Sous Chef

Feeding Tampa Bay; Tampa (FL); On-site; USD 23,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

Feeding Tampa Bay seeks a Sous Chef to lead bulk production and oversee high-volume kitchen operations. This role balances hands-on meal preparation with team leadership to nourish communities across Trinity Cafe locations, catering events, and contracted meal programs.

The successful candidate will ensure nutrition, flavor, and food safety while guiding a diverse team of staff and volunteers in a mission-driven environment that emphasizes equity and dignity for all neighbors.

Qualifications

• Requires minimum 3 years in a professional kitchen with supervisory or lead experience.
• Valid ServSafe Manager Certification required.
• Proficient with kitchen and administrative tech (e.g., Concur, Paylocity, Galley, Excel).
• Able to scale bulk recipes while maintaining flavor and texture.

Responsibilities

• Lead high-volume bulk production and kitchen flow.
• Prepare and scale bulk meals for Trinity Cafe locations, catering, and contracts.
• Manage daily prep lists, kitchen organization, and back-of-house operations.
• Coordinate delivery timing with cafe drivers for hot and cold meals.
• Oversee catering events, including setup and breakdown.
• Train volunteers on food prep, safety, and plating techniques.
• Enforce food safety and sanitation per ServSafe and HACCP.

Skills

Culinary supervision

Communication skills

Time management

Volume mastery

Mission-driven

Education

Culinary experience (3+ years)

Tools

Concur

Galley

Paylocity

G-Suite

Job description

Description

Position Title: Sous Chef

Reports to: Executive Chef

Department: Operations

Location: Causeway Center

Classification: On-site

Core Hours: 5:00am-1:30pm, weekdays, weekends and holidays as needed (hours subject to change with business need)

Status: Nonexempt or Exempt

Range: $20.00/hr

Company Overview

Feeding Tampa Bay serves ten counties in West Central Florida and we are a leader in hunger relief across our region. Just last year, we served 85M meals to our neighbors through direct service and through our network of 400+ food pantry partners. But we know food alone won’t solve hunger – that’s why we’re redefining that it means to feed our region. By creating pathways to possibilities for nearly 1 million people, Feeding Tampa Bay connects and convenes solutions, partners and resources that nourish long-term stability. As a member of the Feeding America Network, we will work to dismantle barriers for individuals, families, and seniors across our area – because it’s possible.

At Feeding Tampa Bay, we are on a united path to transform our community. We thoughtfully drive change while embracing and celebrating our collective impact, as well as the impact of each individual. Through our Grow Code we strive to honor all, conquer together, be imaginists, speak with truth, and stay rooted in the mission of Feeding Tampa Bay.

Summary

The Sous Chef of Bulk Production oversees daily high-volume culinary operations, beautifully balancing hands-on meal execution with team leadership. This vital role is not just a cooking position; it is an opportunity to lead, motivate, and inspire a diverse team of staff and community volunteers to provide dignity and nourishment to our neighbors.

The Sous Chef manages the preparation of large-scale bulk meals for Trinity Cafe locations, catering events, and contracted meal programs. They ensure that every batch meets rigorous standards for nutrition, flavor, and food safety, while fostering a positive, equitable, and mission-driven environment in the back of the house.

DUTIES And RESPONSIBILITIES

• Exemplifies the desired culture and philosophies of Feeding Tampa Bay
• High-Volume Production & Flow
• Bulk Execution: Lead the physical preparation and cooking of bulk meals, accurately scaling recipes for Trinity Cafe locations, catering, and contract services.
• Shift Management: Create daily prep lists, optimize kitchen organization, and manage "back of house" flow to ensure smooth, efficient, and timely shifts.
• Logistical Coordination: Coordinate the timing of food production activities and work closely with Cafe drivers to ensure timely delivery of hot and cold meals to various distribution sites.
• Catering & Banquets: Coordinate and oversee banquet functions, including culinary setup, execution, and breakdown.
• Volunteer Engagement & Culture
• Model the Mission: Exemplify the desired culture, values, and philosophies of Feeding Tampa Bay (FTB).
• Inclusive Leadership: Guide, motivate, and oversee kitchen staff and volunteers from diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, ensuring an equitable, respectful, and rewarding experience.
• Culinary Training: Train volunteers on essential food prep, safety, and standardized plating techniques to ensure consistency in taste and presentation across large volumes.
• Community Relations: Foster positive, welcoming relationships with donors, volunteers, and community partners during kitchen shifts.
• Inventory, Systems & Food Safety
• Food Safety Enforcement: Enforce strict food safety and sanitation protocols. Maintain meticulous logs (cooling, cooking temperatures, and cleaning checklists) in strict adherence to ServSafe and HACCP guidelines.
• Ingredient Stewardship: Check ingredient quality for freshness, manage strict "First-In, First-Out" (FIFO) rotation, and find creative ways to safely repurpose donated food to minimize waste.
• Inventory Control: Properly label, date, pack, and store all prepared items and leftovers. Monitor stock levels, check in orders against manifests, and manage food costs.
• Administrative Reporting: Maintain accurate operational data on specified production forms and utilize organizational software (e.g., Concur) for expense and budget tracking.
• Other duties as assigned.
• This position is regularly required to stand, walk, reach with arms and hands, climb or balance, and to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl

Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION And/or EXPERIENCE

• Excel working in a fast-paced, evolving environment and demonstrate the ability to embrace the FTB’s commitment to treat all people with equity and respect in pursuit of our mission to feed people in need and mobilize our community to eliminate hunger
• Education & Professional Experience
• Culinary Experience: A minimum of 3 years of experience in a professional kitchen, with proven supervisory or shift-lead experience. High-volume, high-capacity kitchen experience (catering, commissary, hotel, or institutional) is strongly preferred.
• Food Safety Certification: Valid ServSafe Manager Certification is required.
• Software Proficiency: Comfortable utilizing kitchen and administrative technology (e.g., Word, Excel, G-Suite, Zoom, Paylocity, Concur, and inventory/recipe software like Galley).
• Technical & Leadership Skills
• Volume Mastery: Excellent volume-cooking skills, including a strong understanding of how to scale batches up or down without sacrificing flavor profile or structural integrity.
• Communication Skills: Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills. The ability to give clear, concise, and respectful direction to a constantly rotating crew of volunteers.
• Operational Efficiency: Exceptional time management, organizational, and prioritization skills. A proactive self-starter who can multi-task in a fast-paced environment.
• Physical & Logistical Requirements
• Physical Demands: Regularly required to stand for long periods, walk, reach with arms and hands, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• Lifting Capacity: Ability to safely lift and move up to 50 lbs.
• Schedule Flexibility: Ability to work a flexible schedule to accommodate business levels, including evenings, holidays, and weekends. The typical schedule requires availability from 5:00 a.m. –1:30 p.m., Monday-Friday, weekends and holidays as needed. We operate 365 days per year.
• Mission Mobility: At least 18 years of age with a valid driver's license and a clean driving record that meets company guidelines. Willing to step out of the kitchen to actively participate in hands‑on mission-driven programs, such as mobile food distributions and disaster relief operations.
• Compliance & Internal Requirements
• Internal Candidates: Must be an employee in good standing with no corrective actions within the last 90 days.
• Scope of Role: Ability to perform other duties as assigned by culinary leadership.
• Willing to actively participate in mission-driven programs, such as food distribution initiatives and disaster relief operations as needed.
• All internal candidates must be in good standing with no corrective actions within the last 90 days.