Lead Sous Chef – High-Volume University Dining

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

Job summary

The University of Washington's Housing & Food Services is seeking a Sous Chef to support day-to-day culinary operations at a large multi-concept residential dining facility in Seattle. You will report to the Chef de Cuisine and General Manager and lead production while ensuring adherence to recipes, standards, and policies.

Key duties include staffing, scheduling, food production, inventory, quality control, CBORD initiatives, and staff development, with a focus on delivering high-quality

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in hospitality, business administration or related field.
• At least one year of management experience in the food service industry.
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, analytical, communication and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (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

Leadership

Communication

Problem-solving

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in hospitality or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

The University of Washington's Housing & Food Services is seeking a Sous Chef to support day-to-day culinary operations at a large multi-concept residential dining facility in Seattle. You will report to the Chef de Cuisine and General Manager and lead production while ensuring adherence to recipes, standards, and policies.

Key duties include staffing, scheduling, food production, inventory, quality control, CBORD initiatives, and staff development, with a focus on delivering high-quality