Sous Chef, Culinary Supervisor

Summary

Under the direction of the Executive Chef and Manager of Food & Nutrition Services, the Sous Chef/Culinary Supervisor leads the daily culinary operations for patient dining, retail, catering, and special event food service programs. This position is responsible for supervising kitchen staff, ensuring high standards of food quality, presentation, safety, and service, while supporting menu development and production planning. The Sous Chef serves as the culinary expert within the department, overseeing food preparation, coaching team members, implementing best practices, and maintaining compliance with food safety and regulatory standards. This role promotes culinary innovation, operational excellence, customer satisfaction, and efficient utilization of labor and food resources.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

• Oversees daily kitchen operations and culinary production to ensure quality, consistency, and timely meal service for patients, guests, and catered events.
• Supervises cooks, food service associates, and culinary team members by providing leadership, direction, coaching, and performance feedback.
• Participates in recruiting, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, scheduling, and training culinary staff.
• Ensures adherence to food safety, sanitation, infection prevention, HACCP, and regulatory requirements, including ServSafe standards.
• Monitors food preparation, cooking techniques, portion control, plating, and presentation standards to maintain a high-quality dining experience.
• Collaborates with Food & Nutrition leadership and Clinical Nutrition teams to support patient dietary requirements and therapeutic diet compliance.
• Assists in developing menus, recipes, production standards, and seasonal offerings that support patient satisfaction, wellness initiatives, and current culinary trends.
• Creates production schedules and coordinates staffing assignments to meet operational demands and service expectations.
• Demonstrates expertise in preparing complex, high-volume, and upscale menu items while maintaining consistency and food quality standards.
• Conducts routine quality assurance inspections of food production, storage, cleanliness, and kitchen operations.
• Maintains recipe databases, standardized production records, and yield information to ensure consistency and cost control.
• Monitors food inventory levels, places orders, and manages product utilization to reduce waste and maintain budget expectations.
• Assists with food cost management, labor productivity initiatives, and operational expense controls.
• Oversees special menu features, promotional offerings, catering events, and chef-inspired programs to enhance customer engagement and dining satisfaction.
• Identifies opportunities for process improvement and implements culinary best practices to increase efficiency and service quality.
• Provides ongoing education, cross-training, mentoring, and professional development opportunities for culinary staff.
• Investigates customer feedback and satisfaction trends, implementing menu and service enhancements as appropriate.
• Serves as the acting culinary leader in the absence of the Manager, ensuring continuity of operations and effective team leadership.

Required Education, Experience, and Certification/Licensure

• High School Diploma or equivalent required.
• Associate degree or formal training in Culinary Arts preferred, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification required.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressive culinary experience in healthcare, hospitality, hotel, restaurant, or institutional food service environments.
• Minimum of two (2) years of supervisory or lead culinary experience preferred.
• Experience with large-scale food production, menu planning, and culinary team leadership required.

Required Skills and Abilities

• Strong culinary expertise, including advanced food preparation, cooking techniques, presentation, and menu development.
• Demonstrated leadership and supervisory skills with the ability to motivate, coach, and develop team members.
• Knowledge of healthcare food service operations, therapeutic diets, and patient-centered dining principles preferred.
• Comprehensive understanding of food safety, sanitation, HACCP, and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Strong inventory management, purchasing, food cost control, and waste reduction skills.
• Ability to organize and prioritize multiple production schedules in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with a customer-focused approach.
• Ability to analyze operational challenges and implement effective solutions.
• Proficiency with food production systems, recipe management, and related computer applications.
• Commitment to culinary excellence, innovation, and exceptional guest and patient satisfaction.