Sous Chef - The Langham, New York

Langham Hospitality Group (LHG), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Great Eagle Holdings, comprises a family of distinctive brands including The Langham Hotels and Resorts, Cordis Hotels and Resorts, Eaton Workshop, and Ying’nFlo. With over 40 hotels and residences in operation or development, LHG has a global footprint across Asia, Europe, North America, Australasia, and the Middle East. The Langham, New York offers modern luxury on Fifth Avenue, recognized for its genuine, personalized service aligned with the culture and values of Langham Hospitality Group. The hotel features spacious guest rooms with views of the Empire State Building, The Gallery event space, and fine dining at Ai Fiori.

About the role

The Sous Chef's primary responsibility is to assist the Executive Sous Chef in creating and maintaining a positive work environment through coaching and leading staff, while establishing creative and exciting menu products that are both appetizing and visually appealing. This role leads efforts to ensure operational needs of the kitchen, stewarding, and Private Kitchen (in-room dining) are met, including maintaining, setting up, producing food, and controlling the quality and quantity of all food items prepared.

Responsibilities

• Lead the culinary team in achieving key performance indicators for the department.
• Establish daily priorities and assign production and prep tasks to staff.
• Review banquet function sheets, note any changes, and post function sheets for the next 7 days.
• Communicate additions or changes to assignments throughout the shift.
• Identify and delegate tasks that compromise department standards.
• Ensure staff report to work as scheduled and coordinate breaks.
• Inspect grooming, attire, and completion of opening duties to standard.
• Ensure each kitchen work area is stocked with specified tools, supplies, and equipment.
• Maintain current and posted recipe cards, production schedules, plating guides, and photographs.
• Ensure all staff prepare menu items following recipes and yield guides according to department standards.
• Prepare foods suitable for cooking according to standard recipes to ensure consistency.
• Visually inspect, select, and use only the highest quality cooking food items.
• Store all food in refrigerated boxes with proper covers, labels, and dates to prevent waste and spoilage.
• Maintain and strictly abide by state sanitation/health regulations and hotel requirements.
• Use equipment and tools safely and only as intended.
• Maintain complete knowledge of and comply with all departmental/hotel policies and procedures.
• Inspect the cleanliness and working condition of all tools, equipment, and supplies.
• Transport supplies from the storeroom and stock in designated areas.
• Monitor attendance and performance of assigned staff and ensure procedures meet department standards.
• Communicate assistance needs during busy periods to the Executive Sous Chef.
• Inform the Executive Sous Chef of excess items for use in daily specials or elsewhere.
• Maintain production charts and proper storage procedures as specified by Health Department and hotel requirements.
• Minimize waste and maintain controls to attain forecasted food cost.
• Perform stewarding duties in the absence of stewards, including washing dishes, pans, cookware, and changing fryer oil.
• Direct and assist stewards to make clean-up more efficient.
• Turn off all equipment not needed for the next shift.
• Ensure all Line Cooks' assignments are completed before they sign out.
• Assist with inventories and plating banquet hot meals as assigned.
• Perform duties in other areas of the kitchen as assigned.
• Oversee optimal service levels in Private Kitchen (in-room dining) in coordination with the Food and Beverage Manager.
• Train Private Kitchen colleagues on menu knowledge.
• Participate in service to ensure timeliness and food quality, including answering guest calls, taking orders, and delivering items to guest rooms.
• Coordinate breaks for staff in the absence of the Food and Beverage Manager.

Qualifications

Physical Demands

• Regularly required to walk, use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and talk and hear.
• Regularly required to stand and taste or smell.
• Frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Must be able to use a chef knife.

Skills

• Problem Solving: Uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
• Technical Skills: Assesses own strengths and weaknesses; strives to continuously build knowledge and skills; shares expertise with others.
• Customer Service: Responds promptly to internal and external customer needs; meets commitments.
• Interpersonal Skills: Focuses on solving conflict, not blaming; maintains confidentiality; listens without interrupting; keeps emotions under control; remains open to others’ ideas.
• Oral Communication: Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; listens and gets clarification; responds well to questions.
• Written Communication: Writes clearly and informatively; reads and interprets written information.
• Teamwork: Balances team and individual responsibilities; exhibits objectivity and openness to others’ views; gives and welcomes feedback; contributes to building a positive team spirit; supports everyone’s efforts to succeed.
• Quality Management: Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness.
• Cost Consciousness: Works within approved budget; develops and implements cost-saving measures; contributes to profits and revenues; conserves organizational resources.
• Diversity: Shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences; promotes a harassment-free environment.
• Ethics: Treats people with respect; keeps commitments; inspires trust; works with integrity.
• Organizational Support: Follows policies and procedures; completes administrative tasks correctly and on time; supports organization’s goals and values.
• Judgment: Displays willingness to make decisions; exhibits sound and accurate judgment; supports and explains reasoning for decisions; includes appropriate people in the decision-making process; makes timely decisions.
• Motivation: Sets and achieves challenging goals; demonstrates persistence and overcomes obstacles; measures self against standard of excellence; takes calculated risks to accomplish goals.
• Planning/Organizing: Prioritizes and plans work activities; uses time efficiently; plans for additional resources; sets goals and objectives; organizes or schedules other people and their tasks; develops realistic action plans.
• Professionalism: Approaches others in a tactful manner; reacts well under pressure; treats others with respect and consideration; accepts responsibility for own actions; follows through on commitments.
• Quality: Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; looks for ways to improve and promote quality; applies feedback to improve performance; monitors own work to ensure quality.
• Quantity: Meets productivity standards; completes work in a timely manner; strives to increase productivity; works quickly.
• Safety and Security: Observes safety and security procedures; determines appropriate action beyond guidelines; reports potentially unsafe conditions; uses equipment and materials properly.
• Adaptability: Adapts to changes in the work environment; manages competing demands; changes approach or method to best fit the situation; able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.
• Attendance/Punctuality: Consistently at work and on time; ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent; arrives at meetings and appointments on time.
• Dependability: Follows instructions, responds to management direction; takes responsibility for own actions; keeps commitments; commits to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals; completes tasks on time.
• Initiative: Volunteers readily; asks for and offers help when needed.

Pay

$96,000–$100,000 per year