Sous Chef

Covenant Retirement Communities & Covenant Care; Knoxville (TN); On-site; USD 30,000 - 41,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision insurance

PTO & six paid holidays

403(b) with employer match

Fitness center access

Job summary

Covenant Living seeks an experienced culinary leader to oversee daily operations, develop menus, and supervise production of daily specials. You will assist in planning, ordering, inventory and provide hands-on leadership on busy shifts.

The role requires minimizing costs while maintaining high food quality and safety standards, training staff, and ensuring compliance with health regulations. This position offers growth in a faith-based continuing care environment.

Qualifications

• Requires high school diploma; culinary degree preferred.
• Sanitation certification required or must obtain within 6 months of hire.
• Safe Food Handling certification required.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily culinary operations and supervise production of daily specials.
• Assist Executive Chef with planning, ordering, inventory and food preparation.
• Mentor and supervise back-of-house staff including sous chefs and cooks.
• Ensure compliance with HACCP, ServSafe, and sanitation standards; maintain safety.
• Prepare, portion and present foods according to dietary needs and menu specs.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Menu development

Food safety

Inventory management

Team supervision

Cost control

Education

High school diploma

Culinary Arts degree

Job description

We Are Inspired to Serve. Join us! Oversee daily culinary operations and supervise production of daily specials while delegating tasks, spot-checking product for quality, and assisting on the line during peak service times. Assists the Executive Chef in all phases of planning, ordering, inventory, and food preparation. Assumes full responsibility of all culinary operations in the absence of the Executive Chef.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES: Food Production, Menu Development, and Delivery: Assist with menu development and implementation including creating daily and weekly specials, updating always available menu when appropriate, creating special event menus, such as for catering menus and holiday parties. Ensures that high quality food items are creatively prepared and presented. Ensures efficient, cost-effective operation and profitability of food production. Consistently maintains and checks standards for quality, cost, eye appeal and flavor. Monitor holding and storage operations, stocking and food rotation, and guarantee food service sanitation standards are met. Supports the management of cost controls and control expenditures for the kitchen as well as procurement of kitchen equipment and supplies with guidance from Executive Chef. Resourcefully solve any issues that arise and seize control of any problematic situation. Prepares and serves foods for therapeutic diets according to planned menus. Assists in serving meals, following member's diet and food preferences using proper portion sizes. Participates actively in planning/preparing special occasions and theme meal days. Assists in the preparation, portioning, garnishing, presentation, and safe storage of food. Estimates food consumption to purchase the appropriate amount of ingredients for preparation and provides recipe standards for each meal.

MENTORING STAFF: Acts as liaison between Executive chef and all back of house employees including sous chefs, lead cooks, line cooks, dishwashers, and dietary aides. Conduct pre and post shift walkthroughs with staff to identify compliance with station management, cleanliness and organization, proper inventory levels. Assist with enforcement of all food safety policies and procedures.

KITCHEN COMPLIANCE AND SANITATION: Ensures compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations and policies and procedures (e.g., HACCP, quality assurance, safety, operations, ServSafe, personnel). Establishes a safe work environment for employees by providing safety-related training and equipment maintenance and by ensuring compliance with safety and loss prevention programs and with standards. Understands, complies, and promotes all policies regarding residents’ rights. Follows procedures regarding cleaners or hazardous materials or objects, and fire safety. Promptly reports any hazardous conditions, equipment, accidents, and incidents. Follows the most current sanitation and food safety procedures including personal hygiene, monitoring and documentation of temperatures, and food storage including labeling and dating. Ensures proper storage of foods and supplies and adherence to daily, weekly, and monthly scheduled cleaning and sanitation tasks. Ensures that kitchen, equipment, and storage facilities are sanitary, neat, and organized. Attends in-services as required by corporate, state, and federal mandates.

Education and Work Experience

Required Degree: High school diploma Preferred Degree: Culinary Arts Degree

Certificate(s): Required to have current and approved sanitation certification or obtain certification within 6 months of hire. Safe Food Handling certification.

