Catering Sous Chef - Cleveland State University Management Fee

Job Description

Do you love to cook? Are you passionate about food? As a Cook on our team, you’ll help bring recipes to life while being able to flex your creativity! Surrounded by fresh ingredients and the best equipment, you’ll be immersed in a world that goes beyond food preparation – experimenting with different cuisines, flavors, and cooking styles. At Aramark, we care about your health, so we have production guidelines and safety procedures in place to help you do what you love. Get ready to reach new heights, ignite your passion, and pursue what matters by cooking with us!

The Catering Sous Chef is primarily responsible for leading the culinary execution of all campus catering operations, including high-profile donor events, executive functions, university receptions, conferences, and special events. Reporting directly to the Catering Executive Chef, this position serves as a key culinary leader for the catering department, ensuring exceptional food quality, presentation, and service standards.

During periods of lower catering volume, the Catering Sous Chef will provide culinary and operational support to Residential Dining, assisting with production, staffing support, menu execution, and special dining initiatives. The successful candidate is an organized, hands-on leader who excels in both upscale event catering and high-volume food service environments.

The Catering Sous Chef plays a critical role in enhancing the university's hospitality program by delivering exceptional culinary experiences for students, faculty, alumni, donors, and campus guests. As the primary culinary leader supporting catering operations, this position helps elevate the institution's reputation through memorable events while providing strategic support to Residential Dining when operationally needed.

Compensation Data

COMPENSATION: The Hourly rate for this position is $29.00 to $32.00. If both numbers are the same, that is the amount that Aramark expects to offer. This is Aramark’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the compensation for this position as of the time of posting.

BENEFITS: Aramark offers comprehensive benefit programs and services for eligible employees including medical, dental, vision, and work/life resources. Additional benefits may include retirement savings plans like 401(k) and paid days off such as parental leave and disability coverage. Benefits vary by location and are subject to any legal requirements or limitations, employee eligibility status, and where the employee lives and/or works. For more information about Aramark benefits, click here Aramark Careers - Benefits & Compensation

There is no predetermined application window for this position, the position will close once a qualified candidate is selected. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all applicable laws, including, but not limited to all applicable Fair Chance Ordinances and Acts. For jobs in San Francisco, this includes the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

Job Responsibilities

· Lead day-to-day culinary production and execution for all catering events.

· Assist the Catering Executive Chef with menu planning, recipe development, and event execution.

· Execute high-profile campus events including donor receptions, board meetings, presidential functions, commencement activities, alumni events, and VIP gatherings.

· Ensure all catered food is prepared, presented, and served according to established quality standards.

· Collaborate with catering managers and event teams to ensure seamless event execution.

· Oversee catering production schedules, staffing plans, and event preparation timelines.

· Manage catering inventory, ordering, and event-specific product procurement.

· Support event setup, service, and breakdown as needed.

· Maintain flexibility to support evening and weekend events.

Residential Dining Support (Secondary Responsibility)

· Provide culinary leadership and operational support to residential dining during periods of lower catering activity.

· Assist with menu execution and food production within dining halls as needed.

· Support special campus dining events, themed meals, and promotional programs.

· Help maintain food quality, consistency, and operational standards within residential dining locations.

· Collaborate with residential dining leadership to address staffing and production needs.

Leadership & Team Development

· Supervise and coach cooks, culinary staff, and student employees.

· Assist in hiring, onboarding, and training culinary team members.

· Promote a culture of teamwork, accountability, and continuous improvement.

· Ensure staff adhere to recipes, production procedures, and presentation standards.

Food Safety & Compliance

· Enforce all HACCP, food safety, sanitation, and workplace safety standards.

· Conduct routine inspections of catering production areas and event sites.

· Ensure proper product rotation, storage, labeling, and temperature controls.

· Maintain compliance with university, company, and regulatory requirements.

Financial & Operational Management

· Support the Catering Executive Chef in managing food cost and labor performance.

· Monitor inventory levels and minimize waste through effective production planning.

· Assist with purchasing, receiving, and inventory controls.

· Identify opportunities to improve efficiencies while maintaining high-quality culinary standards.

Qualifications

Required

· Associate degree in Culinary Arts or equivalent professional culinary experience.

· 3-5 years of progressive culinary leadership experience.

· Experience leading catering operations and executing large-scale events.

· Strong knowledge of food safety, sanitation, and HACCP principles.

· Ability to work flexible schedules, including evenings, holidays, and weekends.

· Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills.

Preferred

· Experience in higher education dining, hospitality, hotel, resort, or contract food service environments.

· ServSafe Manager Certification.

· Experience supporting VIP, donor, and executive-level events.

· Experience overseeing both catering and high-volume food production operations.

This role may have physical demands including, but not limited to, lifting, bending, pushing, pulling and/or extended walking and standing. This role may also require uniforms and/or usage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Education

About Aramark

Our Mission

Rooted in service and united by our purpose, we strive to do great things for each other, our partners, our communities, and our planet.

At Aramark, we believe that every employee should enjoy equal employment opportunity and be free to participate in all aspects of the company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, pregnancy, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military status, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by applicable law.

About Aramark

The people of Aramark proudly serve millions of guests every day through food and facilities in 15 countries around the world. Rooted in service and united by our purpose, we strive to do great things for each other, our partners, our communities, and our planet. We believe a career should develop your talents, fuel your passions, and empower your professional growth. So, no matter what you're pursuing - a new challenge, a sense of belonging, or just a great place to work - our focus is helping you reach your full potential. Learn more about working here at or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.