Sous Chef

River Terrace Inn, a Noble House Hotel; Napa (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pay on Demand

401k after 90 days

Free daily family meal

Noble House rate discounts

Medical, Dental and Vision benefits

Job summary

River Terrace Inn in Napa, CA, is seeking an experienced Sous Chef to lead the kitchen, directing AM and PM operations across all outlets, rooms service, and events.

You will design seasonal menus, standardize recipes, and ensure strict adherence to food safety, quality, and cost controls, while mentoring BOH staff and fostering a collaborative kitchen culture.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of progressive culinary management in a high-volume hotel/resort setting.
• Degree in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, or equivalent.
• Proficiency with recipe costing, inventory, and labor scheduling software.
• Excellent English communication; bilingual (Spanish/English) is a strong asset.
• Flexibility to work mornings, nights, weekends, and holidays.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all kitchen operations for AM and PM shifts to ensure smooth handovers.
• Recruit, hire, train, and mentor all BOH staff including sous chefs, line cooks, and prep cooks.
• Develop innovative, seasonal menus and maintain a recipe database with yields and plating guides.
• Ensure food safety, allergen awareness, and compliance with health regulations.
• Manage culinary budgets, food costs, inventory, and vendor relationships.
• Maintain cleaning schedules and coordinate preventive maintenance of equipment.

Skills

Leadership

Staff management

English communication

Bilingual (Spanish/English)

Education

Degree in Culinary Arts or Hospitality Management

Tools

Craftable

Paylocity

Micros

Avero

Job description

We Are

Ideally situated along the picturesque Napa River, near vibrant Oxbow Public Marketplace, the Culinary Institute of America , and lively downtown Napa, River Terrace Inn is the ultimate Wine Country destination. Inviting rooms and suites with calming river views and warm fireplaces welcome guests back after days spent exploring the Valley. The Inn provides Napa visitors with accommodations that feel like home while staying true to Wine Country’s chic, boutique aesthetic Our restaurant ALBA Bar & Cafe is open daily for breakfast, and small bites in the evening at the Bar. We also have (3) private rooms for banquets & catered events.

River Terrace Inn

A day in the life...

The Sous Chef is the culinary manager responsible for the strategic leadership, operational execution, and financial performance of the hotel’s entire kitchen division. This role oversees all BOH personnel across morning (AM) and evening (PM) shifts, ensuring seamless execution of standard restaurant dining, room service, banquets, and catering events. The ideal candidate will blend creative culinary talent with strong business acumen, directly managing menu design, inventory, safety compliance, and team development to deliver an exceptional guest dining experience.

You own this if you have ...

1. Leadership & Team Management

• Direct Operations: Oversee all kitchen operations for both AM and PM shifts, ensuring smooth transition handovers between teams.
• Staffing & Scheduling: Recruit, hire, train, and mentor all back-of-house (BOH) staff, including sous chefs, line cooks, prep cooks, and stewards.
• Performance Management: Conduct regular performance evaluations, provide constructive coaching, and enforce company policies consistently.
• Culture: Foster a collaborative, high-energy, and respectful kitchen culture focused on quality and efficiency.

2. Culinary Excellence & Menu Production

• Menu Creation: Develop in conjunction with F&B Director innovative, seasonal, and cost-effective menus for hotel restaurants, bars, room service, and banquets.
• Recipe Standardization: Create and maintain a comprehensive recipe database with exact yields, portion controls, and visual plating guides.
• Quality Control: Continuously monitor food preparation, presentation, and taste to ensure consistency across all shifts.

3. Food Safety, Health, & Allergen Compliance

• Sanitation Standards: Maintain pristine kitchen cleanliness, ensuring full compliance with local, state, and federal health department regulations.
• Allergen Awareness: Implement strict protocols for cross-contamination prevention, food labeling, and specialized guest dietary requests (e.g., gluten-free, vegan, severe nut allergies).
• Certifications: Hold and maintain an active ServSafe Manager certification (or local equivalent) and conduct regular safety training for all staff.

4. Financial Control & Inventory Management

• Cost Control: Manage the culinary budget, tracking food cost percentages and labor costs against monthly financial targets.
• Inventory Control: Oversee regular ordering, receiving, and weekly physical inventory counts to maintain optimal stock levels.
• Waste Mitigation: Implement strict waste logging and tracking systems to minimize food loss and optimize ingredient cross-utilization.
• Vendor Relations: Manage partnerships with food and equipment suppliers to negotiate competitive pricing and ensure ingredient quality.

5. Kitchen Cleanliness & Equipment Maintenance

• Master Cleaning Schedule: Establish, audit, and enforce a daily, weekly, and monthly deep-cleaning checklist for all kitchen zones.
• Preventative Maintenance: Monitor the functionality of all commercial kitchen equipment (walk-ins, ovens, hoods, dishwashing stations) and coordinate immediate repairs with the engineering department.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Experience: Minimum of 3–5 years of progressive culinary management experience in a high-volume setting, preferably within a premium hotel, resort, or multi-outlet hospitality venue.
• Education: Degree in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, or equivalent professional experience is required.
• Technical Skills: Proficiency in culinary software for recipe costing, inventory management, and labor scheduling (e.g., Craftable, Paylocity, Micros, Avero, or similar systems).
• Communication: Exceptional verbal and written English communication skills; bilingual proficiency (Spanish/English) is a strong asset.
• Flexibility: Ability to work a flexible schedule, including early mornings, late nights, weekends, and holidays based on hotel occupancy and event bookings.
• Physical Demands: Capacity to stand and walk for extended periods (8+ hours), work in high-temperature environments, and lift up to 50 pounds.

We've got you covered ...

In return, we offer competitive wages, Pay on Demand, a 401k savings plan which you will be eligible to join after 90 days of employment. Team members can take advantage of free daily family meal. IN addition, team members are eligible for the Noble House Team Member and Family & Friends Rate discount Program at Noble House properties. Medical, Dental and Vision benefits.

OUR CULTURE | Individual Distinction, Collective Soul

The Noble House Hotels & Resorts philosophy emphasizes "location, distinction, and soul." Our properties are not a "one-size-fits-all." And neither are our team members. What makes us The River Terrace Inn Hotel lies within our team. We are a group of individuals that share a passion for hospitality. We let our personalities shine and we like to have fun.

DEIA Statement

At River Terrace Inn, we take pride in supporting our initiatives towards Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility. We have established a hotel committee to bring together a variety of thoughts, perspectives, and expressions – and we would love for you to share yours with the team!

Noble House Hotels & Resorts are proud to encourage and support an environment where everyone can be a successful team member (come as they are) as their true authentic self. We are an equal opportunity workplace and employer that does not discriminate based on race, color, disability, gender/sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, veteran status, or any other protected status. We are committed to building a team (rooted in family) and a workplace where we are all able to be successful based solely on our individual qualifications, experience, abilities, and job performance.