Production Sous Chef

Community FoodBank of New Jersey; Hillside (NJ); On-site; USD 64,000 - 87,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

401(k) with 4% company match

Paid holidays and wellness programs

Tuition assistance

Job summary

Community FoodBank of New Jersey is seeking an experienced Production Sous Chef to lead daily meal production, supervise staff and volunteers, and ensure quality and food safety in a high-volume kitchen. You will coordinate menus, production plans, and inventory while collaborating with multiple departments to support programs like Kids Cafe, Summer Food Service, and more.

The role emphasizes leadership, organization, and continuous improvement in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment, with a

Qualifications

• Verified ServSafe Certification.
• Degrees in Culinary Arts or Food Service Management from an accredited university or equivalent industry experience.
• Experience leading diverse, geographically distributed teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead high-volume food production operations in a commissary or centralized production environment.
• Supervise production staff, volunteers, and temporary employees.
• Create daily production schedules and communicate priorities.
• Monitor inventory and support purchasing activities.
• Ensure FIFO storage and minimize waste.
• Verify meal counts, packaging, labeling and delivery documentation.
• Provide training and oversight to staff and volunteers.

Skills

Sous Chef leadership

High-volume kitchen

Team supervision

Food safety

Education

Culinary Arts degree

Food Service Management degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Join our team and become a part of something bigger - a force for change in the fight against hunger. The Community Foodbank of New Jersey is more than just a food bank - we champion healthier lifestyles and positively impact social and economic change. Together we can create a stronger, more resilient New Jersey for everyone.

The Community FoodBank of New Jersey seeks an experienced, mission-driven Production Sous Chef to support daily Community Kitchen operations. This hands-on leadership role leads daily meal production activities, supervises production staff and volunteers, manages workflow and inventory, and ensures compliance with quality and food safety standards. Working closely with the Culinary Operations Manager, the Production Sous Chef supports programs including Kids Cafe, Summer Food Service, Medically Tailored Meals, emergency feeding efforts, and other meal initiatives. The ideal candidate brings strong culinary expertise, organizational skills, attention to detail, and a commitment to continuous improvement in a high-volume production environment.

What you'll do in your role:

• Lead high-volume food production operations in a commissary, institutional, co-manufacturing, or centralized production environment, with a focus on efficiency, quality control, food safety, and meeting production deadlines.
• Lead daily meal production operations to ensure production schedules, quality standards, and distribution deadlines are met.
• Execute menus and production plans while maintaining established nutrition, food safety, and presentation standards.
• Supervise production staff, volunteers, trainees, and temporary employees to ensure efficient and productive kitchen operations.
• Create daily production schedules, assign responsibilities, and communicate priorities through regular team meetings.
• Monitor inventory levels, support purchasing activities, and communicate shortages, substitutions, and product quality concerns.
• Ensure proper receiving, storage, organization, and FIFO inventory practices to maintain product quality and minimize waste.
• Verify meal counts, packaging, labeling, and delivery documentation to ensure order accuracy and compliance with program requirements.
• Conduct quality control reviews of staged orders and resolve discrepancies prior to distribution.
• Collaborate with Child Nutrition, Catering, Warehouse, Volunteer Services, and other departments to support organizational goals.
• Provide training, instruction, and oversight to volunteers and staff while fostering a safe, collaborative, and mission-driven work environment.
• Maintain accurate production records, inventory data, and operational reports while identifying opportunities for process improvement and increased efficiency.
• Serve as the kitchen leader in the absence of the Culinary Operations Manager.
• Lead production meetings and debriefs to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

Why you'll love working at CFBNJ:

• Opportunity for Impact: At CFBNJ, your work drives meaningful changes. Just last year, we provided over 90 million meals and 35 million pounds of fresh produce to our neighbors in need.
• Wellness that Works for You: Rooted in our culture of caring, we offer comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, wellness programs, generous sick/personal time off, 14 paid holidays, childcare resources, and organization-wide engagement days for rest and reflection.
• Professional Development: Grow your career through our Learning Lab, with access to workshops, online courses, and book resources. We also offer tuition assistance and certificate reimbursement for job-related training to support continuous growth.
• Recognition and Belonging: We celebrate great work and grow inspiration with Bonusly, our peer-recognition platform, and foster community through employee resource groups to create space to uplift voices and strength connections
• Retirement Planning: Plan confidently for your future in our 401(k) program, including a 4% company match after one year of service.

What you'll need to be successful in this role:

• Minimum of 8-10 verifiable years of industry experience as a Sous Chef, Kitchen Manager or equivalent in a high-volume kitchen environment.
• Verified ServSafe Certification.
• Degrees in Culinary Arts or Food Service Management from an accredited university or equivalent industry experience required with 3-5 years of experience in Food Service coupled with an agility and emotional intelligence to lead a complex and geographically diverse team.
• Collaborative people leader with strong vision to deliver profitable business results.
• Able to influence and inform strategic development for function and business.
• Demonstrated project management skills.
• Proficiencywith Microsoft Office suite applications.

Pay Transparency:

The salary range for this position is $63,982 - $86,583. The final rate may be influenced by factors such as the position's scope and responsibilities, work experience, training, job-related skills, internal equity, and market conditions.

CFBNJ is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to complying with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, sex , sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, transgender status, marital status, domestic partnership or civil union status, pregnancy or breastfeeding, disability, being a victim of domestic violence, status in the uniformed services of the United States (including veteran status), record of arrest, as well as any other category protected by federal, state or local laws.