Job Details

Job Description

Reporting to the Junior Sous Chef or Executive Chef, the junior sous chef is responsible for the day-to-day culinary operations in a professional kitchen. Functions include menu creation, food purchasing, and maintenance of quality standards. A Junior sous chef assumes the role of cost controlling and maintaining food cost, and supervises storage, stocking, and sanitation procedures. The Junior sous chef assists in the management and training of new personnel, scheduling staff work hours, and doing performance reviews.

Junior Sous Chef Duties and Responsibilities

Prepare Entrees, Side Dishes, and Other Menu Items

Supervising the preparation of various dishes is the chief responsibility of a junior sous chef. Junior Sous chefs create and follow recipes for different styles of main foods, side items, and desserts. Preparing and presenting dishes with proper garnishments and portions fall directly to Junior sous chefs. They also make sure all food is cooked thoroughly, that meals are delivered to tables in a timely manner, and, during their off hours, test new recipes.

Maintain Inventory of Kitchen Supplies

From food supplies to utensils, junior sous chefs are often responsible for maintaining the proper levels of the supplies needed to prepare menu items. Junior Sous chefs place orders with vendors, ensure that enough food preparation items are on hand to meet demand, rotate stock based on freshness dates, and check incoming invoices to make sure that all ordered items have been delivered.

Oversee Kitchen Staff and Employee Schedules

Junior Sous chefs are in command of the kitchen when a head chef is not present. In this role, they maintain kitchen operations by supervising cooking and waitstaff, assign tasks, train new employees, and create employee schedules. They maintain proper coverage throughout different work shifts and resolve any employee conflicts.

Assist with Menu Development

Junior Sous chefs are often responsible for providing input into a restaurant’s menu. They suggest dishes and recipes, keep up on trends in the industry to make sure their restaurant offers popular food items, assist in creating daily specials, and review menus periodically to update offered items.

Ensure Food Safety and Sanitation Standards are Met

Junior Sous chefs ensure compliance with all federal and local food safety and sanitation laws and regulations. This includes overseeing the cleaning and maintenance of food equipment, food handling techniques, safety training for kitchen staff, and preventive maintenance schedules. Junior Sous chefs also meet with safety and sanitation inspectors as needed, as well as maintain inspection records and documents.

Junior Sous Chef Skills and Qualifications

Culinary expertise – Junior sous chefs must be adept at applying various cooking techniques and styles, such as French, Italian, and Mediterranean. They should have the ability to cook appetizers, stocks, soups, desserts, and entrees as requested. In addition, Junior sous chefs should be knowledgeable about preparing special dishes, such as low-sugar, low-sodium, or vegetarian meals for diners with dietary restrictions

Knife skills – from cutting vegetables to meats, junior sous chefs should be able to handle a variety of knives, such as meat cleavers and carving knives, as they are called upon to apply appropriate cutting techniques as required

Communication – junior sous chefs must demonstrate strong oral and written communication skills to effectively give orders to kitchen staff, interact with customers, and create written reports focusing on supply orders and inventory control

Management/leadership – as the “second-in-command” when head chefs are absent, Junior sous chefs need to display strong leadership skills in the management of employees and kitchen operations

Planning and organizing – in order to run their kitchens efficiently—from preparing menus to staying on top of the calendar to organizing all aspects of the kitchen—it’s essential for Junior sous chefs to be detail-oriented planners

Customer service – all restaurants thrive on customer satisfaction. Junior Sous chefs are sometimes the “face of the kitchen” to patrons; thus, Junior sous chefs should show patience, concern, and sincerity when dealing with customer complaints and making certain restaurant patrons are satisfied with their orders

Attention to detail – Junior sous chefs must follow precise recipes, ensure the quality presentation of dishes, and maintain adequate employee schedules, all of which require them to be particularly detail-oriented

Collaboration – to make sure restaurant operations run smoothly, Junior sous chefs must work closely and efficiently with head chefs, restaurant managers, waitstaff, junior cooks, and other employees

Multitasking – Junior sous chefs must prioritize tasks in their meal preparation while balancing the needs of waitstaff and customers. Being able to think on one’s feet and multitask is crucial to the success of any busy kitchen

5 DAYS WORK!

ATTRACTIVE BENEFITS!