Lead Airline Kitchen Sous Chef — High-Volume Culinary Leader

gategroup; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

401k with company match

Company sponsored life insurance

Medical, dental, vision plans

Disability insurance

Life, accident, and hospital plans

Employee Assistance Program

Commuter benefits

Employee discounts

Weekly pay for union employees

Free hot meals

Job summary

gategroup is seeking a proactive Sous Chef, Operations to assist the Executive Sous Chef Operations or Executive Chef in designing and preparing meals for airline customers. You will provide culinary leadership, ensure food safety and sanitation, and drive production with Food Supervisors.

This full-time exempt role in the USA requires strong kitchen management, scheduling, and adherence to regulatory standards, with up to 25% travel and potential union coordination.

Qualifications

• Associates degree in Culinary Arts or certification preferred.
• Minimum 1–3 years as a Chef/Sous Chef; 7 years as a cook.
• Experience supervising in high-volume food production or catering.

Responsibilities

• Ensure food specifications and labor objectives meet requirements.
• Supervise department for quality and quantity with proper dating and coding.
• Schedule shifts and assign employees to sections.
• Order raw materials and handle last-minute meal production.
• Prepare daily production sheets and guide staff via production counts.
• Train staff on procedures including ServSafe and safety policies.
• Maintain sanitation and safety standards across kitchens.
• Lead daily production for hot and cold kitchens to ensure consistency.
• Enforce Wage & Hour policies and breaks; control labor costs.

Skills

Leadership

Food production

Team supervision

Training

Time management

Education

Associates degree in Culinary Arts

Tools

ServSafe Certified

Job description

gategroup is seeking a proactive Sous Chef, Operations to assist the Executive Sous Chef Operations or Executive Chef in designing and preparing meals for airline customers. You will provide culinary leadership, ensure food safety and sanitation, and drive production with Food Supervisors.

This full-time exempt role in the USA requires strong kitchen management, scheduling, and adherence to regulatory standards, with up to 25% travel and potential union coordination.