Sous Chef

Aparium Hotel Group; Alexandria (VA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Located in Old Town Alexandria, Hotel Heron is part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, featuring 134 rooms, hearth-inspired Mid-Atlantic cuisine, and a rooftop bar near Washington, DC. Aparium Hospitality Services celebrates diversity and equal opportunity, offering comprehensive benefits and growth opportunities for culinary professionals.

We seek a Sous Chef who will lead a kitchen team under the Executive Chef, driving menu development, cost controls, and guest‐centered service in a

Qualifications

• Five or more years progressive culinary experience required.
• Passion for culinary arts and diverse cuisines.
• Basic skills in Microsoft Excel and Word to create spreadsheets and proposals.
• Adaptable interpersonal communication skills to address all employee levels.
• Proficiency of the English language in reading, writing and verbal communication.
• Ability to calculate basic math principles to meet proper menu ingredients and inventory.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment for extended periods of time.
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs. and up to 100 lbs. with assistance.
• Ability to stand or walk for prolonged periods and withstand warm environments.

Responsibilities

• Uphold and role model the company’s principles of People, Place, and Character.
• Be a key partner with the F+B Management team to provide the best guest experience.
• Collaborate with and coach your team to uphold food quality, guest experience, cleanliness, and kitchen maintenance.
• Demonstrate ability to deliver on guest expectations with balanced flavors and proper textures.
• Lead and mentor culinary staff, and participate in recruitment, training, and schedules.
• Maintain relationships with Chef, engineering, and vendors for kitchen operations improvements.
• Communicate updates and priorities with the Executive Chef and F+B Management.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Excel

Word

English language

Interpersonal communication

Job description

Our teams are the intuitive force behind Aparium’s distinct experiences. If you’re driven by a passion for genuine hospitality and the list below sounds like you, we invite you to explore opportunities to contribute to our collective.

Driven by excellence, always learning and growing.

Possessing a deep connection to the place you call home.

Recognizing that diverse talents and perspectives enrich our community.

You
belong
here.

Diversity

We embrace the unique perspectives and backgrounds of our team.

Equity

We are committed to impartial practices and fair opportunities for all to thrive.

Inclusion

We ensure everyone feels welcomed, respected, and empowered to contribute their authentic self.

At Aparium, we believe how we treat our people is just as important as how we treat our guests.

That’s why our benefits are designed to support your whole self—at work and in life—so you can grow, thrive, and feel inspired every day.

This overview highlights many of the benefits we offer, though specific offerings and eligibility may vary based on your employment status.

What We Offer

Hotels Done Differently
starts with people like you.

Join a team where your personality and passion are part of the experience.

Reports to: Executive Chef; position is exempt.

WHO YOU ARE

Your past experiences have led you to understand that there is an art + science to the how and what a hospitality operations professional is responsible for. Your cookbook collection is dog-eared and worn from use and has outgrown its boundaries on your shelves. You are a mentor to your team and capable of working any station in your kitchen but are hungry for the next step. You are an intrinsically motivated individual who finds their moment of Zen in a dining room filled with happy guests. You lead your team with a composed disposition and gentle correction, passing along your culinary acumen in the process. You have the utmost respect for the ingredients and the process: you strive to work directly with local farmers and artisans to obtain your ingredients at their height of freshness and peak of flavor. You have tremendous culinary aptitude and are just beginning your journey to understanding the financial side of the business and are eager to learn more.

THE ROLE

The Sous Chef reports to and works directly with the Executive Chef, collaborating with menu planning and development, productivity, menu cost controls, and ordering processes to ensure production meets business levels. It is critical that you possess a background and basic knowledge of culinary techniques related to the F+B concept(s) for the hotel. You are a highly organized individual and an expert in constant and consistent communication, able to reinforce efficiencies while ensuring consistency in the kitchen operations. You lead the team through your collaborative approach—you understand that the ability to act as a soldier is as critical as being a general. Having the skills to mentor and teach your team of culinarians is a must for this position, as is demonstrating humility and genuine care for the items you create and the individuals who execute upon them.

