Executive 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 guest 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, room service, restaurants, bar/lounge and employee cafeteria) and all support areas (e.g., dish room and purchasing) as applicable.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Education and Experience

• High school diploma or GED; 6 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.

CORE WORK ACTIVITIES

Assisting in Leading Kitchen Operations for Property

• 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.

Setting and Maintaining Goals for Culinary Function and Activities

• 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.

Ensuring Culinary Standards and Responsibilities are Met

• 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 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.

Managing and Conducting Human Resource Activities

• Identifies the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• Ensures employees are treated fairly and equitably.
• Trains kitchen associates on the fundamentals of good cooking and excellent plate presentations.
• Administers the performance appraisal process for direct report managers.
• Interacts with the Banquet Chef and Catering department on training regarding food knowledge and menu composition.
• Observes service behaviors of employees and provides feedback to individuals and or managers.
• Manages employee progressive discipline procedures for areas of responsibility.
• Ensures disciplinary procedures and documentation are completed according to Standard and Local Operating Procedures (SOPs and LSOPs) and supports the Peer Review Process.

Additional Responsibilities

• Provides information to executive teams, managers and supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Analyzes information and eva