What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Sous Chef position at Quello?
Overview
The Sous Chef runs the kitchen. This role is the Executive Chef's second and the person holding the line together shift to shift, through prep, through service, and through close.
Quello's menu emphasizes pristine seafood, handmade pastas, crudo, and elevated coastal Italian classics. The food is composed but not fussy, and the standard is consistency. A guest who loves a dish in November should get the same dish in March. The Sous Chef is the reason that happens.
This is a hands-on cooking role, not an administrative one. The Sous Chef works a station, expedites, teaches, and covers whatever the night requires. It is also a developmental role. We are looking for cooks who want to run their own kitchen eventually, and we intend to help them get there.
Essential Job Functions
- Lead the line during service and expedite when the Executive Chef is off
- Hold every plate to spec on seasoning, temperature, portion, and presentation
- Manage daily prep, par levels, and production so the line opens ready
- Receive and inspect product, especially fish, and reject anything that is not right
- Train and coach line cooks in real time
- Maintain sanitation, labeling, rotation, and health code compliance throughout the kitchen
- Communicate clearly with front of house leadership on timing, eighty-sixes, and modifications
- Assist with ordering, inventory counts, and waste tracking
- Run opening and closing procedures and hold the kitchen to its standard at both ends of the day
Key Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Strong technical cooking skills with real depth in seafood and fresh pasta
- Ability to lead a station and a team at the same time without losing either
- Calm under pressure and steady when the kitchen is not
- Sharp attention to detail on consistency and plate standards
- Clear, respectful communication with both the kitchen and the floor
- Working knowledge of food cost, inventory, and ordering systems, including MarginEdge
- Solid understanding of allergen protocol and cross-contamination
Education and/or Experience
Required
- 4 years of professional kitchen experience
- 1 year in a Sous Chef, lead line, or supervisory kitchen role
- Food handler certification, with Certified Food Protection Manager certification preferred
Preferred
- Italian or Mediterranean restaurant experience
- Fine dining experience
- Fresh pasta and whole fish butchery experience
- New restaurant opening experience