Sous Chef

Job Context

This role operates within a high-volume airline catering and food production environment, overseeing daily bulk production across a wide range of high-volume food items. The position is responsible for production planning, manpower and shift coordination, batch and yield control, and timely dispatch in line with daily demand and forecasts. It ensures consistent product quality, HACCP and food safety compliance, effective raw material and wastage control, and close coordination with Planning and Dispatch teams to maintain efficient, safe, and reliable production operations.

Key Responsibility Areas

• Supervise and allocate work to subordinates, observe the working methods and productivity of assigned staff, assist them, and coordinate with senior production staff to provide them with the necessary training ensuring a smooth workflow and target output achievement.

• Ensure desired output delivery through effective roster planning / scheduling.

• Ensure timely and efficient production in accordance with specifications, standardized recipes, and passenger load requirements by maintaining accurate portioning and presentation, adhering to airline standards, implementing proper date colour-coding of food products, and sustaining Gold Standard food safety recording with daily monitoring and corrective follow-ups, resulting in consistent quality output, full compliance with food safety standards, and minimal wastage.

• Proactively identify and resolve operational issues during daily production activities by implementing timely corrective and preventive actions and maintaining regular communication with Sr. Sous Chefs and Executive Sous Chefs on production status, challenges, and actions taken, ensuring smooth operations, minimized disruptions, and effective operational coordination.

• Drive the implementation, regular updating, and adherence to SOPs within the respective section by addressing non-conformances with timely corrective actions, briefing the team on preventive measures, and ensuring strict compliance with approved recipes and methods, resulting in standardized operations, improved team consistency, and full compliance with quality and operational standards.

• Support the development, trial, and implementation of new recipes and menu items by coordinating with relevant stakeholders and guiding the team on client requirements, ensuring successful execution aligned with client expectations and quality standards.

• Prepare, update, and execute the production plan to meet production targets based on demand, and maintain production sheets, including separate breakdowns for all airlines/catering businesses, to support all intra-department requirements.

• Ensure that a proper stock rotation is maintained, on time deliveries, high-quality service and strict adherence to the laid down hygiene procedures.

• Implement effective food cost and wastage control measures by monitoring portioning, optimizing raw material usage, minimizing overproduction, and tracking variances against production plans, ensuring reduced waste and improved kitchen revenue and profitability.

• Comply with and practice the company’s established Safety & Hygiene Policy and Procedures.

Education Qualification

• Hotel Management or Culinary degree.

Work Experience

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in the culinary field.
• Hotel Catering equivalent in 5-star facility with an excellent knowledge in all aspects of cooking and different cuisines
• Previous experience in high volume and / or banqueting in a large kitchen team preferred.

Skills

• Ability to provide feedback and coaching.
• Ability to develop himself / herself in the current role and beyond.
• Willingness to take on responsibility.
• Effective delegation skills.
• Problem solving and decision-making ability in real time, creative and out of box thinking.
• Strong Interpersonal skills, organizational skills and effective Training and communication skills.