Sous Chef

Summary

We are currently looking for a Sous Chef to join our flight kitchen operations team. Reporting to the Executive Chef, the Sous Chef assists the Executive Chef in designing and preparing meals for airline customers. The Sous Chef also provides culinary expertise and leadership; promotes quality food services and ensures food safety and sanitation requirements are followed. The Sous Chef drives the food production effort with the assistance of Food Supervisors.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for ensuring food specifications and labor objectives meet all Company and customer requirements.
• Supervises department for quality and quantity; ensures items are produced and dated according to specification, and coding system is adhered to correctly.
• Keeps account of attendance, sets up paperwork, sets up each shift, and assigns employees to specified sections (schedule optimization).
• Orders raw materials from the storeroom and produces extra meals at the last minute as needed.
• Prepares daily production sheet and assigns tasks to employees; works with and directs employees through the use of the production sheet and passenger counts.
• Responsible for all food items after requisitioning them from the storeroom; training and recurrent training of all employees on proper procedures of preparation.
• Ensures safety procedures are adhered to; maintain cleanliness through shift to ensure quality product.
• Manages daily production of hot and/or cold kitchens for quality and consistency.
• Trains and monitors employees on proper work procedures to ensure maximum productivity with minimum labor and food expenses.
• Monitors daily manpower planning and schedules employees.
• Responsible for employee retention and reducing employee turnover.
• Responsible for coaching, counseling, and preparing corrective actions for employees in compliance with the applicable union/collective bargaining agreement(s).
• Reviews and ensures employees in the chain of command are incorrect cost centers and correct job titles.
• Reviews and ensures union-represented employees' pay rates are correct based on wage scales and seniority.
• Compliance with all company-required policies, procedures, and processes including but not limited to the required training.
• Performs other related duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Requirements

• Prefer someone with an Associate's degree in the Culinary Arts or a Culinary Arts certification. Must have a minimum of one to three years of experience as a Chef and/or Sous Chef.
• Must have a minimum of seven years of experience as a cook.
• Highly prefer someone with previous supervisory experience working in a high volume, manufacturing, food production, and restaurant or catering environment.
• Prefer someone with in-flight catering experience or experience in a high volume, food service environment.
• Current or previous labor relations experience is a plus. Must have the ability to cook meals according to detailed specifications.
• Must have the ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Must have strong and effective leadership skills, and the ability to successfully manage a team of cooks.
• Candidate must be comfortable with all levels of employees and can drive positive program change.
• Must have the ability to train others.
• Must have the ability to give negative and positive feedback to employees daily.
• Must have excellent time management skills. Must have the ability to handle multiple tasks without losing focus on priorities.
• Must have strong organizational and analytical skills.
• Must be innovative and have the ability to make changes to the operation as needed to further improve the work environment and unit performance.
• Experience with menu design, a plus.
• Must have basic computer skills. Prefer someone with working knowledge of Microsoft Office products.