Exec Sous Chef, Ops

gategroup; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

gategroup is seeking an Executive Sous Chef to support the Executive Chef in daily pre-designed meals for multi-customer airline accounts. You will lead Chefs and production staff across all food production areas, ensuring high-quality service, reducing waste, and maintaining safety standards in a high-volume hub.

Reporting to the Executive Chef, you will drive menu quality, train cooks, monitor sanitation under HACCP and FDA rules, and act as culinary lead in the Chef's absence.

Qualifications

• Education: Associate/Bachelor in Culinary Arts or related field.
• Certification: CCC from ACF, ProChef II or equivalent.
• Work Experience: 7–10 years in progressive chef roles.
• Supervisory experience: 1–3 years in high-volume production.
• In-flight catering or high-volume food service experience required.

Responsibilities

• Oversee food preparation and production across all areas to drive quality.
• Lead chefs, cooks, and staff; minimize waste through portioning and effective inventory.
• Plan menu presentations and ensure adherence to recipes and specs.
• Train employees on proper work procedures and production standards.
• Monitor HACCP, FDA, and safety regulations; enforce sanitation standards.
• Coach and discipline staff; drive performance and cost controls.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Menu planning

Waste reduction

Quality control

Training & coaching

Education

Associate Degree or Bachelor Degree in Culinary Arts

ServSafe Certification

Tools

ServSafe Certification

Job description

We’re looking for motivated, engaged people to help make everyone’s journeys better. The Executive Sous Chef supports the Executive Chef in the responsibility for the daily monitoring of the preparation of the pre-designed meals for multi-customer accounts with culinary expertise through the management of all Chefs, Cooks and production employees in all food production areas of a Large Catering unit. The Executive Sous Chef promotes and insures quality food services to airline clients and product management/waste in hub unit or facility of high complexity due to volume and international customer mix. Reports to the Executive Chef and acts as the lead chef in the absence of the Executive Chef.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Functional Acts in support of the Executive Chef to drive menu and product quality in all production areas by overseeing food preparation and production, by consulting with the Buyer; Chefs, cooks, and team leaders; minimize waste through portioning, overboarding over-production, and inventory control.
• In the absence of the Executive Chefs as the Culinary Lead for the unit Ensures Menu presentations are properly planned, set up, and specifications reviewed to ensure compliance to recipes and portion specifications as required by the customer.
• Understands menu and product specifications and insure menu employee training is completed.
• Insures waste is minimizes through oversight of proper portion and production management with all chefs throughout the production areas.
• Using a “Pull System”, Insures accurate and timely inventories are completed so requisitions are based on demand.
• Achieves culinary operational objectives by contributing information and analysis to strategic plans and reviews; preparing and completing action plans; implementing production, productivity, quality, and customer-service standards; serving as culinary resource support to Executive Chef and operations management.
• Acts to identifying and resolving problems, completes timely audits, and serves as a “Change Agent” Assist as the support lead for menu presentations works with the Executive Chef to insure products, production, and costs are efficiently managed and all variances are noted.
• Responsible for coaching, counseling, and preparing corrective action for employees.
• Maintains safe, secure, and healthy work environment by establishing, following, and enforcing standards and procedures; complying with sanitation and federal, state, and local legal regulations; overseeing food preparation, safety, and security; reviewing and implementing accident and disaster plans.
• Ensures quality production standards are followed and maintained.
• Ensures employees adhere to HACCP, FDA and safety regulations and compliance with company policies and procedures.
• Ensures meal cycles are communicated in a timely and accurate basis.
• Monitor yields of products to ensure maximum usage.
• Works with management staff to improve performance of the unit.

Training & Development

• Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; benchmarking state-of-the-art practices; being sought for opinions as a culinary expert; contributing to professional publications; participating in professional societies and sharing this information with direct reports.
• Must ensure all cooks, and Sous Chef employees have the skills and abilities to perform all cooking and food preparation requirements of all the Airline Accounts serviced in the Unit Trains and monitors employees on proper work procedures and production of products to ensure maximum productivity with minimum labor and food expenses.
• Assists in the development and training of cooks as required.
• Responsible for culinary employee onboarding and retention.
• Completes all company required training including but not limited to ServSafe Sanitation Manager Certification.

Products

• Maintains culinary equipment by following operating instructions; instructing staff in equipment use; troubleshooting breakdowns; maintaining equipment supplies; insuring preventive maintenance and repairs; evaluating the unit cooking equipment against the current needs and future expectations.

