SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
This key culinary leadership position is responsible for the daily operation, culinary standards, and continued development of an executive dining café and retail food program, working closely with the Executive Chef and culinary leadership team to lead production, service, and culinary staff. The successful candidate will be a hands-on, creative, and organized chef who can lead a high-quality, service-driven operation focused on fresh, seasonal food, elevated retail offerings, executive hospitality, exceptional guest experiences, and operational excellence.
This Sous Chef is responsible for providing hands-on culinary leadership in partnership with the Executive Chef, overseeing the day-to-day culinary operations of the Executive Dining Café and Retail program.
- Maintains consistently high standards for food quality, flavour, presentation, freshness, and execution.
- Demonstrates strong culinary skills, a genuine passion for food, and the creativity to contribute innovative ideas to menu development.
- Demonstrates sound judgment, flexibility, and the ability to adapt quickly to changing priorities, last-minute orders, and unexpected service demands. Maintains composure under pressure and effectively balances speed, accuracy, quality, and guest expectations.
- Works closely with the Executive Chef, General Manager & Culinary Director to ensure the Executive Café and Retail program consistently meets operational, culinary, and guest service expectations, proactively communicating priorities, challenges, and opportunities.
- We encourage all associates to always accept leadership responsibilities. You have the power to make a difference to all guests. Our primary objective is to make sure our guests have a great experience with us at Compass Group Canada by providing exceptional service and quality. Please follow all of the 7 Essentials of Customer Service Excellence as directed by CGC and your Management team in addition to bringing the required skills of the position.
include the following.
Please note: other duties may be assigned as required.
· Lead the day-to-day culinary operations of the executive dining café and retail program.
· Acts as a key culinary leader for hourly associates and supervisors, providing direction and support to ensure the team is organized, prepared, and responsive to daily business needs.
· Provide hands-on training in cooking techniques, recipes, presentation, food safety, and service standards. Monitor team performance and provide ongoing feedback and coaching.
· Oversees meal-period execution to ensure all menu items are produced on time, consistently, and to the highest standards of quality, presentation, and guest service.
· Collaborate with the Executive Chef and Culinary Director to develop creative, inspired, and seasonally relevant monthly menus that reflect current culinary trends, guest preferences, and the overall vision of the Executive Café and Retail program.
· Assist with recipe development, testing, costing, standardization, and implementation and help identify new retail opportunities and seasonal product offerings.
· Owns the ordering and inventory management for the Executive Café and Retail program, collaborating with the culinary management team to forecast demand, establish par levels, manage seasonal product availability, and control food costs & waste. Proactively identifies inventory needs and adjusts purchasing to support daily operations, seasonality and changing business demands.
· Proactively communicates product shortages, substitutions, and menu changes to the service team, General Manager, and Executive Chef, ensuring appropriate alternatives are identified and implemented with minimal impact to service and guest experience.
· Ensures station SOPs are consistently followed during each meal service, providing hands-on oversight to maintain high standards of food quality, safety, sanitation, and operational execution.
· Ensures compliance with all sanitation, safety, production, and merchandising standards across the Executive Café and Retail program, working closely with the Executive Chef and Stewarding Manager to maintain operational excellence and address any gaps promptly.
· Maintains accurate production, consumption, waste, temperature, and other operational records as required, ensuring all logs are completed consistently and in accordance with established Compass Group food safety and operational standards.
· Leads engaging pre-service briefings that align CDPs and cooks on station expectations, service priorities, and guest requirements & order updates, ensuring the team is prepared and positioned for a successful service.
· Ensures the submission of required monthly safety audits and compliance inspections, at the request of the Executive Chef.
· Answers any guest questions and responds to guest feedback during meal service. Follows up on guest complaints and works with GM/FSD to resolve matters effectively and promptly. Remains available and present during meal periods to address concerns immediately.
· Inspects all incoming food products upon delivery to ensure quality, freshness, condition, and specification standards are met, identifying and reporting any discrepancies or unacceptable products.
· Ensures that the all client & company policies are followed at all times.
· Assists with hiring and onboarding of staff, as per applicable collective agreements, to ensure adequate staffing levels at all times. Checks completion of weekly schedule and posts as required by the applicable collective agreement.
· Ensures the cleaning and organizing of the station, including fridges, freezers, serving carts, walk-in fridge, prep table(s) and storage room(s) is completed daily.
· Foster a positive, respectful, collaborative, and accountable kitchen culture by leading by example through strong work ethic, professionalism, organization, and culinary standards.
- Strong culinary and technical skills
- Leadership and team development
- Organization and time management
- Menu creativity and product development
- Commercial awareness
- Attention to detail
- Strong communication skills
- Problem solving and decision making
- Ability to prioritize in a fast-paced environment
- Professionalism and discretion
- Passion for hospitality and guest experience
- Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a leadership team
- Ability to remain calm under pressure and deal with unexpected situations
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee is often required to talk or hear. The employee is required to walk, stand and reach for a majority of the shift. The employee must be able to frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to wet and/or humid conditions; extreme cold and extreme heat. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
Ability to communicate effectively in the English language, including written and spoken language.
Ability to speak French and/or second language considered an asset.
OTHER QUALIFICATIONS
- Culinary diploma, apprenticeship, or equivalent professional culinary experience.
- Minimum 3–5 years of progressive culinary experience, including Sous Chef or senior culinary leadership experience.
- Experience in upscale restaurants, executive dining, corporate dining, hotels, , cafés, catering, or high-volume hospitality environments is considered an asset.
- Strong knowledge of contemporary culinary techniques, food presentation, and current food trends.
- Strong experience with both made-to-order and production-based food programs.
- Experience developing or managing retail / grab-and-go food programs is highly desirable.
- Strong understanding of food costing, portion control, production planning, and inventory management.
- Knowledge of food safety, sanitation, and allergen management.
- Demonstrated ability to lead, train, and develop culinary teams.
CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS
HACCP, WHMIS, Workplace Harassment and Violence training to be completed annually.
Advanced Food Safety Training
Allergen Awareness Training
Must be bondable.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: $60,000.00-$70,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental care
- Disability insurance
- Discounted or free food
- Employee assistance program
- Extended health care
- Paid time off
- RRSP match
- Vision care
Work Location: In person
