Sous Chef

At Santa Cruz Co. we are focused on the design, development, and operation of hospitality brands that, at their core, are about bringing people together. For us, great hospitality is about quality, elegance, style, and fun. We exude a sense of joy in hosting, setting the stage for our guests to have exceptional experiences.  

The Sous Chef assists the Head Chef in the daily activities of the kitchen, including menu development, inventory, purchasing of supplies and cost control.  

Duties/Responsibilities:  

Finance & Purchasing   

• Follow company procedures to ensure proper and accurate food ordering  

• Maintain proper inventory of food items – make sure we don’t run out, make sure food produce is always fresh, etc.  

• Assist chef in keeping the food cost and labor cost aligned to given goals  

• Maintain strong communication with front of the house management at all times  

Operations:  

• Responsible for kitchen logistics when the Head Chef is absent or assisting the Head C hef when he is present (specific examples: scheduling, payroll, menu descriptions) 

• Assist with staff food training and the generation of the necessary training materials (creating recipes other can follow, scheduling tastings to keep the quality of product consistent, teaching about ingredients and their origin, etc.) 

• Oversee the preparation of mise en place to ensure smooth and efficient service  

• Maintain the quality and the presentation of food to achieve favorable guest feedback and reviews on all sites including social media, etc.  

• Assist in and do preparation of the dishes while training others to achieve consistency  

• Follow each dish presentation as set up by the Head C hef and achieve 100% consistency during service  

• Continually assist in creating of new offerings (specials and seasonal menu changes) 

• Assist the Head C hef with proposals of the menu changes hand in hand with costing, ingredient search and tasting preparations  

• Assist the Head C hef in following procedures when it comes to menu changes (introducing the dishes, creating menu descriptions, organizing tasting for service staff in timely manner, etc.) 

• Keep all culinary and back of the house documentation up to date including, but not limited to:  

• Job Duties and O p e ni n g / C l os i n g Checklists  

• Food Operations M a n u a l / Recipe Book  

• Personnel Forms – such as new hire paperwork, termination form, etc. (please ask office for instructions if needed) 

• Attend all meetings   

• Check company email for incoming email communication  

• Participate in reporting / Remain up to date with daily reports  

• Ensure compliance with all health department rules and regulations to pass the inspections  

• Be present in the kitchen during the service of all meal periods you are scheduled for  

• Prepare and cook dishes according to the recipes while following the pace of orders  

• Communicate last minute menu changes, 86 items efficiently to front of the house team (in the absence of the Head C hef ) 

• Communicate all food-related issues to the appropriate to front of the house team (in the absence of the Head C hef ) 

• Introduce and organize tasting of all menu changes and daily specials for service staff (to be coordinated with front of the house management team in the absence of the Head C hef ) 

Staff Management:  

• Continually review and manage performance of all culinary staff and share feedback with the Head C hef ( monitor all cooks and their work, coach when improvements are needed, alert upper management if there are problems, etc.) 

• Understand, follow and direct others in current safety procedures  

Required Skills/Abilities:  

• At least 3 years of Sous Chef experience required , in a similar caliber concept.  

• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.  

• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.  

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.  

• Time management and organizational skills.  

• Excellent leadership, training, and developmental skills.  

• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software.  

• Bilingual is a plus.  

Key Competencies:  

• Decision-making, judgment, problem analysis and problem-solving, planning and organizing, resource management, communication, guest service focus, quality orientation, teamwork, coaching and mentoring  

• Experience with directly supervising and leading a large team  

• Excellent facilities and kitchen operation knowledge  

• Ability to demonstrate leadership skills; inspire and motivate others to perform well  

• Clear, strong, verbal and written communication skills and organizational skills  

• Understand local health and safety requirements; ability to ensure that Department of Health standards are upheld  

• Ability to read, analyze and interpret general business documents, safety rules, technical, and governmental regulations  

• Ability to compose reports, business correspondence, task lists and procedure manuals  

• Capability to effectively present information and respond to questions from managers, team members and guest in a professional manner  

• Ability to effectively deal with internal and external customers, some of whom will require high levels of patience, tact and diplomacy to diffuse challenging situations and resolve conflicts  

• Aptitude to apply creative solutions to practical problems and situations where limited standardization exists  

• Capable of working independently and in a team environment; balances team and individual responsibilities  

• The ability to carry out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with company philosophy, policies, and applicable laws  

• Thorough knowledge of federal, state and local laws governing equal employment opportunity and civil rights, occupational safety and health, wage and hour, and labor relations  

Physical Demands:  

• Involves standing most of the time, as well as climbing stairs repeatedly.  

• Involves repeated reaching with arms and hands, carrying objects less than 20 lbs. and bending and stooping.  

• May include possible lifting and moving objects of 40lbs or more .