Floating Sous Chef

Montana State University; Bozeman (MT); Hybrid; USD 38,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

Montana State University’s Culinary Services seeks a Floating Sous Chef to lead day-to-day production in a high-volume dining hall. This role supervises roughly 50 full-time staff and 200+ student/temporary personnel, oversees staff development, and ensures safety and sanitation compliance while coordinating menus and production for events.

The position requires strong kitchen leadership, experience with inventory and payroll tasks, and the ability to adapt to a fast-paced university setting.

Qualifications

• Progressively responsible management experience in food service production or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience in high-volume food production, portion control and quality control, with advanced knowledge of culinary techniques spanning multiple cuisines.
• Progressively responsible experience supervising and training staff.
• Experience managing inventory and supply chain (forecasting, ordering, inventory control and waste management).
• Experience in menu and recipe development.
• Proficient experience using computers and various software applications.

Responsibilities

• Provides active supervision of culinary production and staff (estimated 50 full-time and 200+ student and temporary employees).
• Directly supervises a shift of up to 20 FTE and coordinates daily activities, evaluation and correction; ensures training and compliance.
• Monitors staff levels per shift to meet production needs and oversees safety and sanitation guidelines.
• Performs a variety of administrative tasks (inventory, ordering, forecasting, payroll) using specialized software.
• Develops menus mindful of staying within financial goals and assists with daily operations as needed.
• Participates in culinary production for events (Bobcat Football) and builds relationships with stakeholders.

Job description

Please see Special Instructions for more details.

This position is not eligible for new sponsorship.
Please address the qualifications in your cover letter and resume.
Questions? Contact: Search Support at [e-mail] or 406-994-6468.

For questions regarding this position, please contact:

Culinary Services is looking for motivated team members who are excited to actively participate in the ever changing world of the high-paced food industry.

Position Number

Position Number 4N3512

Department

Division

Division Auxiliary Services

Appointment Type

Appointment Type Classified

Contract Term

Contract Term Fiscal Year

Semester

If other, specify From date

If other, specify End date

FLSA

FLSA Non-Exempt

Union Affiliation

Union Affiliation Exempt from Collective Bargaining

FTE

FTE 1.0

Benefits Eligible

Salary $33.00 per hour

Contract Type

Contract Type Classified Hourly

If other, please specify

Recruitment Type

Recruitment Type Open

General Statement

Culinary Services (CS), a division of Auxiliary Services, provides meals for over 12,000 customers a day becoming an integral part of campus life and the overall college experience. CS proudly provides Montana State University students with not only a repertoire of various cuisines, cooking styles, and flavors, but a comfortable atmosphere to meet friends, study, and simply relax. The division is comprised of 2 residential dining halls, 9 retail operations, Brick Breeden Fieldhouse and Bobcat Stadium Concessions, Fork in the Road food truck, MSU Catering, Indulge In-House Bakery & Commissary Kitchen, and the Farm to Campus Program.
The dining halls serve over 10,000 meals per day and are open 7 days a week from 7am – Midnight providing breakfast, lunch, dinner, and Late Night Bites. Specialty dinners are served multiple times a month highlighting Montana Made, holidays and other special events, and student/parent recipes.

Duties and Responsibilities

Reporting to the Executive Chef, the Floating Sous Chef is a working chef who assists with leading the day to day production and operations of a dining hall.

• Provides active supervision of culinary production and staff (estimated 50 full-time and 200+ student and temporary employees).
  • Directly supervises a shift of up to 20 FTE consisting of various positions (Cook I, II, III , III Sr, Baker II, Baker III , and Production Mgr I) and indirectly a shift of up to 50 student and temporary staff.
  • Assists with oversight of the staff including managing daily activities, evaluating and correction.
  • Ensures staff is trained and following compliance guidelines.
  • Monitors staff levels per shift in order to meet production needs.
• Performs a variety of administrative tasks (inventory, ordering, forecasting, etc) and payroll duties utilizing specialized software applications.
• Develops menus being mindful to stay within financial goals.
• Regularly assists dining hall operations in day to day activities as needed.
• Assists with development and execution of training of culinary staff (one on one and groups).
• Performs daily quality inspections of production; ensures proper equipment operation/maintenance; and ensures staff are compliant with safety and sanitation guidelines.
• Ensures compliance with FDA codes and as directed by MSU's Registered Sanitarian for sanitation guidelines and food handling and storage.
• Participates in execution of culinary production for Bobcat Football and other special events throughout the year.
• Interacts with and builds sustainable working relationships with students, campus constituents, vendors, and other industry partners.
• And contributes to the success of the department by performing other duties as needed in support of the department’s mission.

