Sous Chef St Martins University

Compass Group USA; Lacey (WA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Vision

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Retirement Plan

Paid Time Off

Holiday Time Off

Associate Shopping Program

Health and Wellness Programs

Discount Marketplace

Identity Theft Protection

Pet Insurance

Employee Assistance Program

FSAs

Personal Leave

Job summary

Bon Appétit Management Company, in partnership with Saint Martin's University, seeks a passionate Sous Chef to lead campus dining and catering operations. You will oversee daily production, mentor staff, and ensure scratch-made menus using seasonal and local ingredients while upholding safety and hospitality standards.

You will collaborate with a leadership team to drive quality, cost control, and exceptional guest experiences across residential dining, retail concepts, and catering events on

Qualifications

• Associate’s degree or formal training in Culinary Arts preferred.
• Three or more years of progressive culinary leadership experience in higher education, restaurants, hotels, catering, healthcare, or contract foodservice.
• Experience with high-volume scratch cooking operations.
• Strong knowledge of food production, menu execution, inventory management, and labor planning.
• Experience supporting catering and special event programs.
• Demonstrated success leading and developing culinary teams.
• Knowledge of food safety regulations and HACCP principles.
• ServSafe Manager Certification preferred or willingness to obtain.
• Strong organizational, communication, and leadership skills.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including occasional evenings, weekends, and special events.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Executive Chef in directing all culinary operations for campus dining and catering.
• Lead daily kitchen production and service while maintaining exceptional standards for food quality, freshness, consistency, and presentation.
• Execute scratch-made menus utilizing seasonal ingredients and locally sourced products whenever possible.
• Support menu development, recipe testing, and implementation of innovative culinary offerings.
• Ensure efficient production planning and execution for breakfast, lunch, dinner, retail food concepts, and special events.
• Maintain high-quality standards while managing a high-volume foodservice environment.
• Supervise, coach, and develop hourly culinary staff in a supportive and accountable environment.
• Partner with a leadership team consisting of five salaried managers and approximately forty-five team members.
• Provide hands‑on training in culinary techniques, food safety, sanitation, and presentation standards.
• Assist with scheduling, labor management, and daily staffing deployment.
• Foster a positive culture focused on teamwork, engagement, inclusion, and professional growth.
• Oversee catering and special events execution to meet quality and hospitality standards.
• Maintain compliance with food safety, HACCP, sanitation, and workplace safety standards.
• Monitor inventory, receiving, storage, product rotation, and waste management practices.
• Support purchasing efforts and cost‑control initiatives while preserving food quality.
• Assist in achieving financial goals related to food cost, labor efficiency, and operational performance.
• Ensure adherence to Compass Group and university policies and standards.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Menu planning

Food safety

Labor planning

Catering experience

Leadership

Communication

Education

Culinary Arts training

Job description

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Position Title:Sous Chef St Martins University

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Our Passion is Food!
At Bon Appetit Management Company we are committed to two things, great food and outstanding service! At Bon Appetit you won't find our managers referring to a corporate recipe book or our chefs microwaving the lunch special. We do not have standardized recipes or central commissaries, instead, our chefs and managers are expected to stay abreast of current culinary trends and bring cutting edge food into their cafes. We are a restaurant company that operates in contract food service. That means you will have the freedom to be creative, take risks, and truly shine. We are committed to our staff growing, trying new things, and learning all that they can. Our rapid growth and breadth of accounts translates into exciting opportunities for our people!

Job Summary

Bon Appétit Management Company is proud to partner with Saint Martin's University to deliver fresh, scratch-made, locally sourced dining experiences across campus. Our culinary team is committed to crafting exceptional food while supporting sustainable practices, fostering community, and creating memorable hospitality experiences for students, faculty, staff, and guests.

The dining program encompasses a dynamic mix of residential dining, retail operations, convenience services, and a thriving catering program. The operation includes a full-service dining hall, two coffee bar concepts, a campus convenience store, and a diverse catering portfolio ranging from casual meetings to formal university events.

We're seeking a passionate and driven Sous Chef who is ready to lead from the front, inspire culinary excellence, and contribute to a culture built around fresh food, hospitality, teamwork, and innovation.

