Sous Chef

St Francis House; Boston, Northern (MA, KY); Hybrid; USD 49,000 - 53,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vacation 4 weeks

13 holidays per year

Life & disability insurance

403(b) retirement plan with 5% match

Job summary

St. Francis House in Boston is seeking a dedicated Sous Chef to assist the Head Chef with daily kitchen operations, meal preparation, and service for residents and guests. The role focuses on safe, nutritious meals and efficient workflow in a high-volume environment.

You will support menu planning, vendor relations, inventory, and administrative tasks while ensuring HACCP and ServSafe standards are met. This is a full-time position with a comprehensive benefits package and opportunities to

Qualifications

• High school diploma required; culinary education a plus.
• Formal food-service certification preferred.
• Experience in a kitchen for a shelter or similar environment is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Assist Head Chef in supervising kitchen staff and volunteers.
• Prepare nutritious, well-balanced meals with attention to portions.
• Support menu planning and food production based on counts and inventory.
• Monitor waste and control costs through portion control and efficient prep.
• Maintain HACCP/ServSafe compliance and sanitation standards.

Skills

Communication

Teamwork

Organization

Problem-solving

Education

High School Diploma

Culinary Arts Education

Food Service Certification

Job description

Description

Hourly Range: $23.37 - $25.70 per hour FLSA Status: Non-exempt Schedule: Full time; Tuesday - Saturday, 5:30AM - 1:30PM Homelessness is a public health, social and racial justice issue!

Since 1984, St. Francis House has committed itself to healing the wounds of those impacted by an inequitable society and breaking down the barriers, including systemic racism that prevent all people from living lives of dignity.

St. Francis House is the State’s largest provider of day services supporting people who are at risk of or are experiencing homelessness. Located in the heart of downtown Boston, we compassionately welcome nearly 500+ adults through our doors every day who are seeking a safe and dignified refuge and opportunities to rebuild their lives. Our holistic approach allows us to deepen our impact by offering integrated programing that helps our guests achieve stability in the areas of housing, income, and behavioral health. Joining our team would provide you a dynamic opportunity to work with an interdisciplinary team of providers dedicated to solving this public health crisis.

We offer an extensive Benefits package! Up to 90% of individual insurance premiums paid for Harvard Pilgrim Health Care health insurance & Altus dental insurance, 4 weeks of vacation and 13 holidays recognized per year, employer – paid life & disability insurance, a vested 403b retirement with 5% match, and much more!

Job Summary

The Sous Chef supports the Head Chef in overseeing daily kitchen operations, including meal preparation, food safety, inventory, staff and volunteer coordination, and timely meal service. This role also supports vendor relationships, purchasing, invoice reconciliation, and administrative functions to ensure efficient and cost-effective food service.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities

• Assist the Head Chef in training, supervising, and coordinating the daily activities of kitchen staff and volunteers involved in food preparation and meal service.
• Prepare and distribute nutritious, well-balanced meals while maintaining high standards for quality, presentation, portion control, and timely service.
• Assist with menu planning and food production based on meal counts, inventory, nutritional needs, and available donated food.
• Monitor meal counts, portion sizes, and food usage to minimize waste and control costs.
• Set up catering carts and coordinate meal delivery to ensure meals are prepared and distributed accurately and on schedule.
• Maintain a clean, safe, and organized kitchen, including proper operation, cleaning, and maintenance of equipment.
• Follow and enforce HACCP, ServSafe™, and all applicable food safety and sanitation standards; train staff and volunteers on proper food handling and sanitation practices.
• Maintain and implement sanitation procedures, cleaning schedules, and required food-service records.
• Manage food deliveries, receiving, storage, inventory, and product rotation. Inspect vendor and donor deliveries for quality, quantity, and damage and communicate discrepancies as needed.
• Assist with food and supply ordering based on inventory, meal counts, and operational needs.
• Maintain positive relationships with vendors, suppliers, and food donors; coordinate orders, deliveries, substitutions, quality concerns, and billing issues.
• Reconcile vendor invoices with deliveries and purchasing records and resolve discrepancies in a timely manner.
• Maintain accurate records related to purchases, invoices, inventory, donations, deliveries, and food-service operations.
• Assist with staff and volunteer scheduling and coordinate kitchen coverage for meal preparation, service, deliveries, and cleaning.
• Document and report kitchen incidents, accidents, safety concerns, and other issues to the Head Chef and appropriate staff.
• Support the Head Chef with administrative tasks, budgeting, reporting, vendor management, and overall kitchen operations.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Excellent communication, collaboration, interpersonal, and team-building skills, with the ability to work effectively with staff, vendors, and external partners.
• Demonstrated integrity, professionalism, compassion, and diplomacy, with a commitment to acting in the best interests of the Agency and its staff.
• Ability to manage complex or stressful situations with patience, sound judgment, consistency, and discretion.
• Strong organizational, time-management, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to prioritize, multitask, delegate, and meet deadlines.
• Detail-oriented and able to work effectively in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly communicate information to individuals and groups.
• Experience working with and coordinating external service vendors.
• Commitment to maintaining current knowledge and proficiency in relevant skills, practices, and requirements.
• Proficiency in English and Microsoft Office Suite or related software.
• Basic understanding of and commitment to person-centered, recovery-oriented, and trauma-informed practices.

Education & Experience

• High School degree or equivalent required.
• Further education in culinary arts a plus.
• Formal certification in food services preferred.
• A minimum of three years of related experience in direct food preparation required.
• Restaurant experience is a plus.
• Experience working within homeless services preferred.
• Lived experience with homelessness and/or recovery a plus.
• Human Service shelter or program experiences a plus.
• Bi-lingual in Spanish a plus.

Work Environment & Activity

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Ability to work in a kitchen, which may be subject to extreme temperature changes.
• Constantly operate computer and other office machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, computer printer.
• Occasional ability to bend, stoop, reach overhead to lift, move supplies.
• Ability to lift 25–50 pound packages and transport them from one area to another as needed.
• Constantly standing and moving throughout multi-level building.
• Rotating holiday coverage required. Occasional evenings may also be required with advance notice.

SFH is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. We are committed to fair and equitable employment practices and to fostering a workplace where all employees are respected, supported, and able to grow. In support of our mission, we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including those with lived experience of homelessness or recovery and those who have faced barriers to employment. We value the range of experiences and perspectives that strengthen our work in the community.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these duties.

This job description is subject to change and does not restrict management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.