Required Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills

• Progressively responsible management experience in food service production or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience in high volume food production, portion control and quality control, with advanced knowledge of culinary techniques spanning multiple cuisines.
• Progressively responsible experience supervising and training staff.
• Experience managing inventory and supply chain (could include areas such as forecasting, ordering, inventory control and waste management).
• Experience in menu and recipe development.
• Proficient experience using computers and various software applications.

Preferred Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills

• Advanced degree or certificate in hospitality, culinary arts or related field(s)
• Experience working with a food service management system.
• Experience with budgeting and financial oversight.
• Experience scheduling production and coordinating workflow.

The Successful Candidate Will

• Work effectively and efficiently in close cooperation with CS staff in a team-oriented environment
• Navigate within the parameters of strict, published and/or established operating guidelines as it relates to procurement, contracting and food safety
• Exhibit creativity in the culinary arts and exercise critically good judgment concerning taste, palatability and aesthetics of food quality
• Strong commitment to customer service
• Exhibit strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to motivate employees to perform at and sustain a high level of quality
• Highly motivated and work with minimal supervision
• Consistently exercise initiative and good judgment
• Maintain and manage policy and procedure
• Quickly adapt to changing priorities
• Network and maintain strong working relationships
• Demonstrate experience in facilitating change, managing conflict, and problem solving
• Exhibit effective speaking and presentation skills in front of groups of varying size
• Be knowledgeable about State and Federal health and food safety guidelines
• Represent the department and the University to others in a professional and courteous manner

Position Special Requirements/Additional Information

• Must possess a valid driver’s license and meet all State of Montana requirements to operate State/University vehicles. Please do not send a copy of your driver’s license at this time. (If the successful candidate possesses a valid out of state driver’s license, candidate must obtain a valid Montana driver’s license within 60 days.)
• Shift is Saturday, Sunday & Tuesday 6am – 2:30pm and Monday & Friday 12pm – 8:30pm.
• May work days, weekends, long hours, consecutive days during busy periods, and occasional holidays as the school and event schedule demands.
• Occasional travel for work.
• Occasional work outside and in inclement weather assisting with special events.
• Possess an 8 hour management sanitation certification or have the ability to become certified.
• Must have the ability to understand and communicate in English with adequate proficiency to follow directions from supervisor, read and understand safety guidelines and directions to prevent accidents or injuries from occurring, and communicate effectively with customers (staff, visitors, students) by listening and speaking clearly to them.

Physical Demands

• Normal service areas, kitchen, cooler, freezer, dock environments
• Stationary and/or moving about for long periods of time
• Frequently moving, transporting, and placing containers/product weighing up to 50 lbs and occasionally up to 100lbs
• Occasionally moving product up and down stairs
• Bending, kneeling, stretching and general moving about while stocking products
• Gripping handles on small kitchen utensils and other equipment
• Performing repetitive motions related to job duties
• Regular exposure to cleaning chemicals
• Work for long periods of time at a computer.

This position has supervisory duties? Yes

Number of Vacancies

Number of Vacancies 1

Desired Start Date

Desired Start Date Upon completion of a successful search.

Position End Date (if temporary)

Open Date

Close Date

Applications will be:

Screening of applications will begin on October 20th, 2026; however, applications will continue to be accepted until an adequate applicant pool has been established.

Special Instructions

This position is not eligible for new sponsorship.
Please address the qualifications in your cover letter and resume.
Questions? Contact: Search Support at [e-mail] or 406-994-6468.

Montana State University is an equal opportunity employer. MSU does not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or any other protected class status in violation of any applicable law.
In compliance with the Montana Veteran's Employment Preference Act, MSU provides preference in employment to veterans, disabled veterans, and certain eligible relatives of veterans. To claim veteran’s preference, please complete the veteran’s preference information located in the Demographics section of your profile.

Required Documents

• Resume
• Cover Letter

Optional Documents

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).