Executive Sous Chef | Student Dining

Job Description

Job Description

Company Description

The University of Notre Dame is more than a workplace; it is a vibrant, mission-driven community where every employee is valued and supported. Rooted in a tradition of excellence and inspired by our Catholic character, Notre Dame is committed to fostering an environment of care that nurtures the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. Here, you will find a deep sense of belonging, a culture that prioritizes well-being, and the opportunity to grow your career while being a force for good in the world. Whether contributing to world-class research, shaping the student experience, or supporting the University’s mission in other ways, you will be part of a dedicated team working to make a meaningful impact on campus and beyond. At Notre Dame, your work matters, and so do you!

Job Description

The Executive Sous Chef serves as a senior culinary leader within Notre Dame Dining, responsible for translating strategic culinary vision into daily operational excellence across high-volume residential dining environments. This role partners closely with the Executive Chef to elevate the student dining experience through disciplined execution, culinary innovation, and strong back-of-house leadership.

With a focus on consistency, quality, and team development, the Executive Sous Chef leads kitchen operations, ensures adherence to culinary standards, and supports the delivery of a best-in-class residential dining program that reflects the mission and community of Our Lady’s University.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities Culinary Leadership and Daily Execution – 30%

• Execute the culinary vision established by the Executive Chef across all stations, meal periods, and service platforms within Notre Dame Dining.
• Ensure consistent delivery of high-quality food in a high-volume residential dining environment, with attention to flavor, freshness, presentation, portioning, and overall student experience.
• Maintain a strong leadership presence during peak service periods to monitor execution, food quality, station readiness, product levels, service flow, and team performance.
• Support menu implementation, standardized recipe adherence, production timelines, and continuous refinement of culinary offerings.
• Uphold Notre Dame Dining standards for presentation, taste, temperature, freshness, and consistency across all food production areas.
• Work directly with culinary staff to correct execution issues in real time and reinforce expectations for quality, professionalism, and operational discipline.

Back-of-House Operations and Production Management – 30%

• Oversee daily kitchen operations, including hot food production, pantry production, batch cooking, replenishment, service readiness, and closing standards.
• Direct production planning to ensure proper quantities are prepared based on meal period demand, service patterns, menu complexity, and operational needs.
• Ensure effective inventory management, ordering, receiving, storage, product rotation, and product utilization.
• Support food cost control through disciplined portioning, waste reduction, proper forecasting, cross-utilization of ingredients, and responsible production practices.
• Maintain strong organization, cleanliness, and accountability across all back-of-house areas, including prep kitchens, production areas, storage areas, coolers, freezers, and pot washing operations.
• Enforce all food safety, sanitation, HACCP, allergen awareness, labeling, and health regulation requirements.
• Identify operational issues, equipment concerns, workflow challenges, and production gaps, and communicate solutions to the Executive Chef.

Team Leadership, Training, and Development – 25%

• Lead, coach, train, and develop culinary team members, including cooks, kitchen managers, and other assigned back-of-house staff.
• Provide hands-on instruction in culinary techniques, recipe execution, station organization, food handling, knife skills, batch production, plating, and service standards.
• Support the Executive Chef in building a culture of accountability, professionalism, respect, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Assist with performance management by providing regular feedback, identifying training needs, supporting corrective action when appropriate, and recognizing strong performance.
• Support scheduling alignment, labor deployment, and staffing models that meet service needs while promoting efficient use of labor.
• Serve as a visible and engaged leader in the kitchen, modeling Notre Dame Dining expectations for work ethic, communication, safety, cleanliness, and student-centered service.
• Help develop culinary talent and support progression pathways for team members seeking advancement within Notre Dame Dining.

Operational Excellence, Collaboration, and Innovation – 15%

• Drive efficiency in kitchen workflows, production systems, service execution, communication routines, and operational handoffs.
• Collaborate with front-of-house leadership to ensure seamless service delivery, timely replenishment, strong station appearance, and a positive dining experience.
• Partner with the Executive Chef and culinary leadership team to test, train, and roll out new menu items, stations, service models, and culinary enhancements.
• Contribute ideas and operational feedback to support menu development, student satisfaction, residential dining innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Engage in cross-functional collaboration with campus partners as needed to support special meals, events, operational initiatives, and broader Notre Dame Dining priorities.
• Support the continued elevation of the residential dining brand through disciplined execution, thoughtful innovation, and a commitment to hospitality.

Work Environment

• High-volume, fast-paced kitchen environment within a residential dining setting.
• Requires standing for extended periods and the ability to lift, move, and handle kitchen equipment, food products, and supplies.
• Requires regular presence during peak meal periods, including mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and special events based on operational needs.
• Must be able to work in hot, cold, wet, and physically demanding kitchen environments.

Why Notre Dame Dining

Notre Dame Dining is committed to delivering a residential dining program rooted in community, quality, hospitality, and care. The Executive Sous Chef plays a critical role in shaping daily experiences for thousands of students by supporting culinary excellence, operational discipline, and team development.

Through strong leadership and consistent execution, this position contributes to a dining program that is both operationally excellent and deeply aligned with the values of the University.

Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, Food Service Management, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of 5–7 years of progressive culinary experience, including leadership experience in high-volume food service operations.
• Experience in residential dining, higher education, healthcare, hospitality, hotel, resort, or other large-scale food service environments preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading culinary teams, managing production systems, supporting menu execution, and maintaining quality standards at scale.

Certifications

• American Culinary Federation Certified Sous Chef, Certified Executive Chef, or higher-level culinary certification preferred.
• ServSafe Manager Certification required.
• Additional food safety, allergen, sanitation, or culinary leadership certifications preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong culinary fundamentals with the ability to execute high-quality food at scale without compromising consistency, presentation, or flavor.
• Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop culinary teams in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
• Deep understanding of food safety, sanitation, HACCP, allergen awareness, kitchen operations, inventory management, and production planning.
• Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining attention to detail and service standards.
• Ability to work collaboratively with culinary leadership, front-of-house leadership, campus partners, and hourly team members.
• Demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement, culinary excellence, student satisfaction, and the mission of Notre Dame Dining.

Additional Information

Salary: Starting at $70,000/Annually

Application Deadline: November 20, 2026

The University of Notre Dame seeks to attract, develop, and retain the highest quality faculty, staff and administration. The University is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or age in employment. Moreover, Notre Dame prohibits discrimination against veterans or disabled qualified individuals, and complies with 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-300.5(a). We strongly encourage applications from candidates attracted to a university with a Catholic identity.