Experience: Minimum of three years lead experience as a Sous Chef or equivalent role at a high-volume restaurant. 5+ years' experience managing high volume and fast paced commercial kitchens. 3 + years' experience cooking experience in a fine dining environment and experience in a culinary leadership role preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Ability

Proficiency in a wide variety of kitchen stations, positions, cooking methods, ingredients, equipment, and procedures. Advanced knife skills. Inventory ordering and waste management skills. Proficient in recipe production. Proficient in multiple stations (Sauté, grill, salad, fry). Ability to not only think on feet but also create, produce, and deliver excellent products on the fly. Demonstrate knowledge of current culinary/market trends and creative food presentation. Must be highly organized and proficient in time management. Proficiency with computers, online purchasing, and inventory management, creating spreadsheets, checklists for cleaning, par level and food inventory. Excellent record of kitchen and staff management / lead responsibilities. Must have skill calculating figures and amounts and performing mathematical functions to meet business needs. Ability to communicate clearly with managers, kitchen and dining room staff and guests. Ability to work a flexible schedule including nights, weekends, and holidays.

Physical Requirements

May be required to lift or carry equipment or supplies weighing up to 50 pounds. Standing for extended periods of time, sitting, twisting, bending, squatting, kneeling, or crouching while assisting others. Ability to work in a kitchen environment. Attention to detail and manual dexterity. Withstand exposure to temperature and humidity changes as in entering refrigerated storage area and working at ovens, ranges, dish-washing machines, and steam tables. May be exposed to unpleasant conditions and/or at risk of exposure to accident, infection, and/or blood-borne pathogens.

Compensation

#Dining Compensation Pay Range: $22.40 - $30.44 per hour Reasonable Pay Estimate A reasonable estimate of the pay range for this position is $22.40 - $30.44 per hour. There are numerous factors taken into consideration in determining the actual offered rate of pay, including but not limited to: job-related qualifications, experience, skills, education, geographic location, and consideration of internal and external equity.

Benefits

• Medical, dental and vision insurance
• Employer paid group term life and disability
• Paid Time Off (PTO) & six paid holidays
• 403(b) with a 3% employer match
• Fitness center use at most facilities
• Life, AD&D Tuition assistance and scholarships
• Employee assistance program
• Legal services, home/auto insurance, discount purchasing program
• Pet Insurance

Additional Information

For more information about Covenant Living and CovenantCare at Home, please visit www.covliving.org or www.covenantcareathome.org.

Covenant Living and CovenantCare Home Health and Hospice are equal opportunity employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin or ancestry, age, disability, marital status, pregnancy, protected veteran status, protected genetic information, or any other characteristics protected by local laws, regulations, or ordinances.

We believe we are a great place to work. Covenant Living & CovenantCare at Home are faith-based Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) & Home Health organization. From the establishment of our first community – Covenant Home of Chicago in 1886 – to becoming the fifth-largest not-for-profit CCRC sponsor in the LeadingAge Ziegler Top 150, our goal has been to provide outstanding care and services to senior adults. We believe we are inspired to serve. We create joy and peace of mind for residents and their families by providing a better way of life. These are the standards of behavior we hold ourselves to in serving our residents.

Safety I learn & follow safety policies & procedures. I immediately report unsafe conditions for staff, residents, & guests and fix when possible. I protect residents, co-workers, & myself from unsafe conditions and practices by reporting unsafe conditions and fixing it or having it fixed. Courtesy I smile & acknowledge everyone that I encounter. I carry myself in a manner that projects positivity, approachability, & respectfulness. I address the concerns of others by actively listening & seeking solutions. Responsiveness I take initiative to respond to the needs of others in a timely manner to achieve resolution. I anticipate the needs of others and respond in a timely manner. I communicate to others who need to join me in responding to the needs of others. I return phone calls within 24 hours. I identify action steps and communicate them to all vested parties. Image I ensure our environment is professional, welcoming, & clean. I follow CL policies, procedures, & all regulations. We believe in making a difference in other’s lives. We have approximately 3,200 employees serving more than 5,000 residents in our nationwide family of continuing care retirement communities and home health. Construction and development continues on several of our 14 campuses, ensuring ever more exciting opportunities for employees to serve residents.