Sous Chef — Job Description

Department: Dining Services
Reports To: Food Service Director
Classification: Full-Time
Location: The Greens at Cannondale

Position Summary
The Sous Chef is a hands-on kitchen leader responsible for supporting the Food Service Director in the daily operation of the kitchen and ensuring consistent, high-quality meals for residents. The Sous Chef provides leadership to kitchen staff, maintains food quality and presentation standards, supports efficient staffing and production, and ensures compliance with sanitation and food-safety requirements.

The Sous Chef is expected to lead by example and actively participate in food preparation and service while maintaining accountability throughout the kitchen.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Food Production & Quality

• Prepare and supervise the preparation of meals according to established menus, recipes, portions, and presentation standards.
• Ensure food is prepared correctly, served at the proper temperature, and ready according to established meal-service times.
• Monitor taste, quality, consistency, portion size, and presentation before food leaves the kitchen.
• Ensure resident dietary needs, allergies, texture modifications, and special diets are followed accurately.
• Minimize food waste through proper production planning, portion control, storage, and utilization of ingredients.

Kitchen Leadership

• Provide day-to-day direction and supervision to cooks, prep staff, utility staff, and other assigned dining employees.
• Assign responsibilities at the beginning of each shift and ensure all assigned duties are completed.
• Maintain an organized, productive kitchen environment.
• Coach employees regarding performance, sanitation, teamwork, attendance, and adherence to established procedures.
• Immediately communicate significant staffing or performance concerns to the Food Service Director.
• Assume kitchen leadership responsibilities in the Food Service Director's absence as assigned.

Inventory & Stock

• Assist with receiving and inspecting food and supply deliveries.
• Ensure deliveries are promptly and properly stored.
• Maintain organized walk-in refrigerators, freezers, dry storage, and kitchen storage areas.
• Ensure all products are properly labeled, dated, rotated, and stored using FIFO procedures.
• Monitor inventory levels and communicate ordering needs to the Food Service Director.
• Assist with controlling food costs, waste, overproduction, and unnecessary purchasing.

Sanitation & Food Safety

• Maintain kitchen operations in accordance with applicable health department requirements and community policies.
• Ensure proper food temperatures are maintained and documented.
• Ensure refrigerators, freezers, cooking equipment, work areas, and storage areas are clean and properly maintained.
• Ensure staff follow handwashing, glove use, cross-contamination prevention, and safe food-handling procedures.
• Immediately address unsafe conditions or sanitation concerns.

Service & Special Events

• Coordinate with front-of-house staff to ensure meals are ready and service runs efficiently.
• Prepare and fulfill catering requests, special events, resident functions, and community events as assigned.
• Ensure appropriate food and snacks are prepared for scheduled community programs, including daily Happy Hour as assigned.
• Respond professionally and promptly to resident requests and concerns.

Operational Expectations

• Maintain appropriate production levels based on census and anticipated meal counts.
• Support efficient scheduling and appropriate use of labor.
• Ensure opening, closing, cleaning, prep, and production responsibilities are completed each shift.
• Communicate equipment problems and maintenance needs promptly.
• Participate in department meetings, training, and quality-improvement initiatives.
• Work collaboratively with Dining Services and other departments to provide an excellent resident experience.
• Perform other duties reasonably assigned by the Food Service Director or Executive Director.

Qualifications

• Culinary training or equivalent professional kitchen experience preferred.
• Previous supervisory or lead kitchen experience strongly preferred.
• Experience in senior living, healthcare, hospita