Sous Chef , Los Angeles, CA

Sous Chef Position

The Sous Chef provides restaurant guests excellent food quality, consistency, reasonable prices, in an attractive environment, and with professional service. Responsibilities include managing the culinary functions to meet the food quality goals, meeting the company's financial goals, facilities maintenance, and personnel development objectives.

Requirements: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Excellent critical thinking and decision-making skills

Must be able to maintain tact and cool under pressure

Able to work flexible hours necessary including off hours, weekends and holidays

Ability to have a highly motivated and energetic personality

Ability to take initiative and exhibit flexibility

Excellent guest service skills

Have interpersonal skills to deal effectively with all business contacts

Professional appearance and demeanor

Able to effectively communicate in English, in both written and oral forms

Responsibilities include the following (other duties may be assigned):

Food Quality: The Chef will provide "excellent quality" and "presentation" of all food to the guests. The demonstration, preparation and execution of each menu item and the item specifications and presentation will be agreed upon. In maintaining the standard of "excellent quality", the Chef is responsible for ongoing training and communicating these standards to the staff.

Service: Proper guest service requires that the food is produced on a timely basis and that the servers are well educated regarding the menu. It is the Chef's responsibility to participate in service education through: Daily line-ups; Quarterly menu meetings; and New server training programs. It is also the Chef's responsibility to train the kitchen staff to produce meals promptly. The goal is to execute all tickets in twenty minutes or less.

Financial Objectives: It is the Chef's responsibility to meet the financial targets while achieving the food quality and service objectives. If there are structural reasons that the financial goals cannot be met without sacrificing food quality of service, it is the Chef's responsibility to identify the problems and bring them promptly to the attention of the General Manager.

Facility Maintenance: Maintain a high level of cleanliness in the kitchen facilities. It is the Chef's responsibilities to supervise the daily cleaning of the pantry, cooking line, prep kitchen, dish area, stairs, walk-in and downstairs prep area. The Chef should make the appropriate assignments within his staff.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Assists the General Manager in supervising all kitchen employees. Is responsible for the overall direction, coordination, and evaluation of this unit. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Work Conditions: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually loud. The employee frequently is required to stand; bend; walk; use hands or finger, handle or feel; talk; hear; see; and reach with hands and arms and requires the ability to occasionally lift office products and supplies up to 50 pounds.

Qualifications and Competencies: Degree in Culinary Arts Food Safety/Manager Certification Customer/Client Focus Expertise in food product, presentation, quality and preparation along with menu concept and design. Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports, purchase orders, menus and correspondence. Ability to communicate to groups of customers or employees of the organization. Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent. Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.