Processes

• Initiates and supports NPT and timesaving production techniques, training others in specialty techniques; Improves menu quality and consistency by analyzing food production records and menu expenses; promoting kitchen staff interest in quality improvement; studying, evaluating, and re-designing processes; implementing changes. Prepares menu and food preparation reports by collecting, analyzing, and summarizing food, dining, and customer data and trends.

Qualifications

• Education: Associate Degree or Bachelor Degree in the Culinary Arts or a related field, (formal culinary education) required.
• Certification: CCC from ACF, ProChef II or equivalent.
• Work Experience: Minimum7-10years in progressive Chef growth positions is required.
• Work Experience: Minimum of1-3years supervisoryexperience working in a high volume, manufacturing, food production, and restaurant or catering environmentrequired.
• Work Experience: In-flight catering experience or experience in a high-volume food service environment required.
• Technical Skills: Ability to cook meals according to detailed specifications.
• Technical Skills: Ability to work in a fast paced, deadline driven environment.
• Technical Skills: Must have strong and effective leadership skills, and the ability to successfully manage a staff of 2 to 3 Sous Chefs and over production employess.
• Technical Skills: Current or previous labor relations experience is a plus, but not required.
• Technical Skills: Candidate must be comfortable with all levels of employees and have the ability to drive positive program change.
• Technical Skills: Ability to train others required.
• Technical Skills: Must have the ability to give negative and positive feedback to employees on a daily basis.
• Technical Skills: Excellent time management skills required.
• Technical Skills: Ability to handle multiple tasks without losing focus on priorities.
• Technical Skills: Strong organizational, analytical, communication and leadership skills required.
• Technical Skills: Must be innovative and have the ability to make changes to the operation as needed to further improve the work environment and unit performance.
• Technical Skills: Basic computer skills required.
• Technical Skills: Working knowledge of Microsoft Office products preferred.
• Technical Skills: ServSafe Certified preferred.
• Technical Skills: Ability to obtain ServSafe Certification required.
• Language / Communication Skills: Must have excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Language / Communication Skills: Multi-linguala plus.

Job Dimensions

• Geographic Responsibility: USA
• Type of Employment: Full-Time
• Travel %: Yes – Up to 10%
• Exemption Classification: Exempt
• Internal Relationships: all production areas
• External Relationships: airline customers
• Work Environment / Requirements of the Job: Regularly, stands, bends, lifts, and moves intermittently during shifts of 10+ hours. In a normal production kitchen facility there may be physical discomfort due to temperature and noise. Must be able to lift, push, pull and move product, equipment, supplies, etc., in excess of twenty-five (25) pounds. A rotating schedule of over 55 hours per week is typical.

Budget / Revenue Responsibility

N/A

Organization Structure

• Direct Line Manager (Title): Executive Chef
• Number of Direct Reports: TBD
• Number of Dotted Line Reports: TBD
• Estimated Total Size of Team: TBD

Gate Group Competencies

• Thinking – Information Search and analysis & problem resolution skills
• Engaging – Understanding others, Team Leadership and Developing People
• Inspiring – Influencing and building relationships, Motivating and Inspiring, Communicating effectively
• Achieving – Delivering business results under pressure, Championing Performance Improvement and Customer Focus

Values

Employees at gategroup are expected to live our Values of Excellence, Integrity, Passion and Accountability. To demonstrate these Values, we expect to observe the following from everyone: We treat each other with respect and we act with integrity We communicate and keep each other informed We put our heads together to problem solve and deliver excellence as a team We have passion for our work and we pay attention to the little details We foster an environment of accountability, take responsibility for our actions and learn from our mistakes We do what we say we will do, when we say we are going to do it We care about our coworkers, always taking an opportunity to make someone’s day better

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the individual(s) assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required. Management reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and to assign other duties as necessary.

In addition, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

gategroup is an equal opportunity employer committed to workforce diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status or other category under applicable law.

For further information regarding Equal Employment Opportunity, copy and paste the following URL into your web browser: http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf

We anticipate that this job will close on: 08/28/2026

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gategroup is the global leader in airline catering, retail-on-board and hospitality products and services. gategroup provides passengers with superior culinary and retail experiences, leveraging innovation and advanced technology solutions. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, gategroup delivers operational excellence through the most extensive catering network in the aviation industry, serving passengers from over 200 operating units in over 60 countries/territories across all continents. We work in an exciting industry – fast-paced and ever-changing. Industry trends and customer expectations are constantly evolving and it is critical that we are agile, innovative and ready for change - and our people are our driving force. We offer attractive opportunities to be part of this fast-paced and truly international working environment. For further information, please visit www.gategroup.com.