Junior Sous Chef

Department: Culinary
Reports To: Executive Chef and/or Executive Sous Chef
Employment Status: Full-Time
Classification: Exempt based on business needs
Property: Hotel Phoenix

Position Summary

The Junior Sous Chef supports the daily operation of Hotel Phoenix’s culinary department and assists culinary leadership with delivering consistent, high-quality food and exceptional guest experiences. This position provides hands-on leadership across the hotel’s restaurants, banquets, in-room dining, associate cafeteria, rooftop and seasonal outlets, and other culinary operations as assigned.

The Junior Sous Chef helps supervise culinary associates, maintain food-quality and presentation standards, manage preparation and production, ensure compliance with sanitation requirements, and promote an organized, respectful, and productive kitchen environment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Culinary Operations

• Assist with the preparation, production, and presentation of food for all hotel culinary outlets.
• Ensure every dish is prepared according to approved recipes, portion standards, presentation guidelines, and guest expectations.
• Review daily business levels, banquet event orders, reservations, occupancy forecasts, and special events to properly prepare for service.
• Assist with coordinating food production for restaurants, banquets, in-room dining, the associate cafeteria, and seasonal outlets.
• Inspect food products for freshness, quality, appearance, taste, and proper storage.
• Monitor ticket times and assist the culinary team during high-volume service periods.
• Maintain proper station setup, organization, cleanliness, and breakdown procedures.
• Assist with menu development, daily specials, recipe testing, and seasonal culinary offerings.
• Ensure guest requests, allergy concerns, and dietary restrictions are handled carefully and communicated appropriately.
• Minimize food waste while maintaining the hotel’s quality and presentation standards.

Leadership and Team Development

• Provide daily direction, coaching, and support to cooks, stewards, and other culinary associates.
• Lead pre-shift meetings and communicate service expectations, menu changes, special events, and operational priorities.
• Assist with training associates on recipes, preparation techniques, equipment use, sanitation, and workplace safety.
• Delegate assignments and monitor performance throughout the shift.
• Help maintain a professional, respectful, and collaborative kitchen environment.
• Address performance or conduct concerns promptly and communicate them to culinary leadership.
• Support new-hire onboarding and ensure associates receive the training necessary to perform their positions successfully.
• Serve as the culinary leader on duty when assigned.

Food Safety and Sanitation

• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local food-safety regulations.
• Follow and enforce Hotel Phoenix sanitation, hygiene, and safety standards.
• Monitor food temperatures, cooling procedures, labeling, dating, storage, and product rotation.
• Ensure all food is stored using proper FIFO procedures.
• Complete required sanitation, temperature, and food-safety documentation accurately.
• Identify and correct unsafe conditions or food-handling practices immediately.
• Ensure kitchen equipment, preparation areas, coolers, freezers, and storage areas remain clean and organized.
• Assist with health-department inspections and internal food-safety audits.
• Report equipment concerns, maintenance needs, injuries, and safety hazards promptly.

Cost and Inventory Management

• Assist with receiving, inspecting, and properly storing food and culinary supplies.
• Monitor portion control, food usage, waste, and production levels.
• Assist with inventory counts, ordering, and maintaining appropriate par levels.
• Help control food and labor costs through effective planning, scheduling, and production management.
• Protect hotel assets and ensure culinary products and equipment are used responsibly.
• Communicate product shortages, quality concerns, and ordering needs to culinary leadership.

Guest Service

• Maintain a strong commitment to providing exceptional and personalized guest experiences.
• Respond professionally and promptly to guest feedback or food-quality concerns.
• Collaborate with Food and Beverage, Banquets, Stewarding, Purchasing, Engineering, and other hotel departments.
• Support special events, VIP amenities, tastings, and customized culinary experiences.
• Represent Hotel Phoenix with professionalism, hospitality, and pride.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Culinary degree or recognized culinary certification preferred.
• Minimum of two years of progressive culinary experience in a hotel, resort, restaurant, banquet, or high-volume food-service environment preferred.
• Previous lead cook or culinary supervisory experience strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting multiple culinary outlets or banquet operations is preferred.
• Working knowledge of food preparation, cooking techniques, kitchen equipment, sanitation, and food-safety requirements.
• Ability to read and execute recipes, banquet event orders, production sheets, and kitchen instructions.
• Ability to organize multiple priorities and remain composed in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication, leadership, time-management, and problem-solving skills.
• Basic knowledge of food cost, inventory control, portion control, and labor management.
• ServSafe Food Protection Manager certification preferred or required within the timeframe established by the hotel.
• Must be able to work independently and as part of a team.

Scheduling Requirements

The Junior Sous Chef must be available to work a flexible schedule based on business demands, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and extended hours. The position may be required to support different culinary outlets and shifts throughout the hotel.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods.
• Ability to lift, carry, push, or pull up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to bend, reach, stoop, kneel, and perform repetitive motions.
• Ability to work around hot surfaces, open flames, sharp equipment, steam, refrigeration, and varying temperatures.
• Ability to safely operate commercial kitchen equipment.
• Ability to perform job duties in a fast-paced culinary environment.

Additional Expectations

All Hotel Phoenix associates are expected to:

• Demonstrate professionalism, respect, integrity, and teamwork.
• Maintain reliable and punctual attendance.
• Follow all hotel policies, procedures, safety standards, and confidentiality requirements.
• Maintain a clean and professional appearance in accordance with grooming and uniform standards.
• Perform additional duties and responsibilities as assigned by management.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Hotel Phoenix is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.

Acknowledgment

This job description is intended to describe the general responsibilities and requirements of the position. It is not intended to represent a complete list of every duty the associate may be required to perform. Responsibilities may be modified based on the operational needs of Hotel Phoenix.