Banquet & Events Sous Chef

ABOUT DAWN RANCH

Dawn Ranch is a natural preserve and boutique hotel destination nestled riverside at the edge of Guerneville in Sonoma’s wine-rich Russian River Valley. The cottage-style hotel and event venue offer an authentic, historic, and unique Sonoma wine country escape among 22 acres of ancient giant redwoods, native meadows, and vintage apple trees. The resort also features a full service spa as well as a variety of unique wellness and outdoor experiences including kayaking, yoga, meditation, and bird-watching. Dawn Ranch’s food program, overseen by Chefs Juliana Thorpe and Ignacio Zuzulich, balances elevated cuisine with casual excellence, from fine dining at the Lodge to rustic picnics guests can enjoy while exploring Sonoma County, to dream weddings and corporate gatherings hosted onsite. Local ingredients from the fertile valley make our varied cuisine an emerging staple of Northern California fare. Dawn Ranch is the perfect destination to co-create luxury and inspiration in Sonoma.

ABOUT THE ROLE AND WHAT WE OFFER

Dawn Ranch is seeking an experienced and talented Banquet and Events Sous Chef to help lead our kitchen operations and team during events at Dawn Ranch! This role will ensure the successful execution and culinary excellence of our events and banquets. Our ideal candidate will be a seasoned cook with experience leading teams, and strong attention to detail, who will not only bring culinary expertise but will also uphold high standards in food preparation. Reporting to the Banquet & Events Chef, The Banquet & Events Sous Chef is responsible for the safe and successful operation of banquets and events, and kitchen staff. 

Pay range: $70,000-$75,000 salary non-exempt

Essential Duties:

• Assist the Banquet & Event Chef in menu planning and development.
• Oversee food preparation to ensure quality, presentation, and flavor standards are met.
• Prepare food for service (e.g.: chopping vegetables, butchering meat, or preparing sauces).
• Follow recipes, portion controls, and presentation specifications as set by the restaurant.
• Able to work with commercial kitchen equipment and utilities.
• Able to exert well-paced mobility for most of the day, including standing, walking, bending, and squatting.
• Able to walk, including moving and shaking pans, and ladders, standing to a significant degree, kneeling, reaching, bending, handling machinery, lifting, feeling, talking, hearing, and seeing.
• Able to stand for long periods of time or for the duration of a shift.

Specific Requirements of the Role:

• Supervise and coordinate activities related to food preparation, kitchen, and storage areas.
• Assist in creating and developing new menu options based on seasonal changes and guest demand.
• Train kitchen staff, assess employee performance, and provide input on work schedules.
• Inform front-of-house personnel of menu changes, specials, and shortages.
• Make sure kitchen operation procedures and hygiene comply with food safety standards and regulations.
• Ensure the respect of food expense and labor schedules and inform management if corrective action is needed.
• Document, escalate, and assist in resolving employee or guest incidents.
• Manage the kitchen team in the Event and Banquet chef’s absence.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.
• Excellent communication skills - communicates with team members.
• Takes responsibility and initiative to resolve issues.
• Flexibility to adapt to fast paced, changing environment.
• Ability to work efficiently and professionally in a fast paced environment, especially in stressful situations.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience as a Sous chef or equivalent preferred
• Culinary arts degree or equivalent certification preferred.
• California Food Handler certificate required
• California Food Manager certificate preferred
• Knowledge of food preparation and storage, as well as food safety and sanitation practices.
• Able to work under pressure and maintain a positive attitude.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office, including Excel and Outlook.

The Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Prohibits Discrimination and Harassment of Any Kind: Company is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at Company are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. Company will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics and encourages applicants of all ages.