Sous Chef

St Paul’s Girls School; Peacehaven; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading independent school in England seeks a Sous Chef to manage kitchen operations and support the Executive Head Chef. The ideal candidate will have significant leadership experience, a recognized chef qualification, and a food safety certification. Responsibilities include leading the kitchen team, supervising food preparation and quality, and ensuring compliance with health regulations. The position offers a competitive salary and a structured work schedule during term time and holidays.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in a leadership role within hospitality.
• Ability to manage workloads under pressure.
• Proven competence in administrative tasks.

Responsibilities

• Lead the kitchen team to meet daily food production objectives.
• Ensure compliance with HACCP regulations.
• Supervise food preparation and presentation.

Skills

Leadership experience

Team leadership

Excellent communication

Food safety knowledge

Stock control experience

Mentoring abilities

Education

Recognised Chef qualification

Food safety/hygiene qualification

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

The school

St Paul’s Girls’ School is one of the country’s leading independent schools for girls aged 11-18, with approximately 840 students. It is an extraordinary school, offering a classical yet forward-thinking education, rooted in a love of academic discovery and enriched by a broad co-curricular programme, nurturing wellbeing provision and a strong commitment to partnerships and community initiatives. Aspirations and achievements go well beyond what one would normally expect from a school, making St Paul’s a very exciting, lively and stimulating place in which to work.

The post

The Sous Chef is second in charge and has a hands‑on role, with day to day management of the kitchen activities, including overseeing five chefs and three kitchen porters, assisting with menu compilation, ensuring consistent excellence of food quality and freshness, whilst maintaining control of stock levels. The Sous Chef will ensure full compliance with HACCP, adherence to designated recipes (and associated allergen management) and will deputise for the Executive Head Chef in his absence.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Lead the kitchen team in the daily operation, ensuring all food production objectives are met each day in relation to the menu, food quality and predicted numbers
• Deputise, when required, for the Executive Head Chef
• Supervise all food preparation, cooking and presentation to ensure consistency with agreed recipes and standards
• Implement and enforce strict compliance with all HACCP and COSHH regulations and requirements, ensuring health, safety and hygiene requirements are enforced in the department
• Provide necessary instructions, guidance and motivation to the kitchen staff
• Oversee and monitor stock levels, ensuring sufficient stock for the menu requirements and FIFO stock rotation is observed at all times
• Ensure that all food stock is suitably date labelled and organised for assured quality and safety
• Keep accurate food records to ensure budgetary compliance, sufficient food for service and minimum food waste
• Liaise and work with the Executive Head Chef to maintain an appropriate level of kitchen organisation including skills and abilities, ensuring that training opportunities are maximised
• Assist the Executive Head Chef with ideas for menu cycle compilation
• Liaise and coordinate with the front of house team (Catering Manager) to ensure that menu cards are correctly presented (eg with accurate allergen information) and that lunch service runs smoothly
• Ensure that any kitchen food production for evening (and other) events is provided on time and to the standard required
• Ensure new starters are provided with a thorough kitchen induction, monitoring their performance and carrying out reviews and assisting with input for appraisals of junior chefs
• Maintain appropriate security of food and equipment stock

CANDIDATE PROFILE

This is an active, hands‑on role and the ideal candidate will have a passion for excellent food and a genuine interest in working as part of a team at one of the country’s top performing schools, which strives to attain excellence in all it does – including its catering. They will be flexible, calm, articulate, well‑organised, self‑motivated, able to calmly and effectively manage and motivate people and will lead by example, taking pride in all that they and their team do.

KEY SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

Essential:

• Significant and relevant experience – not necessarily in a school – with evidence of leadership experience. Hospitality events experience is beneficial as this is a growth area.
• A recognised Chef / cooking qualification.
• Food safety / hygiene qualification – preferably to advanced level.
• The ability to work as an effective team leader.
• The ability to manage own and team’s workload in a time‑pressurised environment.
• Fully conversant and experienced in stock control and food ordering requirements.
• Ability and willingness to mentor and support staff.
• Commitment to professionalism and attention to detail.
• Excellent spoken and written English.
• Proven administrative competence and ability to use Microsoft office packages.

Desirable:

• Qualification in first aid and health and safety.

The successful candidate will have high personal standards, excellent people skills and a genuine commitment to high quality service.

This role will report to and work alongside the Executive Head Chef and offers a competitive salary. Core hours are 7.00 am to 4.00 pm Monday to Friday during term time and including prep days, inset days, entrance exam days etc (36 weeks). During the school holiday periods (16 weeks), hours worked will be 8.00 am to 2.30 pm. A 30‑minute unpaid lunch break will be taken during both term time and school holidays.