Sous Chef Operations

The Sous Chef - Operations is responsible for the daily monitoring of the cold kitchen preparation & canteen area of the pre-designed meals for all customer accounts with culinary expertise through the management of all culinary employees in food production areas. The Sous Chef - Operations promotes and ensures quality food services to airline clients and product management & waste management in the unit facilities. The incumbent will also be expected to demonstrate a strong aptitude in effective production, planning, staff training, direction, control, management, and resource management. The Sous Chef - Operations reports to the Process Owner Assembly and in a secondary line of responsibility, has a dotted reporting line to the Executive Chef Culinary Innovation UK&I (Menu Development).,

• Deliver to customer expectations, business objectives, and targets to optimize company resources.
• Collaborate closely with menu development teams and account managers to meet customer expectations and maximize revenues.
• Analyze performance information, identify issues, propose solutions, and report on progress.
• Oversee internal quality assurance checks and take corrective action as necessary.
• Attend meetings related to customer issues/complaints and menu development.
• Optimize manpower, product, and equipment levels for efficiency.
• Resolve operational issues promptly and cost-effectively.
• Ensure compliance with legislative requirements, including Food Safety, Health and Safety, Security, and Environmental controls.
• Manage related administrative work efficiently.
• Provide regular customer and team reports as required.
• Adheres to Gategroup and Gate Gourmets UK company policies and procedures.
• Leads the execution of defined culinary operational objectives and standards.
• Serves as a leader in the implementation of strategic production plans for effective and efficient product & quality delivery in support of customer satisfaction.
• Ensures overall culinary compliance and standardization within regional flight kitchens.
• Ensure Culinary team are skilled to required levels and able to perform all cooking and food preparation requirements of all the airline accounts serviced in the Unit.
• Plans, co-ordinates, directs and monitors the effectiveness of all food production activities within the unit.
• As part of the Unit Management team liaises closely with the other process owners and staff functions in the unit.
• Responsible for maintaining labor requirements, overtime and productivity requirements including menu and food preparation reporting.
• Maintains a safe, secure, and healthy work environment by establishing and enforcing Gategroup standards and procedures.
• Works closely with Menu Development and Commercial to ensure that menu specifications and implementation of production techniques are adhered to as agreed with the customer.
• Ensures culinary representation at menu customer meal audits.
• Leads shift briefings, communicates with internal and external stakeholders, manages staff.
• Decision making, resolution of daily issues and problems, instructs on changes /substitutions if required.
• Leads on menu changes, new recipes understanding, training and integration.
• Supports gateOPEX processes and technology deployment and use within the kitchen areas.
• Manages production materials control working closely with materials stakeholders.
  
  Certification/Degree/Diploma from a recognized post-secondary culinary institution with a focus on Food Science, Nutrition, or the Culinary Arts.
• Completed vocational training in culinary and related hygiene course.
• Management/Leadership & Sustainability & Corporate responsibility qualification an advantage
Work Experience:
• Previous experience in a fast paced work environment in a similar role.
• Previous experience in the implementation of culinary quality control processes & systems.
• Previous flight catering experience or experience in a high-volume food service environment preferred.
• Previous experience in joint management of a large-scale food manufacturing department.
• Previous experience of managing large teams within the food industry.
Skills & Knowledge:
• ServSafe certification required (or Ability to obtain ServSafe Certification)
• Understanding of large-scale production and assembly essential
• Lean Management Skills
• Customer focused approach
• Proven ability to lead and manage diverse teams of varying sizes and work effectively as part of a team.
• Organised, process driven with an exceptional focus on detail.
• Ability to prioritise workloads and meet tight deadlines.
• Ability to work under pressure
• Financial Budgetary skills and demonstrable experience
• Ability to effectively manage conflict.
• Ability to motivate and drive performance.
• Proven ability to work independently.
• Computer literate and able to work with MS Office and IT Systems
• Strong communication skills with the ability to effectively communicate at all levels of the business.
Other All applicants must have the right to work in the UK, undertake a CRC (Criminal Record Check) and provide 5 years of checkable referencing history. For anytime spent outside the UK exceeding 6 months, you must be able to provide a CRC (Criminal Record Check) for that country.

Gate Gourmet is the world's largest independent provider of catering services for airlines and are the core business behind gategroup, whose eleven associated brands offer customers a comprehensive scope of products and services for virtually any on-board need. We provide more than 200 million meals a year to our 270-plus customers at some 120 airport locations around the globe.