cost and usage by following proper requisition of products from storage areas, product storage procedures, standard recipes and waste control procedures.
• Oversee and ensure that restaurant policies on employee performance appraisals are followed and completed on a timely basis.
• Schedule labor as required by anticipated business activity while ensuring that all positions are staffed when and as needed and labors cost objectives are met.
• Be knowledgeable of restaurant policies regarding personnel and administer prompt, fair and consistent corrective action for any and all violations of company policies, rules and procedures.
• Oversee the training of kitchen personnel in safe operation of all kitchen equipment and utensils.
• Responsible for training kitchen personnel in cleanliness and sanitation practices.
• Responsible for maintaining appropriate cleaning schedules for kitchen floors, mats, walls, hoods, other equipment and food storage areas.
• Check and maintain proper food holding and refrigeration temperature control points.

Competencies:

Interpersonal Skills - Maintains confidentiality; Listens to others without interrupting; Keeps emotions under control; Remains open to others' ideas and tries new things.

Oral Communication - Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; Listens and gets clarification; Responds well to questions.

Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively; Edits work for spelling and grammar; Varies writing style to meet needs; Presents numerical data effectively; Able to read and interpret written information.

Organizational Support - Follows policies and procedures; Completes administrative tasks correctly and on time; Supports organization's goals and values; Benefits organization through outside activities; Supports affirmative action and respects diversity.

Planning/Organizing - Prioritizes and plans work activities; Uses time efficiently; Plans for additional resources; Sets goals and objectives; Organizes or schedules other people and their tasks; Develops realistic action plans.

Professionalism - Approaches others in a tactful manner; Reacts well under pressure; Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; Accepts responsibility for own actions; Follows through on commitments.

Dependability - Follows instructions, responds to management direction; Takes responsibility for own actions; Keeps commitments; Commits to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals.; Completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternate plan.

Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of experience in varied kitchen positions including food preparation, line cook, fry cook and expediter.
• A minimum of 2 years of experience in management.
• Experience in a high volume kitchen that includes lunch and dinner service.
• Ability to multitask and adapt in prep, line work, expo, and menu creativity at any given moment.
• Leadership, management and effective communication skills.
• Ability to take direction and feedback well.

Language Skills:

• Ability to read, speak and interpret documents in clear English.
• Must be able to communicate clearly with managers, kitchen and dining room personnel and guests.

Physical Ability:

• Be able to reach, bend, stoop and frequently lift up to 50 pounds.
• Be able to work in a standing position for long periods of time (up to 10 hours).

Reasoning Ability:

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.