Assistant Sous Chef

Assistant Sous Chef

This role is an academic year position. Shift: Sunday & Monday: 11:45 AM - 8:15 PM, Tuesday & Wednesday Off, Thursday - Saturday 11:45 AM - 8:15 PM Tufts Dining is a self-operated food service provider managing a comprehensive collegiate dining program on the Tufts University Medford/Somerville and SMFA/Fenway campus, delivering high quality, contemporary and innovative food and hospitality services to meet the various needs of students, staff, faculty, administrators and visitors in a fiscally responsible manner. Our team provides a progressive resident dining program as well as innovative retail services, and a distinctive university catering program serving a campus community comprised of 6500 undergraduates, 2200 graduate students, and 2300 staff, faculty and administrators.

Residential dining Centers and Catering are open 7 days a week. Working weekends & evenings will be expected.

What You'll Do

The Assistant Sous Chef is a culinary professional working under the unit Sous Chef and management in supporting the operation of complex, fast paced and high volume, well-equipped kitchens. They will demonstrate the ability to master cooking techniques including cook-chill technology, developing and testing recipes, authentically prepare a wide variety of international cuisines, and to work with an experienced culinary team serving Tufts Dining. The Assistant Sous Chef is responsible for preparation and presentation of a variety of hot and cold foods following standardized department recipes in quantities forecasted and planned in advance using a variety of preparation methods. Assists with evaluating the daily kitchen workload, suggesting daily job assignments and overseeing the work of cooks and other kitchen personnel in the absence of the unit Sous Chef and/or manager. Evaluates finished products to ensure quality and assists addressing sub-quality production and presentation analyzing problems and implementing solutions in collaboration with the culinary leadership team in the unit. Works in all areas as needed while focusing on production and presentation. Assists researching, developing, testing and adjusting recipes for all production areas. Executes overall kitchen sanitation and food safety practices; and assists keeping kitchen staff on task and assigning side work and equipment maintenance duties to kitchen personnel as needed. Assists, coordinates, and expedites food preparation from the kitchen and action stations ensuring safe food handling and on time production according to established department procedures. Assists in planning and executing production and presentation for assigned meals including designing and executing buffet presentation. Collaborates with Sous Chef and management to fulfill the culinary goals of the unit by facilitating the implementation of management initiatives in the kitchen and exceeding customer expectations. Prepares specialty meals as needed in a timely manner, meeting the deadlines for that particular meal. Performs line checks, and fill out all standard forms, service records, and check lists properly. Must demonstrate ability to work under periods of fast pace and high pressure. All employees are responsible for punching in and out in accordance with department policy and standards. They must be given permission from a manager to punch in early or stay past their schedule "out time." All employees will adhere to posted schedule and all requests for time off will be granted based on business needs. In accordance with the CBA, schedules will be posted 14 days (excludes catering) in advance. Time off requests must follow proper procedure and will be approved/denied in accordance with department needs. No requests will be honored for Senior Week, Holidays, Alumni Weekend, Commencement, Orientation, Matriculation, or Special Events during the Academic Year.

• Food Production: Will cook and prepare a variety of hot and cold menu items following established department recipes in quantities forecast and planned in advance using a variety of cooking methods. Will assist to develop, test and produce new recipes to support Dining Operations. Will assist planning and execute production and presentation, and exhibition and display cooking as needed. Will work all stations as assigned or required. Will do prep work and cook as needed. Will execute line checks, fill out all standard forms, service records and checklist properly. Demonstrates ability to successfully meet all production proficiency standards, including timelines, accuracy and quality as determined by management. Executes opening and closing responsibilities as assigned.
• Leadership: Supervises and manages shifts as assigned ensuring the highest quality food and service is delivered at all times and that dining policies and procedures are followed. Handles emergencies and menu changes in a professional manner. Assists to conduct performance review process and to create and communicate work schedules for culinary employees and others as assigned. Will assign and oversee work of an assigned culinary team and ensure work is completed to established quality and quantity standards with minimal waste and meeting service deadlines on an event-by-event basis. Will evaluate finished products to ensure products meet management quality standards, will address sub-quality production and presentation by analyzing problems and recommending solutions to sous chef and/or management. Ensures recipes are accurate and followed by staff. Assists to train and coach culinary staff to develop skills. Assists to plan and execute culinary training as needed. Works closely with Sous Chef and management to facilitate the attainment of unit goals and financial targets including menu and recipe creation and use. Will ensure proper portion control, garnish and food presentation. Will ensure appropriate food quantities and minimal waste. Communicates regularly with Sous Chef and management to receive feedback on menu, recipes and products. Coordinates with Sous Chef and Chef Manager to delegate and oversee assigned culinary team to ensure work is completed to established quality and quantity standards, meeting all time service, and event deadlines.
• Food Safety and Handling: Will ensure kitchen, production stations and food storage areas are clean, sanitary and well organized. Ensures all food products are prepared, handled and stored according to food safety guidelines, monitors equipment operation and reports on equipment performance and needs.
• Kitchen Administration: Demonstrates ability to properly use the FoodPro system to order food and supplies as assigned, use recipe functions, and prepare transfers. Will assist with weekly physical inventory. Will engage in coaching, mentoring and on-the-job training as needed. Will coordinate with Sous Chef and management to plan menus and write recipes as needed. May assist with ongoing skill evaluation to contribute to employee performance reviews.
• Execution of all other related duties as assigned including a variety of food service-related tasks in support of unit and department operations based on daily and seasonal business demands.

What We're Looking For

Knowledge and experience typically acquired by:

• 5-7 years Experience planning and preparing hot and cold foods for service and coordinating the work of a culinary crew in a restaurant, hotel or institutional operation
• Expertise or high level of interest in various cuisines and cooking methods, quantity food preparation and batch cookery, and general culinary techniques and skills. Demonstrated mastery of all cooking methods
• Practical experience leading a kitchen crew in a logical, efficient and fair manner, coaching and training culinary skills and techniques, designing plate and buffet presentations and assisting developing recipes and menus
• Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of kitchen sanitation and food safety practices and ability to enforce safe food handling guidelines
• A team player who is willing to be held accountable for the quality of products produced by others, for meeting tight deadlines, and for contributing to the success of all kitchen and action station production
• Must read, speak and understand English and have a working knowledge of basic food service math. Tufts Dining is a hospitality-oriented service provider, all employees are expected to be customer service sensitive
• ServSafe Certification

• Associate's Degree Culinary Arts
• Experience cooking and leading in a university or institutional setting in a top tier program
• Experience utilizing computers for work and the capability and willingness to learn the FoodPro software system
• Experience supervising the culinary work of others.

The pay rate for this position is $29.46 / hour.