Chef de Cuisine

(Kitchen Manager/Executive Sous Chef/ Assistant General Manager)

ABOUT THE ROLE: 

As Chef De Cuisine, you are responsible for all culinary oversight in our scratch based kitchen operation. You serve as the culinary nuts-and-bolts in our restaurants while managing and staying accountable for your team of culinarians. As an extremely efficient individual with a passion for executing food excellence and hospitality, you run a strong kitchen by showcasing advanced business and culinary acumen. You own and take pride in order/inventory management, prep management and health and safety standards within the four walls of your restaurant. You are the subject matter expert in your areas of focus in the kitchen and serve as a vital resource for your team and peers. In our operation centered around innovation, you are always looking at food quality, cost, and training as data-points for you and your team to grow. 

Staying organized and detail-oriented in a fast paced environment is key to your role as Chef de Cuisine. We are constantly evolving our menu and testing new initiatives to improve the business operations . You will effectively multitask and train your culinary team through the day-to-day shifts, to ensure your team is well equipped to execute anything and everything on our menu. Developing your team by role modeling while delivering excellent service to our guests is integral as we work towards a better food future.

ABOUT THE TEAM: 

Our Restaurants run using a traditional brigade system. As Chef de Cuisine, you are the second in command. You report directly to the Chef Operator and the Sous Chefs and Chefs-in-training report directly to you. You work collaboratively with the other restaurant leaders to ensure the restaurant team is well trained and organized to provide guests with an experience that goes beyond a great meal. DIG is determined to rebuild the food system, and we couldn't do it without you. 

YOU WILL: 

• Be responsible for kitchen culture and upholding best practices and standards through every shift. 
• Lead and motivate your chef's in training team by modeling culinary expertise and a good attitude in order to always deliver delicious food.
• Oversee and uphold food quality and presentation no matter the business channel. Walk in, pick-up & delivery orders are handled with equal care and attention. 
• Serve as a reference point for the entire kitchen team for questions on recipes, checklists, food specifics, and food quality. Consistency and order are your bread and butter. 
• Oversee the quality of fresh ingredients received from our farm partners, while overseeing inventory, supply and QA processes in the restaurant. 
• Manage the prep list for yourself and your team. Communicate with your Chef Operator on food inventory and ordering ordering to ensure walk-ins are fully stocked and organized.
• Run successful shifts by organizing the deployment board and managing the prep schedule day in and day out. 
• Execute line checks while measuring what’s ready to serve, what needs to be prepared, and any potential waste. You think ahead to ensure service runs smoothly.
• Ensure the kitchen is set up for success with all tasks completed on time and with safety top of mind. 
• Implement food preparation tactics that maximize efficiencies in your kitchen. You are open to testing new systems and processes, as well as thinking outside the box to help with operational flow and kitchen organization. 
• Manage and maintain a tight and orderly kitchen operation, including storage, labeling, preparation, and all safety protocols. You are the safety standard bearer ensuring your team is keeping up with Covid guidelines and DOH standards for overall restaurant health. 
• Take ownership of restaurant cleanliness by setting up the AM shift for success and closing with confidence that the restaurant is prepared for the next day's operation.
• Achieve and maintain the "A" letter grade from the Health Department, holding your team accountable and role-modeling cleanliness from your tactics organizing the kitchen and all stations.
• Lead in placing orders, ensuring the restaurant has what it needs to be successful. 
• Identify and troubleshoot any ordering or digital ordering issues. You are solutions focused and can quickly pivot when needed.
• Manage our kitchen facilities, following up with all maintenance on culinary equipment, cleanliness, and organization of your restaurant.
• Collaborate with your Chef Operator to manage labor and food cost.
• Build your kitchen team by assisting in interviewing, hiring, providing performance improvement, and disciplinary action.
• Actively give feedback through the GROW model, monitoring the effectiveness of your team by providing timely positive and critical feedback.
• Strictly uphold Dig's anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies.

YOU HAVE: 

• 2 years managing a team of culinarians.
• The ability to demonstrate and execute an exceedingly strong work ethic.
• Skills to motivate and develop the culinarians on your team.
• An appreciation for the people you work with.
• The ability to perform physical requirements of the position (the ability to frequently lift up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift up to 50 pounds). These physical requirements may be accomplished with or without reasonable accommodations.
• The willingness to roll up your sleeves and pitch in whenever necessary. 
• The desire for professional improvement and the process of learning.
• The drive to network and build strong ties in your restaurant’s community.
• The ability to take many variables to find the best solution to a problem.
• Excellent communication skills.
• An eye for detail and solving challenges.
• A desire for growth within our brigade.
• Food Safety Certification.
• A passion for real, good food.

COMPENSATION:

Salary Range: $67,000-75,000/year with annual increase quarterly bonus with high growth potential

Our salary ranges are rooted in the desire to pay competitively relative to our organization size and industry, reflecting just one part of the total compensation package; additional components include quarterly bonus potential, healthcare benefits, various work perks (commuter benefits, free lunch) as well as opportunities for continued growth at DIG.

Individual compensation decisions are determined by factors that include skills-based qualifications, prior work experience, and balancing internal equity relative to other DIG employees. We expect the majority of candidates who are offered roles at DIG to fall healthily within the ranges based on these factors

PERKS AND BENEFITS: 

• Company Paid Parking Spot
• 16 weeks of Fully Paid Parental Leave (for primary and secondary caregivers)
• Health Insurance (Medical, Dental and Vision)
• Paid Time Off 
• Phone Reimbursement
• Commuter Benefits
• Complimentary DIG Meals everyday
• Short Term and Long Term Disability

ABOUT US: 

At Dig Food Group, we’re building a better food system for everyone by sourcing, cooking and serving delicious food everyday. Nine years in, we’ve grown to more than 30 fast-casual Dig restaurants, opened our first full-service restaurant, 232 Bleecker, partnered with 130 farms including our own Dig Acres, and taught thousands of people how to cook (really cook) in our kitchens. 

To do this, we’ve built direct and real relationships with farmers. We don’t just name check them on our menus -- we’re true partners in their businesses. We focus on farmers who are independent, first-timers, women, immigrants, LGBTQ and people of color. These relationships allow us to get the best ingredients all year round and change our menu based on what is growing in the fields.

Each restaurant is run by a chef and all our food is cooked on site. There are no microwaves, can openers or freezers, just an entire culinary team at every location, cooking vegetables all day. This requires training a whole generation of chefs and cooks from the ground up, including many who have never worked in a restaurant before. Knife skills are life skills. 

We’re not here to disrupt anything or become a platform. We run our business on good food and great people. From sourcing to serving, our mission is to create a better food system for everyone. That means a world where farmers can make a living growing food, anyone can learn to cook, and we can all eat well, together.

DIG believes in the power of a shared table to bring people together as we are committed to building a culturally inclusive team. Diverse candidates encouraged to apply.