Garde Manger Sous Chef

The Garde Manger Sous Chef is responsible for the daily leadership, performance, and continuous improvement of the Garde Manger operations. This position is expected to operate with a high degree of independence, ownership, and initiative, anticipating operations needs and taking appropriate action without waiting for direction.

The Sous Chef provides visible, hand-on culinary leadership throughout production and service, maintaining direct involvement in food preparation, quality, presentation, staffing workflow, sanitation, inventory, and team development. The position is responsible for establishing daily priorities, identifying potential problems before they affect the operation, and making sound decisions within established standards, budgets, and company policies.

The Garde Manger Sous Chef is expected to think beyond the immediate task and understand how people, food quality, productivity, guest experience, cost and business volume connect to the overall operation. The Sous Chef develops Team Members and emerging leaders by delegating responsibility, coaching performance, teaching decision-making, and creating accountability.

This position serves as an operational leader within the culinary team and is expected to bring forward solutions, improvements, and recommendations rather than simply identifying problems. The Sous Chef communicates significant issues and decisions requiring leadership involvement while independently resolving routine operational matters within their authority.

The position actively participates in Garde Manger production and service while also supporting other culinary operations, banquets, holidays, and property-wide initiatives as business needs require. All responsibilities are performed in accordance with company standards, policies, procedures, and AAA Four Diamond service standards while maintaining a professional and positive image at all times.

Essential Functions:

1. Practice, support, and promote Thunder Valley Casino Resorts ELITE company-wide service mission and demonstrate AAA Four Diamond service standards at all times.
2. Foster a culture of professionalism, accountability, teamwork, respect, and culinary excellence within Garde Manger operations.
3. Own and lead daily Garde Manger operations independently assessing business needs, establishing priorities, allocating resources, resolving routine operational issues, and making timely decisions within established standards and authority.
4. Provide visible, hands-on culinary leadership by actively working, supervising, training, coaching, and mentoring Team Members in food preparation, production, plating, presentation, and service execution; demonstrate proper culinary techniques, taste and evaluate food, correct deficiencies in real time, and step into any position necessary to protect quality and service.
5. Maintain awareness of the entire operation rather than focusing solely on assigned tasks. Continuously evaluate food quality, Team Member performance, production progress, staffing, equipment, sanitation, inventory, upcoming business volume, and service readiness; adjust priorities and resources as conditions change.
6. Anticipate operational needs by monitoring business volume, staffing, inventory, production levels, equipment, Team Member performance, and upcoming events. Take proactive action to address potential challenges before they impact food quality, service, productivity, cost, or the Guest experience.

7. Oversee and participate in Garde Manger production, including mise en place, salads, sandwiches, dressings, cold displays, charcuterie and deli preparations, buffet items, banquet production, and other cold-food requirements.

8. Actively participate in food preparation and service while demonstrating proper culinary techniques; provide support with frying, sauteing, griddling, carving, broiling, steaming, and other cooking methods as operational needs require.

9. Establish and communicate daily production priorities, staffing assignments, par levels, timelines, and workflow to ensure efficient execution and appropriate coverage for business volume.

10. Ensure all food is prepared, portioned, garnished, and presented in accordance with standardized recipes, specifications, production requirements, and established quality standards. Taste everything and hold the operation accountable for flavor, freshness, consistency, and presentation.

11. Inspect raw ingredients, prepared foods, and finished products to ensure freshness, quality, appearance, proper holding, and consistency; promptly correct deficiencies and identify recuring issues requiring process improvement.

12. Ensure strict compliance with sanitation, food safety, hygiene, labeling, storage, temperature-control, and allergen procedures in accordance with HACCP principles, Indian Health Department requirements, and company policies.

13. Manage Team Member performance, through clear expectations, delegation, timely feedback, coaching, recognition, accountability, and corrective action in accordance with company policy and direction from culinary leadership.

14. Manage controllable food and labor costs through production planning, portion control, waste reduction, proper storage, inventory management, requisitioning, and effective labor utilization, and effective use of products and supplies.

15. Continuously identify opportunities to improve food quality, presentation, productivity, organization, recipes, production methods, waste, labor utilization, and Team Member development. Test & implement practical improvements within established standards and communicate successful practices to culinary leadership.

16. Participate in inventory activities, maintain appropriate stock and par levels, and ensure products and supplies are properly received, rotated, stored, and issued and forecasted against upcoming business needs.

17. Provide meaningful culinary input regarding menus, recipes, seasonal offerings, creativity, flavor development, production methods, and operational improvements; participate in recipe testing and implementation and bring forward recommendations rather than waiting on direction.

18. Oversee the proper use, cleaning, and care of kitchen equipment and work areas; identify equipment or facility concerns and coordinate maintenance requests through the appropriate channels.

19. Maintain proactive communication with culinary leadership regarding staffing, production, food quality, equipment, inventory, Team Member performance, operational risks, opportunities and other significant matters.

20. Coordinate with other culinary and Food and Beverage teams to support banquets, special events, holidays, peak business periods, and property-wide initiatives.

21. Adhere to all company policies, SOPs, recipes, appearance standards, safety requirements, and emergency procedures.

22. Work varied shifts and schedules and provide support in other culinary areas as business needs require.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

1. High school diploma or equivalent required.

2. Three (3) years of culinary experience in a high-volume restaurant, resort, casino, banquet, or similar food-service environment.

3. Previous Sous chef, Chef de Partie, Lead Cook, or comparable culinary leadership experience required.

4. Strong working knowledge of Garde Manger production, including salads, dressings, sandwiches, cold displays, buffet presentation, deli and charcuterie preparation, and high-volume cold-food production.

5. Demonstrated proficiency in hands-on culinary execution and the ability to lead by example during preparation and service.

6. Demonstrated ability to work independently, make sounds operational decisions, prioritize competing demands, and lead a kitchen with minimal direct supervision.

7. Demonstrated ability to identify problems, develop solutions, anticipate operational needs, and take proactive action without waiting for direction.

8. Strong communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to coach Team Members, develop emerging leaders, and collaborate effectively with culinary leadership and other departments.

9. Strong commitment to food quality, flavor, creativity, seasonality, presentation, consistency, sanitation, and Guest service with the ability to balance immediate tasks with the overall success of the operation.

10. Working knowledge of food cost control, labor utilization, portion control, inventory practices, waste reduction, production planning and operational planning.

11. Ability to read, write, and communicate effectively in English and perform math calculations necessary for recipes, measurements, portions, costing, and operational planning.

12. Current ServSafe Manager Certification required.

13. Must be at least 21 years of age.

14. Must be able to obtain UAIC Tribal Gaming License.

Physical Requirements:

1. Requires normal or corrected vision, the ability to see color, and the ability to distinguish letters, numbers, and symbols.

2. Must be able to lift up to 50 lbs. with or without assistance.

3. Must be able to push up to 250 lbs. on a pushcart.

4. Must be able to enter walk-in units with temperatures as low as -10 degrees.

5. Must be able to bend and reach to a height of 6 feet with or without assistance.

6. Must be able to walk and stand for extended periods in hot or cold kitchen environments.

7. Manual dexterity required to safely operate knives, kitchen tools, and job-related equipment.