Sous Chef

JOB SUMMARY

Exhibits culinary talents by personally performing tasks while assisting in leading the staff and managing all food related functions. Works to continually improve members and employee satisfaction while maximizing the financial performance in all areas of responsibility. Assists in supervising all kitchen areas to ensure a consistent, high quality product is produced. Responsible for guiding and developing staff including direct reports. Must ensure sanitation and food standards are achieved. Areas of responsibility comprise overseeing all food preparation areas (e.g., banquets, restaurants, and employee cafeteria) and all support areas (e.g., dish room and purchasing) as applicable.

Job Functions

• Provides direction for all day-to-day operations.

• Understands employee positions well enough to perform duties in employees' absence or determine appropriate replacement to fill gaps.

• Provides guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.

• Utilizes interpersonal and communication skills to lead, influence, and encourage others; advocates sound financial/business decision    making; demonstrates honesty/integrity; leads by example.

• Encourages and builds mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

• Serving as a role model to demonstrate appropriate behaviors.

• Ensures property policies are administered fairly and consistently.

• Reviews staffing levels to ensure that guest service, operational needs and financial objectives are met.

• Establishes and maintains open, collaborative relationships with employees and ensures employees do the same within the team.

• Solicits employee feedback, utilizes an "open door" policy and reviews employee satisfaction results to identify and address employee problems or concerns.

• Supervises and coordinates activities of cooks and workers engaged in food preparation.

• Demonstrate new cooking techniques and equipment to staff.

• Develops and implements guidelines and control procedures for purchasing and receiving areas.

• Establishes goals including performance goals, budget goals, team goals, etc.

• Communicates the importance of safety procedures, detailing procedure codes, ensuring employee understanding of safety codes, monitoring processes and procedures related to safety.

• Manages department controllable expenses including food cost, supplies, uniforms and equipment.

• Participates in the budgeting process for areas of responsibility.

• Knows and implements the brand's safety standards.

• Provides direction for menu development.

• Monitors the quality of raw and cooked food products to ensure that standards are met.

• Determines how food should be presented, and create decorative food displays.

• Recognizes superior quality products, presentations and flavor.

• Ensures compliance with food handling and sanitation standards.

• Follows proper handling and right temperature of all food products.

• Ensures employees maintain required food handling and sanitation certifications.

• Maintains purchasing, receiving and food storage standards.

• Prepares and cooks foods of all types, either on a regular basis or for special guests or functions.

Ensuring Exceptional Customer Service

• Provides and supports service behaviors that are above and beyond for customer satisfaction and retention.

• Improves service by communicating and assisting individuals to understand guest needs, providing guidance, feedback, and individual coaching when needed.

• Manages day-to-day operations, ensuring the quality, standards and meeting the expectations of the customers on a daily basis.

• Displays leadership in guest hospitality, exemplifies excellent customer service and creates a positive atmosphere for member/guest relations.

• Interacts with guests to obtain feedback on product quality and service levels.

• Responds to and handles guest problems and complaints.

• Empowers employees to provide excellent customer service. Establishes guidelines so employees understand expectations and parameters. Ensures employees receive on-going training to understand guest expectations.

• Reviews comment cards, guest satisfaction results and other data to identify areas of improvement.

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Ability to lift 40 lbs.
• Ability to work long hours, evenings, holidays, and weekends.
• Ability to remain on feet the majority of the workday.
• Ability to operate all kitchen equipment.
• Ability to communicate effectively in a collaborative work environment utilizing various technologies such as: telephone, computer, web, voice, teleconferencing, e-mail, etc.

Education and Experience

• High school diploma or GED; 4 years experience in the culinary, food and beverage, or related professional area.

OR

• 2-year degree from an accredited university in Culinary Arts, Hotel and Restaurant Management, or related major; 4 years     experience in the culinary, food and beverage, or related professional area preferred.

This job description is not an exclusive or exhaustive list of all job functions that an employee in this position may be asked to perform from time to time. All requirements are subject to possible modifications to reasonably accommodate individuals with a disability.