Dining Service Sous Chef

Mission of Austin Street Center: Founded in 1983, Austin Street Center provides emergency shelter and meets the basic needs of the most vulnerable people experiencing homelessness in Dallas.

Core Values: Kindness, Trustworthiness, Empowerment, Determination

Position Purpose

The Dining Services Sous Chef will oversee meal preparation in the dining services operations of Austin Street Center. This position involves a wide variety of duties in collaboration with the Dining Services Manager to oversee the orderliness, safety, and cleanliness of the kitchen. This position works directly with assisting volunteers, clients, and staff ensuring that the clients have three meals a day.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Collaborating with the Dining Services Manager to develop unique and health-appropriate, nutritious menus
• Preparing meals and completing prep support
• Training and directing meal service volunteers, both clients and non-clients for all three meal services
• Maintaining the kitchen and surrounding areas in conditions that meet the company standards and health code regulations
• Training Kitchen Leads for meal preparation
• Assisting and directing Kitchen Leads in meal preparation and creation
• Identifying and introducing new culinary techniques
• Ensure optimum food quality and presentation

• Comply with all federal and state regulations pertaining to food handling/production (Health Department/HAACP)
• Partner with Dining Services Manager to ensure issues with food production, preparation, and presentation are resolved
• Maintain a positive and professional approach with coworkers, clients and volunteers
• Utilizing items harvested from Austin Street’s New Hope Garden as well as donations dropped off from donors
• Collaborate with Dining Services Manager on working with Client Solutions and Respite for approvable diabetic snacks or special meals/snacks for clients
• Embracing and implement the core values of kindness, trustworthiness, determination, and empowerment.
• In this and any position at Austin Street Center it is impossible to predict the many requests and assignments that can and will be made on an employee. Flexibility and a cooperative spirit are crucial characteristics of the person who holds this important position and for the successful operation of Austin Street Center services.

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities Required:

• Have and maintain a valid Texas Identification Card

• Proven working experience as a head chef
• Excellent record of kitchen management
• Ability to spot and resolve problems efficiently
• Capable of delegating multiple tasks
• Communication and leadership skills
• Maintain Serve Safe Manager Certification
• Ability to lift 25 – 40 pounds. Tasks may involve bending, lifting, and carrying heavy items
• Consistently interact with all clients, staff, and visitors with dignity, respect, and professionalism
• Acceptance of agency philosophies, values, and guidelines
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing
• Ability to be flexible and work well under time constraints
• Demonstrate experience with and sensitivity to varying cultural, ethnic, and social backgrounds, values, and attitudes
• Ability to function as a team player
• Capable of working independently and using problem-solving skills
• Demonstrate a high level of integrity
• Maintain current Civil Rights Training Certification

Additional Experience a Plus:

• Crisis/Hostile/De-escalation Training
• Military
• Social work or community outreach

In this and any position at Austin Street Center it is impossible to predict the many requests and assignments that can and will be made on an employee. Flexibility and a cooperative spirit are crucial characteristics of the person who holds this important position and for the successful operation of Austin Street Center services.