The Sous Chef serves as a key member of the culinary leadership team, partnering with the Executive Chef and fellow managers to oversee daily food production, team development, quality assurance, and operational execution across multiple dining venues.

Bon Appétit Management Company is proud to partner with Saint Martin's University to deliver fresh, scratch-made, locally sourced dining experiences across campus. Our culinary team is committed to crafting exceptional food while supporting sustainable practices, fostering community, and creating memorable hospitality experiences for students, faculty, staff, and guests.

The dining program encompasses a dynamic mix of residential dining, retail operations, convenience services, and a thriving catering program. The operation includes a full-service dining hall, two coffee bar concepts, a campus convenience store, and a diverse catering portfolio ranging from casual meetings to formal university events.

We're seeking a passionate and driven Sous Chef who is ready to lead from the front, inspire culinary excellence, and contribute to a culture built around fresh food, hospitality, teamwork, and innovation.

The Sous Chef serves as a key member of the culinary leadership team, partnering with the Executive Chef and fellow managers to oversee daily food production, team development, quality assurance, and operational execution across multiple dining venues.

This hands‑on leadership role requires a chef who thrives in a fast‑paced environment, enjoys mentoring culinary talent, and is committed to delivering consistently outstanding food and service. The Sous Chef will help ensure successful execution of residential dining, retail foodservice, and catering operations while maintaining Bon Appétit's high standards for food quality, sustainability, safety, and guest satisfaction.

Responsibilities

Culinary Leadership

• Assist the Executive Chef in directing all culinary operations for campus dining and catering.
• Lead daily kitchen production and service while maintaining exceptional standards for food quality, freshness, consistency, and presentation.
• Execute scratch-made menus utilizing seasonal ingredients and locally sourced products whenever possible.
• Support menu development, recipe testing, and implementation of innovative culinary offerings.
• Ensure efficient production planning and execution for breakfast, lunch, dinner, retail food concepts, and special events.
• Maintain high-quality standards while managing a high-volume foodservice environment.
• Supervise, coach, and develop hourly culinary staff in a supportive and accountable environment.
• Partner with a leadership team consisting of five salaried managers and approximately forty-five team members.
• Provide hands‑on training in culinary techniques, food safety, sanitation, and presentation standards.
• Assist with scheduling, labor management, and daily staffing deployment.
• Foster a positive culture focused on teamwork, engagement, inclusion, and professional growth.

Catering & Special Events

• Support an active catering operation.
• Oversee culinary execution for events ranging from small departmental meetings to large campus functions, receptions, banquets, and plated dinners.
• Assist with menu planning, production scheduling, event preparation, and on‑site execution.
• Ensure every event reflects Bon Appétit's commitment to quality, hospitality, and creativity.

Operational Excellence

• Maintain compliance with food safety, HACCP, sanitation, and workplace safety standards.
• Monitor inventory, receiving, storage, product rotation, and waste management practices.
• Support purchasing efforts and cost‑control initiatives while preserving food quality.
• Assist in achieving financial goals related to food cost, labor efficiency, and operational performance.
• Ensure consistent adherence to Bon Appétit and university policies and standards.

Qualifications

Associate's degree or formal training in Culinary Arts preferred.

Three or more years of progressive culinary leadership experience in higher education, restaurants, hotels, catering, healthcare, or contract foodservice.

Experience with high-volume scratch cooking operations.

Strong knowledge of food production, menu execution, inventory management, and labor planning.

Experience supporting catering and special event programs.

Demonstrated success leading and developing culinary teams.

Knowledge of food safety regulations and HACCP principles.

ServSafe Manager Certification preferred or willingness to obtain.

Strong organizational, communication, and leadership skills.

Ability to work flexible hours, including occasional evenings, weekends, and special events.

Bon Appetit is a member of Compass Group USA.

Associates at Bon Appetit are offered many fantastic benefits.

• Medical
• 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
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• 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 here or copy/paste the link below for paid time off benefits information.

https://www.compass-usa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2023_WageTransparency_BAMCO.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.

Bon Appetit maintains a drug‑free workplace.