Sous Chef

About the Role

The Sous Chef is responsible for the successful achievement of operational, financial, and quality goals for Williamsburg Lodge Culinary. This position trains, supervises, counsels, and motivates the kitchen teams while controlling production, quality, and food costs. The Sous Chef is responsible for the development and implementation of menus, the consistent preparation of innovative and creative cuisine of the highest quality, presentation, and flavors for the dining room, resulting in outstanding guest satisfaction, improved market share, increased covers, and revenues. The Sous Chef must work in conjunction with the Guest Service managers and supervisors to ensure adherence to the policies, procedures, and standards of conduct established by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, and interacts on a daily basis with contemporaries in Chef positions across the Hospitality Group.

Responsibilities

• Ensure that the culinary and utility staffs are performing to established standards.
• Prepare foods correctly for service according to the standards of the specific dish and the various meal periods; accurately develop the proper quantities of product through use of station checklists and forecasting.
• Prepare all foods according to the POS system print out, while producing and executing special request items to meet guest expectations; maintain the established pace of service to sustain a steady flow of service.
• Create and cost breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus in accordance with the branding of the specific food outlets policies and procedures.
• Set the example, create, and ensure kitchen standards are followed in a positive and professional manner.
• Ensure that the Chef de Partie and culinary staff are following through with noted daily tasks by following checklists and demonstrations of proper technique and guidance.
• Effectively oversee that the expediting of breakfast, lunch, brunch, and dinner shifts are being followed to standard.
• Demonstrate a proactive approach to managing large parties in the Dining room, in cooperation with the Guest Service Managers.
• Oversee production of all prep items ensuring recipe adherence, ticket times, and food production meet or exceed standards as established by yourself and the Guest Service Manager.
• Ensure adherence to the recipe cards and plate presentation.
• Work in cooperation with purchasing agent to ensure the freshest and cost effective ingredients are present in the Restaurants.
• Pull, print, read, and post BEO's from visual 1 for the Woodlands and the Lodge daily to have the most up to date information for all functions.
• Pull change log Monday through Saturday and update all production sheets and BEO book with the updated information.
• Assist in supervising utility and receiving staff for cleanliness of storage and kitchen areas.
• Assist in making sure staff is scheduled appropriately.
• Ensure that food is properly ordered for the area of operations you are managing.
• Thoroughly understand and adhere to the Food Order Guides system of ordering food in the kitchen; order according to established pars and forecasting.
• Properly rotate all food in storage utilizing the F.I.F.O. system.
• Accurately conduct monthly inventory.
• Accurately place orders for pastry and baked goods with the use of the ordering checklists.
• Communicate product levels to storeroom manager when subpar.
• Complete weekly spot inventories on high dollar items and communicate those findings to the Storeroom Supervisor to reconcile with perpetual inventories.
• Follow food safety and sanitation guidelines and ensure that staff understands and practices the same, including but not limited to: maintaining a working knowledge of the Temperature Danger Zone (41˚-135˚F); thoroughly sanitizing station, equipment, and hands after handling potentially hazardous foods; preventing potential cross-contamination through hand washing and awareness of surroundings; reading and following the standards of the Appearance Policy; cleaning as you go and maintaining a clean and orderly work station at all times; keeping jackets, pants, aprons, shoes, and hats as clean as possible; wearing protective gloves when handling ready to eat foods.
• Obtain and maintain a valid ServSafe® certification and manage to the standards of the ServSafe® criteria.
• Ensure all employees obtain and maintain food handler's certification from the Health Department.
• Create and nourish a positive working relationship with the local Health Department; work through any Health Department issues, correcting immediately when possible, and do not allow any repeats on critical violations.
• Supervise daily detailed cleaning of the kitchens; ensure sanitation throughout property.

Required Qualifications

• Culinary Degree and 5 years' experience accompanying professional managerial experience with the hotel and restaurant industries.
• Must possess a valid Commonwealth of Virginia driver's license and have an acceptable driving record based on The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation's criteria.
• Must be able to provide a 5-year Motor Vehicle Record prior to employment.
• Must be at least 21 years of age.
• May not have more than 1 moving violation or at fault accident within 12 months.
• May not have more than 2 moving violations or at fault accidents within 36 months.
• May not have any serious motor vehicle violations including but not limited to excessive speeding, reckless driving, DUI/DWI, suspended or revoked license, etc.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience in presenting training and development programs as well as administration of a union contract preferred.
• Must be willing to make a long-term commitment to the Resort, the management, and the culinary and Food and Beverage teams to establish and maintain a reputation for excellence in cuisines locally, regionally, and nationally.

Physical and Environmental Demands

• Stand: Constantly
• Walk: Constantly
• Sit: Occasionally
• Use hands/fingers: Constantly
• Climb or balance: Rarely
• Stoop/kneel/crouch/crawl: Rarely
• Reach with hands/arms: Occasionally
• Talk or hear: Frequently
• Lifting up to 10 lbs: Frequently
• Lifting up to 25 lbs: Occasionally
• Lifting up to 50 lbs (with assistance): Occasionally
• Lifting up to 100 lbs (with assistance): Rarely
• More than 100 lbs (with assistance): Rarely
• Wet/humid conditions: Occasionally
• Work near moving mechanical parts: Occasionally
• Fumes/airborne particles: Rarely
• Extreme cold: Occasionally
• Extreme heat: Occasionally

Schedule

Full time, Weekends, and Holidays

Pay

$45,000 to $65,000/year