Sous Chef - Banquets

About the Resort

Pier Sixty-Six Resort is South Florida’s beacon of hospitality, offering a lush 32-acre waterfront enclave in Fort Lauderdale. The luxury resort features 325 guest rooms, suites, and villas, plus 91 Private Resort Residences, 12 restaurants and lounges, a luxurious spa, curated pool options, and a waterfront promenade with retail and dining. Every space is designed to inspire and relax, delivering exceptional service and refined touches for extraordinary guest experiences. With over 600 diverse team members, Pier Sixty-Six fosters a caring culture with state-of-the-art facilities, a first-class employee dining room, and a focus on individual welfare and well-being.

About the Role

The Sous Chef Banquets works across disciplines to deliver an exceptional dining experience and is accountable for the overall success of daily kitchen operations. This role exhibits culinary talents while leading staff and managing all food-related functions, with a focus on the guest dining experience. Reporting to the Executive Banquet Chef, you will provide leadership for the Culinary Division, establishing plans of character, integrity, and quality to drive long-range growth and profitability. Responsibilities include recruiting, menu creation, training, and process implementation for a successful opening, with occasional support for other F&B outlets.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate the selection, training, development, and evaluation of employees and managers in banquet events to meet cultural and core standards, and engage in long-range strategic planning for banquets/catering operations.
• Control labor and operating expenses through effective planning, budgeting, purchasing decisions, and inventory control, focusing on creative cost control and revenue generation.
• Maintain visibility in operations, build relationships with regular and new guests, and collaborate with the food and beverage leadership team to design creative banquet menus and amenity options.
• Lead kitchen operations by providing direction for day-to-day commissary kitchen and banquet events, setting performance standards, and monitoring preparation and firing times.
• Utilize interpersonal and communication skills to lead, influence, and encourage others, advocating sound financial/business decision-making and demonstrating honesty and integrity.
• Encourage teamwork, mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members, serving as a role model for professional behaviors.
• Ensure property policies are administered fairly and consistently, review staffing levels to meet guest service and operational needs, and maintain an open, collaborative relationship with employees.
• Solicit employee feedback, address concerns, and promote an atmosphere of continual innovation and improvement.
• Supervise and coordinate activities of cooks and workers engaged in food preparation, and effectively plan and execute culinary activations and events.
• Establish and communicate performance, budget, and team goals, emphasizing safety procedures and ensuring employee understanding of safety codes.
• Manage department controllable expenses, including food cost, supplies, uniforms, and equipment, minimizing waste through effective portion control and ingredient use.
• Monitor the quality of raw and cooked food products, determine food presentation, and create decorative displays, ensuring compliance with food handling and sanitation standards.
• Train kitchen team members on cooking fundamentals and excellent plate presentations, and ensure proper handling and temperature control of all food products.
• Maintain purchasing, receiving, and food storage standards, and ensure employees hold required food handling and sanitation certifications.
• Participate in menu tastings and special event planning, providing input on culinary options and presentation styles.
• Provide exceptional customer service by understanding guest needs, offering guidance and feedback, and managing day-to-day operations to meet quality and guest expectations.
• Display leadership in guest hospitality, interact with guests to obtain feedback, and respond to and resolve guest or event planner complaints.
• Empower employees to provide excellent customer service, establish clear expectations, and ensure ongoing training to meet guest expectations.
• Review comment cards, guest satisfaction results, and other data to identify areas for improvement.
• Adapt menus and dishes based on dietary restrictions or client preferences.
• Identify developmental needs of team members, provide coaching and mentoring, and ensure fair and equitable treatment of employees.
• Administer performance appraisals for direct report managers, observe service behaviors, and provide feedback to individuals or managers.
• Manage employee progressive discipline procedures and analyze information to solve problems in collaboration with the Executive Banquet Chef.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED; 4 years of experience in culinary, food and beverage, or related professional area, preferably in a banquet or catering environment.
• 2-year degree from an accredited university in Culinary Arts, Hotel and Restaurant Management, or related major (preferred).

Benefits

• Group medical, dental, vision, life, and disability benefits.
• Pre-tax flexible benefit plan for healthcare and dependent care reimbursement.
• Employee assistance program.
• Paid time off and sick time.
• 401(k) plan with company match.
• Complimentary team member meals.
• Complimentary room nights at CoralTree Hospitality managed properties.