Sous Chef (Culinary Assistant Project Manager)

About the role

Sharp Spoon Network has been retained to recruit traveling Sous Chefs on behalf of a nationally recognized leader in disaster response, remote workforce support, and large-scale culinary operations. This is not a traditional restaurant position. You'll help lead high-volume culinary operations supporting data centers, disaster recovery efforts, military operations, and remote workforce camps across the United States. Working alongside the Culinary Project Manager, you'll help ensure exceptional food quality, efficient kitchen operations, and strong team performance in fast-paced environments. If you're looking for the same kitchen every day, this isn't the right fit. If you thrive under pressure, enjoy leading teams, and want a career that combines culinary leadership with travel and adventure, we'd love to speak with you.

Responsibilities

As a Sous Chef, you'll serve as the operational right hand to the Culinary Project Manager, helping lead daily kitchen operations while maintaining exceptional food quality and service standards.

• Assisting with the day-to-day leadership of high-volume kitchen operations
• Supervising cooks and kitchen assistants during meal production
• Maintaining food quality, safety, and sanitation standards
• Assisting with food inventory and kitchen organization
• Helping execute established menus while adapting to operational needs
• Training, coaching, and supporting kitchen staff
• Stepping into any kitchen role as needed to keep operations running smoothly
• Helping solve operational challenges in remote environments
• Ensuring meals are prepared and served safely, efficiently, and on schedule

Requirements

• Five or more years of culinary leadership or supervisory experience or 10 years of catering, banquet, high-volume culinary events
• Experience working in high-volume food service operations including menu development
• Experience supervising cooks or kitchen staff (managing labor costs)
• Strong leadership and communication skills
• Valid driver's license
• Reliable transportation
• Must be at least 21 years of age
• Ability to pass a background check
• Ability to pass required drug screening
• Willingness to travel nationwide for extended deployments (50% - 75%)

Qualifications

• Corporate dining experience
• University dining experience
• Healthcare food service experience
• Military food service experience
• Hospitality or resorts experience
• Large-scale catering experience
• Remote or mobile kitchen operations experience

Skills

• Calm under pressure
• Team-first leaders who enjoy mentoring others
• Adaptable problem solvers
• Comfortable making decisions while supporting the Executive Chef
• Passionate about developing teams
• Willing to lead from the front

Benefits

• Company-paid travel when applicable
• Company laptop, cell phone, and corporate credit card
• Opportunity for advancement into Executive Chef and other long-term leadership roles based on performance

Pay

Starting pay of approximately $20/hour + mandatory overtime weekly pay.

Schedule

Approximately 30-day deployments with approximately 14 days off between deployments; twelve-hour shifts during deployments.