Sous Chef

Pesce & Associates Human Resources Consultants; Kitchener; On-site; CAD 53,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Gratuities

Health & Dental benefits

Retirement Pension Plan

Job summary

St. Marys Golf & Country Club is searching for a dedicated Sous Chef to oversee kitchen operations and lead the culinary team at Social Thirty-One restaurant.

This full-time, permanent position focuses on delivering high-quality food and exceptional dining experiences while managing kitchen staff and ensuring health standards. Candidates should possess significant culinary experience, have a passion for hospitality, and be able to thrive in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of professional culinary experience.
• At least 2 years in a supervisory role.
• Advanced culinary technical proficiency.

Responsibilities

• Lead the culinary team in executing daily restaurant functions.
• Ensure health and safety compliance in all operations.
• Manage food procurement and inventory effectively.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Team management

Food safety compliance

Inventory management

Excellent communication

Organizational skills

Problem-solving skills

Education

Post-secondary culinary program or Red Seal

Tools

Google Sheets

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Are you a hands-on culinary leader with a passion for hospitality and creating exceptional dining experiences? Do you thrive in an efficient kitchen, leading teams, maintaining high standards, and delivering consistent quality across restaurant and event service? St. Marys Golf & Country Club is seeking a Sous Chef to support daily culinary operations at Social Thirty-One restaurant and St. Marys Weddings’ weddings and events.

Why work for us?

• $52,500 to $60,000 (dependent on experience)
• Gratuities
• A flexible and caring work environment
• Health & Dental benefits available after 3-month waiting period
• Company matching Retirement Pension Plan (RPP): 3%/3%

Position Overview

The Sous Chef works closely with the Culinary team to ensure the success of St. Marys’ daily food offerings. This position executes culinary operations alongside the Executive Chef and Chef de Cuisine, focusing on daily kitchen operations in the restaurant and event kitchens, while also guiding the training and development of Culinary staff.

Employment: Full-Time, Permanent

Posting Type: Future Vacancy – anticipated start date of late November, or early December

Working schedule: Full-Time (approximately 38-44 hours), based on the needs of the organization, which includes both weekdays, evenings and weekends.

Accountability Chart (The 5 Major Responsibilities)

• Lead, Manage, Accountability (LMA): Lead, manage, and hold accountable the restaurant or event culinary team, including scheduling, managing labour budgets, delegating, motivating, hiring, firing, performance reviews, and recognizing good performance.
• Coordinate Meal Preparation: Lead the preparation and execution of daily restaurant or event functions, ensuring dishes are cooked to the highest standard in taste and presentation, developing menus, executing speed of service, and accommodating dietary needs.
• Food Safety & Quality: Control the quality and quantity of ingredients, inspect and maintain food service areas, ensure health and safety compliance, inspect serving utensils, and enforce company dress code and hygiene standards.
• Kitchen Cleanliness: Ensure the cleanliness of the kitchen, equipment, and designated staff stations, passing regular health inspections, and overseeing equipment maintenance and repair.
• Food Procurement and Inventory: Accountable for ordering, inventory management, material turnover to minimize waste, meeting financial and productivity targets, and complying with local sanitary and labour laws. As well as participate in regular menu updates and creation, with a focus on seasonal and local products.

In addition to those noted above, essential job functions & day-to-day realities:

• Manage scheduling and line-level staff development for future leadership roles.
• Participate in weekly Culinary meetings with department leadership and cross-departmental alignment meetings with Front-of-House (FOH).
• Oversee and execute daily restaurant or event food preparation, line operations, and presentation standards.
• Collaborate with the Executive Chef and Chef de Cuisine on menu development, dish testing, lower-cost sourcing, and dietary accommodation protocols.
• Maintain kitchen speed-of-service, ticket times, and guest satisfaction standards.
• Ensure all staff are trained in food safety standards, station sanitation, and safe handling of tools and equipment.
• Accountable for meeting financial and productivity targets, including COGS, portion control, labour cost goals, and compliance with labour laws and sanitary standards.

Scorecard & Measurables (How Success Is Tracked)

• Overall quality, taste, and presentation of prepared dishes.
• Effective cost management, inventory control, and turnover rates.
• Efficient labour cost control and scheduling.
• Efficiency and timeliness during meal service expedition.
• Feedback and performance reviews from guests and staff.
• Maintenance of kitchen cleanliness and compliance with health and sanitary regulations.

Role Requirements

• Completion of a post-secondary culinary program (or equivalent higher qualification) or Red Seal Culinary Training Completion.
• At least five (5) years of professional culinary experience, including two (2) years in a supervisory role.
• Advanced culinary technical proficiency.
• Proven team leadership and staff management capabilities.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication abilities.
• Proficiency with spreadsheet applications, such as Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Understanding of the fast-paced nature of kitchen operations, the importance of consistent food quality and presentation, and how effective preparation impacts restaurant and event service.
• Ability to balance multiple kitchen priorities simultaneously while managing changing service demands, tight timelines, and frequent interruptions in a fast-paced culinary environment.
• Ability to act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Ability to work schedule based on the needs of the organization which includes weekdays, evenings, and weekends.

Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the recruitment process, please inform the hiring manager of any accommodations required.