Executive Sous Chef

The Executive Sous Chef serves as a key culinary leader within a high-volume, fast-paced, multi-kitchen corporate dining operation, partnering closely with the Executive Chef and Culinary Director to deliver exceptional food quality, hospitality, and operational excellence. This hands-on leadership role is responsible for overseeing daily kitchen operations, driving culinary consistency, developing culinary talent, executing innovative menus, and maintaining the highest standards of food safety, financial stewardship, and guest satisfaction.

The Executive Sous Chef plays a critical role in ensuring seamless execution across multiple culinary programs while fostering a culture of accountability, teamwork, creativity, and continuous improvement. Success in this role requires strong operational discipline, exceptional leadership skills, a passion for hospitality, and the ability to thrive in a dynamic corporate dining environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee daily back-of-house operations, ensuring excellence in food quality, presentation, flavor, consistency, and execution across all service periods.
• Act as the operational leader in the absence of the Executive Chef, ensuring smooth kitchen performance and timely resolution of service, production, staffing, and operational challenges.
• Supervise, coach, and develop Sous Chefs, cooks, and culinary team members through training, mentoring, performance management, and career development initiatives.
• Partner with the Executive Chef and Culinary Director to support menu development, recipe implementation, seasonal programming, and culinary innovation while maintaining operational feasibility and cost controls.
• Drive execution of production plans and ensure appropriate staffing, preparation, and resource allocation to meet daily business demands and special events.
• Monitor food quality standards through active tasting, recipe adherence, production oversight, and presentation audits.
• Support purchasing, receiving, inventory management, and product utilization efforts while maintaining approved sourcing standards and minimizing waste.
• Assist in managing food costs, labor efficiency, inventory controls, and overall culinary expenditures to support financial performance goals.
• Ensure strict compliance with food safety, sanitation, allergen management, workplace safety, and regulatory requirements at all times.
• Maintain audit readiness and reinforce operational standards through ongoing inspections, training, and accountability.
• Partner effectively with catering, pantry, front-of-house, executive dining, and campus leadership teams to deliver a seamless dining experience.
• Support execution of high-profile meetings, executive events, special functions, and catering programs with an elevated level of hospitality and professionalism.
• Foster a positive, inclusive, and high-performing kitchen culture that emphasizes teamwork, ownership, communication, and service excellence.
• Lead by example through a visible, hands-on management style and willingness to work alongside the culinary team during peak service periods.