Lead Sous Chef — Campus Dining Operations

University of Washington; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 74,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits information

UW benefits portal access

Job summary

University of Washington’s Housing & Food Services seeks a Sous Chef to lead day-to-day culinary operations in a large multi-concept residential dining facility. You will report to the Chef de Cuisine and General Manager, guiding production, ensuring policy and recipe compliance, and maintaining high standards of service.

The role emphasizes staff recruitment, training, safety, cost control, and culinary innovation, with opportunities to influence menus, food quality, and presentation across

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in hospitality, business administration or related field.
• Minimum of one year of management experience in the food service industry.
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, analytical, communication and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Project.

Responsibilities

• Provides leadership and strategic direction by aligning unit operations with departmental goals, values, and priorities while leading production meetings and maintaining stakeholder relationships.
• Recruits, onboards, trains, and develops staff, ensuring completion of required training and fostering a safe, inclusive, and high-performing work environment.
• Oversees daily kitchen operations, including staffing, scheduling, food production, and work assignments to meet service and production demands.
• Ensures compliance with contracts, policies, union agreements, food safety standards, sanitation requirements, and workplace safety regulations.
• Delivers exceptional customer service by gathering feedback, resolving concerns, responding to special requests, and maintaining strong customer and partner relationships.
• Manages inventory, purchasing, vendor relations, waste reduction, and facility upkeep to support efficient and cost-effective operations.
• Monitors financial and operational performance through analysis of food costs, production records, staffing schedules, and financial reports to achieve business goals.
• Drives culinary excellence by improving recipes, developing menus, implementing quality control measures, and enhancing food presentation and display techniques.
• Supervises and evaluates staff performance, conducts performance appraisals, manages time and leave approvals, and supports employee growth and accountability.
• Supports CBORD Food Service Suite (FSS) initiatives by developing, validating, testing, and maintaining recipes and production standards in collaboration with culinary and dining systems teams.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Problem-solving skills

MS Office proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in hospitality or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

University of Washington’s Housing & Food Services seeks a Sous Chef to lead day-to-day culinary operations in a large multi-concept residential dining facility. You will report to the Chef de Cuisine and General Manager, guiding production, ensuring policy and recipe compliance, and maintaining high standards of service.

The role emphasizes staff recruitment, training, safety, cost control, and culinary innovation, with opportunities to influence menus, food quality, and presentation across