Sous Chef job description template
A sous chef is the chef's second in command: they run the line during service, train cooks, keep prep on track and take over the kitchen when the chef is off. In a small restaurant they cook every shift too. A strong post describes your menu and volume, how many cooks they'll lead and how much say they'll have over specials and ordering.
Sous Chef
Full-timeYour Company is looking for a sous chef to help lead our kitchen. You'll run the line during service, train and support our cooks, keep prep and ordering on track, and step in for the chef on their days off. You'll also help develop specials and keep our food consistent from plate to plate. We're looking for a skilled cook and a calm, fair leader who keeps the kitchen clean, safe and organized.
What you’ll do
- Run the line during service, calling tickets and keeping every station on pace
- Taste sauces, soups and finished plates, and correct seasoning or portions before they go out
- Write daily prep lists and assign tasks to prep and line cooks
- Train new cooks on our recipes, plating and station setup, and coach them during service
- Receive deliveries, check quality and quantities, and send back product that doesn't meet our standards
- Track waste and food costs, and help the chef develop specials that use product well
- Lead the kitchen when the chef is off, including opening, closing and covering call-outs
- Keep the kitchen inspection-ready by enforcing food-safety, allergy and cleaning procedures
What we’re looking for
- Three or more years of restaurant cooking experience, including time as a lead cook or sous chef
- Able to work every station on our line and jump in wherever the kitchen falls behind
- Calm, clear communicator who can correct cooks during service without losing the team
- ServSafe Manager certification, or willing to earn it within your first few months
- Able to stand for long shifts, work around hot equipment and lift up to 50 lbs
- Available for evenings, weekends and holidays
Nice to have
- Experience costing recipes and building order guides
- Experience cooking a cuisine similar to ours at a similar volume
- Culinary school training or a kitchen apprenticeship
- Experience with kitchen inventory or recipe-costing software
Schedule
Full-time, mostly afternoon-to-close shifts, including weekends and holidays. We plan days off with the chef so one of you is always running the kitchen.
What we offer
- Paid time off
- Staff meal on every shift
- Real input on specials and seasonal menus
- Contribution toward health insurance
- Room to grow into a head chef or kitchen manager role
Add your pay, location and schedule when you post. Jobs that show pay get noticeably more applicants.
Sous Chef our company is looking for a sous chef to help lead our kitchen. You'll run the line during service, train and support our cooks, keep prep and ordering on track, and step in for the chef on their days off. You'll also help develop specials and keep our food consistent from plate to plate. We're looking for a skilled cook and a calm, fair leader who keeps the kitchen clean, safe and organized. What you’ll do • Run the line during service, calling tickets and keeping every station on pace • Taste sauces, soups and finished plates, and correct seasoning or portions before they go out • Write daily prep lists and assign tasks to prep and line cooks • Train new cooks on our recipes, plating and station setup, and coach them during service • Receive deliveries, check quality and quantities, and send back product that doesn't meet our standards • Track waste and food costs, and help the chef develop specials that use product well • Lead the kitchen when the chef is off, including opening, closing and covering call-outs • Keep the kitchen inspection-ready by enforcing food-safety, allergy and cleaning procedures What we’re looking for • Three or more years of restaurant cooking experience, including time as a lead cook or sous chef • Able to work every station on our line and jump in wherever the kitchen falls behind • Calm, clear communicator who can correct cooks during service without losing the team • ServSafe Manager certification, or willing to earn it within your first few months • Able to stand for long shifts, work around hot equipment and lift up to 50 lbs • Available for evenings, weekends and holidays Nice to have • Experience costing recipes and building order guides • Experience cooking a cuisine similar to ours at a similar volume • Culinary school training or a kitchen apprenticeship • Experience with kitchen inventory or recipe-costing software Schedule Full-time, mostly afternoon-to-close shifts, including weekends and holidays. We plan days off with the chef so one of you is always running the kitchen. What we offer • Paid time off • Staff meal on every shift • Real input on specials and seasonal menus • Contribution toward health insurance • Room to grow into a head chef or kitchen manager role
Screening questions for a sous chef
Ask these on the application form to sort applicants quickly. They’re added automatically when you post this template.
- Do you have at least two years of experience as a sous chef, kitchen lead or senior line cook?Yes / No · required
- What kinds of kitchens have you worked in, and how many cooks have you supervised?Short answer · required
- Tell us about a service that went off the rails and how you got the kitchen back on track.Paragraph
Sous Chef interview questions
- How do you run the line on a busy Saturday, and what are you watching for?
- A cook keeps sending out plates that don't match our spec. How do you handle it during service and afterward?
- Walk me through how you write a prep list for a day you expect to be slammed.
- A delivery shows up with poor-quality produce an hour before service. What do you do?
- Tell me about a special or dish you developed. How did you work out what it cost to make?
- The chef is away and two cooks call out. What's your plan for the night?
- How do you keep food-safety standards high when everyone is rushing?
- How would you get a new cook ready to work a station on their own?
Tips for hiring a sous chef
- Run a paid working interview that covers prep and part of a service. Watch how they communicate with the line, not just how they cook.
- Ask finalists to taste a dish from your menu and critique it. A good sous chef will tell you what they'd change and why.
- Talk to your senior line cooks before you post. Promoting one keeps your standards in the kitchen and shows the rest of the team there's a path up.
- Be clear in the post about how authority is split with the chef, from menu changes and ordering to hiring and scheduling.