Sous Chef

Sava’s; Ann Arbor (MI); On-site; USD 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off

Paid Sick Time

Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vis

Short Term Disability

Life Insurance

401k with Employer Match

Parking Pass

Job summary

Sava’s in Ann Arbor, MI is seeking an experienced Sous Chef to help lead our back-of-house team and uphold our standards for food quality, consistency, cleanliness, safety, and hospitality.

You will train, coach, and develop staff, manage schedules, and collaborate on specials while protecting our culture in a fast-paced kitchen.

Qualifications

• 1+ years of kitchen management or sous chef leadership in a high-volume restaurant.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and accountability.
• Excellent organization for prep flow, scheduling, and follow-through.
• Clear communication with back and front of house teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead by example and support line cook and prep cook teams.
• Uphold high standards of professionalism, preparation, presentation, and execution.
• Ensure recipes, production methods, and plating standards are clearly communicated and followed.
• Conduct detailed line checks before service to confirm quality and readiness.
• Train, coach, and develop kitchen employees through feedback and hands-on leadership.
• Support hiring, onboarding, scheduling, and performance management for the back-of-house team.
• Create efficient schedules and manage food and labor costs.
• Collaborate with the Chef team on specials and menu changes.
• Maintain cleanliness, sanitation, food safety, and workplace safety.
• Build a culture of accountability, teamwork, and excellence.
• Respond calmly to fast-paced, high-volume kitchen demands.
• Hold the team to standards without compromise.

Skills

Kitchen leadership

Scheduling

Team development

Communication

Organizational skills

High-volume environment

Job description

Description

Bring your passion for food and leadership to Ann Arbor's most victorious restaurant!

Sava’s is seeking an experienced, dedicated Sous Chef to help lead our back-of-house team. In this role, you will work closely with the Chef team to uphold our standards for food quality, consistency, cleanliness, safety, and hospitality.

The right person is a hands-on leader who takes pride in developing others, maintaining an organized and efficient kitchen, and holding themselves and their team accountable. You’ll play an important role in protecting our culture while helping the kitchen continue to grow and evolve.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead by example and actively support our line cook and prep cook teams.
• Uphold high standards of professionalism, preparation, presentation, and execution.
• Ensure recipes, production methods, and plating standards are clearly communicated and consistently followed.
• Conduct detailed line checks before each service to confirm quality, organization, and readiness.
• Train, coach, and develop kitchen employees through consistent feedback and hands-on leadership.
• Support hiring, onboarding, scheduling, and performance management for the back-of-house team.
• Help create efficient schedules and services while managing food and labor costs responsibly.
• Collaborate with the Chef team on specials, menu changes, and the rollout of fresh, relevant dishes.
• Maintain the highest standards of cleanliness, sanitation, food safety, and workplace safety.
• Build a culture of accountability, teamwork, respect, and shared commitment to excellence.
• Respond calmly and effectively to the demands of a fast-paced, high-volume kitchen.
• Hold yourself and the team accountable without compromising our standards.

Why Work with Us?

• Paid Time Off to recharge and enjoy time away from work.
• Paid Sick Timethrough ESTA
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance to keep you and your family healthy.
• Company Sponsored Short Term Disability to take care of yourself if needed
• Life Insurance for peace of mind.
• 401k with Employer Match to plan for your future.
• Company Sponsored Parking Pass

Requirements

Who you are:

• 1+ years of kitchen management or sous chef leadership experience in a high-volume or chef-driven restaurant environment.
• Strong leadership presence with the ability to coach, develop, and hold team members accountable.
• Demonstrated organizational skills with experience managing systems, prep flow, scheduling, and operational follow-through
• Ability to communicate clearly and collaborate effectively with both back of house and front of house leadership teams
• Operates with professionalism, urgency, accountability, and attention to detail in fast-paced environments.

Physical Requirements

• Stand and walk for extended periods, often for the duration of a full shift.
• Lift, carry, and move up to 50 pounds occasionally and 25 pounds frequently.
• Bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, reach, and perform repetitive kitchen motions such as chopping, slicing, stirring, and plating.
• Safely operate kitchen equipment, including ovens, grills, fryers, knives, and food-preparation equipment.
• Work in a fast-paced, high-temperature kitchen environment with evening, weekend, and holiday availability as required by restaurant operations.