Position Summary 

The mission of Hope the Mission is to prevent, reduce, and eliminate poverty, hunger, and homelessness by offering immediate assistance and long-term solutions. Our mission is to meet our participants' needs through an individualized and non-judgmental approach. 

The Sous Chef plays a pivotal role in assisting the Executive Chef with overseeing the culinary operations, menu planning, and food production in collaboration with the Senior Director of Food Service. This role involves directly leading a team of cooks, bakers, and dishwashers to ensure the highest quality scratch cooking and adherence to food safety standards. The Sous Chef also works closely with the Director of Kitchen Logistics to manage inventory, packaging, and delivery needs. This position reports directly to the Chef de Cuisine & also the Executive Chef.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Collaborate with the Chef de Cuisine and Executive Chef on the role out of monthly menu planning, ensuring variety, balance, and adherence to dietary needs.

• Assist in  menu development for special events, taking into account seasonal availability and client preferences.

• Assist in directing and mentoring lead cooks, line cooks, bakers, and dishwashers in all aspects of food production, including proper techniques, cleanliness, and storage.

•  Foster a culture of respect, inclusion, and continuous learning within the culinary team.

• Demonstrate mastery in scratch cooking techniques, ensuring that all dishes are prepared from fresh,

raw ingredients, without the use of processed or prepared foods.

• Work closely with the Director of Kitchen Logistics to manage stocking, inventory levels, packaging, and

delivery needs.

• Place orders for all necessary products, including food items and cleaning supplies, under the guidance

of the Senior Director of Food Service.

• Creatively utilize donated food to minimize waste and maximize resources in menu planning and

production.

• Ensure all food is prepared and ready for delivery at the designated time, maintaining consistency and

quality in every dish.

• Establish and enforce rigorous sanitation protocols, conducting daily and weekly deep cleaning schedules.

• Inspect and report any maintenance issues with kitchen equipment on a weekly basis.

• Maintain open and effective communication with the culinary team, providing guidance, feedback, and

support as needed.

Qualifications: 

• Extensive experience as an Sous Chef in a high-volume, scratch-cooking kitchen environment.

• Possess strong organizational and multitasking skills, and have a skill for attention to detail.

• Strong leadership and team management skills, with a commitment to creating a positive and inclusive work culture.

• In-depth knowledge of culinary techniques, food safety standards, and current food trends.

• Excellent leadership and team management abilities, with a focus on creating a positive and efficient work environment.

• Knowledge of food safety regulations and best practices in inventory management and logistics.

• Effective communication skills to collaborate with cross-functional teams and external partners.

• Ability to adapt to a fast-paced, dynamic kitchen environment.

• Proficiency in inventory management, ordering, and working collaboratively with kitchen logistics.

Additional Qualifications and Experience: 

• Commitment to serving the needs of homeless families

• Education and/or Experience:

  • 5 years of experience cooking; catering environment preferred

  • High school diploma or GED preferred

• **Must have a valid California driver's license**

• Drug and TB testing required. Background check required

• Food handlers’ certification

• Bilingual Spanish preferred, but not required.

Physical, Demands, Environmental Conditions, Equipment 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Employee is required to: Routinely required to sit; walk; climb stairs; engage in verbal, written, and email communication; hear; use hands to keyboard, finger, handle, and feel; stoop, kneel, crouch, twist, reach, and stretch. Occasionally required to move around the Administration office. Can observe and respond to people and situations and interact with others encountered in the course of work.  

Handle, fingers, grasp and feel objects and equipment; Reach with hands and arms; Communicate, receive and exchange ideas, information by means of the spoken and written word; Be mobile by moving oneself from place to place quickly and easily; Repeat various motions with the wrists, hands, and fingers; Be able to have visual activity for (including, but not limited to) administrative and clerical tasks; Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. Drive vehicle in and around Los Angeles County, as needed; be able to enter buildings that may require climbing stairs.  

 Be periodically subjected to outside environmental conditions. Use a desktop and/or laptop computer, copy, postage, and fax machines. Complete all required forms in personal writing. Employee may work in proximity to service animals and emotional support animals. 

• EEO: HOTV (Hope of the Valley) provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, HOTV complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, placement, promotion, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.