At Heron, our culinary teams are expected to hold themselves, the guests, and each other in high regard. You will actively develop trusting and transparent relationships with all associates throughout the hotel. You will have the opportunity to work with a phenomenal group of individuals with whom collaboration, humbleness, and open-minds are the norm—no egos are allowed. The ability to work with controlled measures and respect for your leadership team and peers is imperative; we have a no-tolerance policy for the “old school way”.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Uphold and role model the company’s principles of People, Place, and Character, while encouraging your direct reports to embody our values that drive collaboration, intuitive service, and translocal hospitality.
• Be a key partner with the F+B Management team, demonstrating a united front committed to providing the best possible guest experience.
• Collaborate with and coach your team to uphold the integrity of the food, guest experience, cleanliness, and maintenance of the culinary spaces.
• Demonstrate your aptitude of how to deliver on a guest’s expectation for an amazing culinary experience, including balancing flavor combinations, considerations for temperature and texture, guest satisfaction, and menu flow.
• Understanding of operational metrics (KPI’s and P&L’s), demonstrating critical thinking skills by connecting those with operational observations
• Coach and mentor your team on development of their skill set, technique, and menu execution, fostering an environment of continuous growth; effectively use corrective action to address root causes of issues, course-correcting any missed opportunities.
• Foster open lines of communication within the department by helping to facilitate daily line ups, weekly culinary leadership meetings, and quarterly culinary all staff meetings to create a transparent dialogue among the team to voice ideas and concerns, while addressing the department’s key priorities
• Actively participate in recruitment, training, scheduling, supervising, coaching, and motivation of all culinary associates in order to create an environment that nurtures ideas and develops future talent for succession planning in the culinary program.
• Observe conditions of all physical facilities and equipment in the culinary operation, working in collaboration with the Chef, engineering department, and any third-party vendors to make corrections and improvements as needed.
• Maintain regular communication with the Executive Chef and F+B Management team to provide updates, discuss plans, communicate needs, and align on priorities, understanding that flexibility with your responsibilities is paramount to support a successful operation.
• Aparium Hotel Group does not discriminate based on disability, veteran status or on any other basis protected under federal, state or local laws. The hotel and company are smoke-free, drug-free facility, and equal opportunity employer.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

• Five or more years progressive culinary experience required, preferably in a multi-service hotel or restaurant.
• Passion for culinary arts, experience in a wide range of cuisines
• Basic skills in Microsoft Excel and Word to create spreadsheets and proposals.
• Adaptable interpersonal communication skills to address all employee levels of the hotel.
• Proficiency of the English language in reading, writing and verbal communication
• Ability to calculate basic math principles to meet proper menu ingredients and perform inventory.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment for extended periods of time to meet high volume business.
• Ability to lift, balance and carry up to 25 lbs. to transport dry goods inventory, equipment, etc.
• Ability to lift, balance and carry (with assistance) up to 100 lbs. to transport dry goods inventory, equipment, etc.
• Ability to stand or walk for prolonged periods to cook required menu items.
• Ability to withstand warm to hot environments for prolonged periods while utilizing ovens, stoves, or fryers.

HOW YOU WILL LEAD

• Offer direct support for your team through coaching, counseling, gentle correction, and constructive feedback
• Collaborate effectively with all hotel departments including Sales, Banquets & Catering, Food & Beverage, and Hotel Operations to provide an exemplary guest experience
• Be respectful in your daily interactions with your managers, direct reports, and peers, exemplifying the utmost level of professionalism and being a pillar within your community
• Be a subject matter expert in food and culinary techniques as well as understanding the history of the cuisine most closely related to the hotel food and beverage concept(s), effectively guiding others in their personal search with a gentle hand, never admonishing their lack of knowledge
• Demonstrates the beginnings of business acumen by ensuring that initiatives align with operational goals and budgets; shows passion to further develop this skill-set

WHO WE ARE

Located in the heart of Old Town Alexandria, Hotel Heron offers guests the opportunity to see Old Town from a new perspective. With Washington, DC just minutes away, Hotel Heron acts as beaconjust across the river, inviting travelers to explore beyond the National Mall and Monuments to discover a city ripe for its new renaissance. Originally opened in 1926 as the George Mason Hotel, the property has been thoughtfully reimagined through an adaptive reuse that pairs the historic inn with an adjacent new building housing modern event spaces and elevated guest rooms. Today, Hotel Heron is part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, a global portfolio of distinctive, independently spirited hotels. This chic 134 room hotel is home to a signature ground floor restaurant serving hearth inspired Mid-Atlantic cuisine, a cozy craft cocktail bar hidden in the heart of the hotel, and an open-air seasonal rooftop bar with unparalleled views of the Potomac. Elevated amenities include a state-of-the-art fitness center and meeting spaces designed for socializing, co-working, creating, eating, drinking, and relaxing. The hotel brings together world travelers and neighbors alike while showcasing Alexandria’s rich legacy and knack for innovation through thoughtful touches from local businesses and artisans.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Aparium Hospitality Services celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an equitable and inclusive environment, and sense of belonging for all employees. We do not discriminate and believe every individual should be proud of who they are, where they come from and take pride in who we serve.

Hotel Heron participates in the Department of Homeland Security's E-Verify program.

A complete list of benefits, will be shared during the employment process.