Sous Chef (Catering) - Parsippany, NJ

Catering Sous Chef

The Catering Sous Chef plays a key role in overseeing daily food production and catering operations within a high-volume corporate dining environment. This position partners closely with the Executive Chef and fellow Sous Chef to execute exceptional catering services, maintain food quality and safety standards, and support a team of approximately 12 kitchen employees. The ideal candidate has experience in large-scale food production, catering logistics, menu execution, quality control, and client-focused service.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the planning, preparation, and execution of catering services serving approximately 4,000 to 6,000 meals per week.
• Collaborate with the Executive Chef to develop and execute monthly catering menus, including weekly and daily menu revisions based on client needs and operational requirements.
• Oversee day-to-day catering operations, including food production, vendor deliveries, event setup, transportation logistics, and service execution.
• Ensure all food is prepared according to standardized recipes, portion controls, and quality standards.
• Lead daily production planning by creating prep lists, assigning workload, and monitoring kitchen productivity.
• Manage food packing, transportation, and presentation for catered events within office environments.
• Execute 2-4 on-site corporate events per month, with event volume increasing during peak seasons.
• Monitor food quality throughout preparation, packing, and service to ensure consistency and client satisfaction.
• Accommodate dietary restrictions, allergens, and special client requests while maintaining food safety and quality standards.
• Maintain accurate production records, food logs, temperature logs, and shift reports.
• Ensure compliance with all food safety, sanitation, HACCP, and health department regulations.
• Drive food waste reduction initiatives and support inventory management and cost-control efforts.
• Supervise, train, and mentor kitchen staff while fostering a culture of accountability, teamwork, and excellence.
• Partner with culinary leadership to address real-time client adjustments and changing event requirements.

Qualifications:

• 2 years of experience in high-volume catering, commissary, hospitality, corporate dining, or food manufacturing environments.
• Proven experience producing and managing large-scale meal volumes.
• Strong knowledge of food safety, sanitation, quality control, and HACCP principles.
• Experience coordinating food transportation, event catering logistics, and production scheduling.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment while maintaining exceptional quality standards.
• Experience accommodating dietary restrictions and allergen protocols.
• Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with food production records, inventory controls, food logs, and reporting.
• Culinary degree preferred; equivalent professional experience considered.

Associates at Canteen are offered many fantastic benefits including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, retirement plan, paid time off, holiday time off, associate shopping program, health and wellness programs, discount marketplace, identity theft protection, pet insurance, commuter benefits, employee assistance program, flexible spending accounts, paid parental leave, personal leave.