Sous Chef

Our client, a distinctive boutique hotel in Oxford, Mississippi is seeking a talented Sous Chef to join its culinary leadership team. This is an excellent opportunity for a well-rounded, hands-on chef who enjoys being part of a collaborative kitchen and wants the opportunity to grow within an expanding hospitality organization.

The property offers a diverse culinary operation that includes breakfast, lunch and dinner service, elevated small bites, private events, and banquets. The culinary program places a strong emphasis on seasonal ingredients, local sourcing, and relationships with area farms and producers.

The Opportunity

The Sous Chef will play an important role in the daily operation of the kitchen, with a particular focus on evening service and leading the kitchen when senior culinary leadership is not present.

They're looking for someone who is humble, versatile, dependable, and comfortable taking ownership of a shift. The right chef doesn't need to specialize in one particular cuisine. Instead, they should have strong culinary fundamentals and the ability to adapt to different menus, guest requests, banquet needs, and styles of service.

While this is a hands-on kitchen leadership position, they're also looking for someone who enjoys interacting with people. The Sous Chef may engage with guests, local farmers, suppliers, and community partners and should be comfortable representing the culinary team beyond the back of the house.

Key Responsibilities

• Help oversee daily kitchen operations with an emphasis on evening service.
• Lead the kitchen and culinary team when senior culinary leadership is not present.
• Execute a variety of menus across restaurant service, private events, and banquets.
• Maintain high standards for food quality, consistency, presentation, and execution.
• Lead, coach, and develop cooks while fostering a professional, team-oriented kitchen culture.
• Assist with food cost management, purchasing, inventory, portion control, and waste reduction.
• Support seasonal menu development and the continued growth of the property's locally sourced culinary program.
• Work with local farms, fishermen, purveyors, and other community partners.
• Maintain excellent sanitation, food safety, organization, and kitchen standards.
• Collaborate with food & beverage and hotel leadership to deliver memorable guest experiences.

Ideal Background

They're looking for a hands-on culinary professional with strong fundamentals, versatility, and a team-first mentality.

The ideal candidate will bring:

• Previous experience as a Sous Chef, Junior Sous Chef, Lead Line Cook, or comparable culinary leadership position. Strong Lead Line Cooks ready to take the next step in their careers are encouraged to apply.
• Experience in a quality-driven restaurant, hotel, resort, or chef-driven culinary environment.
• The ability to work across a variety of cuisines and styles of service.
• Experience supporting restaurant service, banquets, events, or other high-volume culinary operations.
• Basic knowledge of food cost, inventory, portion control, and kitchen financials.
• Strong scratch-cooking skills and solid culinary fundamentals.
• The ability to confidently lead a kitchen and make decisions during service.
• A humble, collaborative leadership style and willingness to jump in wherever needed.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to interact comfortably with guests, vendors, farmers, and business partners.
• An interest in seasonal cooking, farm-to-table cuisine, and working with local producers.

This is an opportunity for a chef who wants more than simply managing a station or executing someone else's menu.

The culinary program has established relationships with numerous local farms and producers, giving the team direct access to locally sourced ingredients and opportunities to develop relationships with the people behind those products.

Just as importantly, they're looking for someone who can become a true partner in the operation-a chef who can lead a service, work alongside the team, interact with guests and partners, and contribute to the continued development of the culinary program. For someone who performs well and wants to continue growing, there is potential for advancement into broader culinary leadership opportunities within the organization.