SOUS CHEF - CHICAGO, IL

Compass Group USA; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life Insurance/ AD&D

Disability Insurance

Retirement Plan

Paid Time Off

Holiday Time Off

Associate Shopping Program

Health and Wellness Programs

Discount Marketplace

Identity Theft Protection

Pet Insurance

Commuter Benefits

Employee Assistance Program

FSAs

Paid Parental Leave

Personal Leave

Job summary

Eurest in Chicago is seeking a Sous Chef to lead culinary operations for an upscale corporate café, executive dining, conference center, and catering program.

You will blend culinary creativity with hospitality expertise to deliver high-quality, seasonal menus and premium presentations in a fast-paced corporate setting.

Qualifications

• A.S. or equivalent experience.
• 2+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience.
• Experience in full service restaurants, corporate dining, luxury catering, hotels, restaurants, country clubs, or conference centers.
• Strong menu development and event execution experience.
• Demonstrated success managing food and labor costs.
• ServSafe Manager Certification and City of Chicago Food Managers license preferred.
• Culinary degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily kitchen operations across breakfast, lunch, grab-and-go, and catering programs.
• Develop innovative seasonal menus featuring local, on-trend ingredients.
• Maintain exceptional standards for food quality, taste, and presentation.
• Execute daily specials and chef-driven features for guest engagement.
• Ensure all food is prepared and presented to company and client standards.
• Lead production and execution for executive meetings, receptions, client events, and large-scale catering.
• Design customized menus for VIP and specialty events with the GM.
• Oversee buffet displays and themed events, ensuring timely execution of catered events.
• Maintain all food safety, sanitation, and HACCP standards.
• Ensure compliance with local health regulations and company policies.
• Lead kitchen cleanliness and organization initiatives.
• Enforce safe food handling and workplace safety procedures.
• Interact professionally with clients and guests during events and activations.
• Support tasting events, chef showcases, and hospitality-focused programming.
• Respond to feedback and continuously improve menus and service delivery.
• Create an elevated dining experience reflective of luxury hospitality standards.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Menu development

Event execution

Food cost control

Food safety HACCP

Microsoft Office

Customer service

Education

AS or equivalent experience

Culinary degree (preferred)

ServSafe Manager Certification (preferred)

City of Chicago Food Managers license (preferred)

Tools

Microsoft Office

Excel

PowerPoint

Outlook

Job description

Position Title:SOUS CHEF - CHICAGO, IL

Salary:$70,000 - $75,000

As the leader in business and industry dining, Eurest is the company to join if you want a rewarding career packed with limitless opportunities. We feed the employees of the nation's largest and most-prestigious companies -- in every state and across all industries. As a member of Eurest's leadership and professional support team, you will help our 16,000 chefs, and in-unit associates excel as they deliver world-class meals in corporate cafes and executive dining rooms with on-site catering through vending innovations and more.

Our company is innovative, high performing and fast growing. Our teammates are enthusiastic, committed to quality and thrive on consistently delivering unparalleled results. And did we mention we work with exciting companies and at interesting locations?Come grow your career with Eurest.

Job Summary

Job Summary:

Working as the Sous Chef, you are responsible for leading all culinary operations for an upscale corporate café, executive dining, conference center, and catering program. This role combines culinary creativity to deliver exceptional food quality in a professional corporate environment. The ideal candidate is passionate about hospitality, seasonal menu development, premium presentation, and elevated event execution.

Key Responsibilities:

Culinary Leadership

• Lead daily kitchen operations, ensuring consistent execution of breakfast, lunch, grab-and-go, and catering programs.
• Develop innovative seasonal menus featuring fresh, locally sourced, and on-trend ingredients.
• Maintain exceptional standards for food quality, taste, presentation, and portion control.
• Execute daily specials and chef-driven features that enhance guest engagement.
• Ensure all food is prepared and presented according to company and client standards.

Catering & Special Events

• Lead production and execution for executive meetings, receptions, client events, and large-scale catering functions.
• Work with GM to design customized menus for VIP and specialty events.
• Oversee buffet displays, action stations, themed events, and hospitality activations.
• Ensure timely execution of catered events.

Food Safety & Compliance

• Maintain all food safety, sanitation, and HACCP standards.
• Ensure compliance with local health regulations and company policies.
• Lead kitchen cleanliness and organization initiatives.
• Enforce safe food handling and workplace safety procedures.

Client & Guest Experience

• Interact professionally with clients and guests during events and activations.
• Support tasting events, chef showcases, and hospitality-focused programming.
• Respond to feedback and continuously improve menu offerings and service delivery.
• Create an elevated dining experience reflective of luxury hospitality standards.

Preferred Qualifications:

• A.S. or equivalent experience
• 2+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience.
• Experience in full service restaurants, corporate dining, luxury catering, hotels, restaurants, country clubs, or conference centers.
• Strong menu development and event execution experience.
• Demonstrated success managing food and labor costs. ServSafe Manager Certification and City of Chicago Food Managers license preferred.
• Culinary degree preferred.
• Strong understanding of scratch cooking and modern culinary techniques.
• Some progressive culinary/kitchen management experience, depending upon formal degree or training
• Catering experience a plus
• High volume, complex foodservice operations experience - highly desirable
• Institutional and batch cooking experiences helpful
• Comprehensive knowledge of food and catering trends with a focus on quality, production, sanitation, food cost controls, and presentation
• Must be experienced with computers; to include Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and Power Point), Outlook, E-mail and the Internet
• Must be willing to participate in client satisfaction programs/activities
• ServSafe certified - highly desirable

Monday-Friday | High-End Corporate Café & Catering Operation

Associates at Eurest are offered many fantastic benefits.

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life Insurance/ AD
• Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Paid Time Off
• Holiday Time Off (varies by site/state)
• Associate Shopping Program
• Health and Wellness Programs
• Discount Marketplace
• Identity Theft Protection
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Paid Parental Leave
• Personal Leave

Associates may also be eligible for paid and/or unpaid time off benefits in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. For positions in Washington State, Maryland,or to be performed Remotely,click hereor copy/paste the link below for paid time off benefits information.

https://www.compass-usa.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2026_Wage-Transparency_Eurest.pdf

Compass Group is an equal opportunity employer. At Compass, we are committed to treating all Applicants and Associates fairly based on their abilities, achievements, and experience without regard to race, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by law.

Qualified candidates must be able to perform the essential functions of this position satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation. Disclaimer: this job post is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all essential responsibilities, skills, tasks, or requirements associated with this position. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the position posted, the Company reserves the right to modify or change the essential functions of the job based on business necessity. We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with a criminal history (including relevant driving history), in a manner consistent with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York Fair Chance Act.

Eurest maintains a drug-free workplace.

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.