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Sous Chef

Oregon State University

Oregon State University

USD 51k-58k / year
Posted on Oct 10, 2025
Apply now
Position Information
Department Dining Centers (MHD)
Position Title Manager 2-Sous Chef
Job Title Sous Chef
Appointment Type Professional Faculty
Job Location Corvallis
Benefits Eligible Full-Time, benefits eligible
Remote or Hybrid option?
Job Summary
The University Housing and Dining Services at Oregon State is seeking a Sous Chef. This is a full-time (1.00 FTE), 12-month, professional faculty position.

University Housing & Dining Services (UHDS) vision is to engage our students, enrich their lives, and help them thrive. UHDS recognizes the importance of learning both in and out of the classroom and supports the concept of education as an individual as well as a community experience. UHDS strives to provide students, faculty, staff, and guests with safe, economical, convenient, and comfortable living and dining options, and the department works to maintain the highest educational and service standards. UHDS houses over 4,800 students and offers a variety of living and dining options in 15 residence halls, a limited number of family apartments, three dining centers, 10-14 retail and coffee shop locations across campus, and a market. UHDS is an auxiliary enterprise which is funded solely by customers who use our services – we receive no State or General fund allocation.

UHDS is committed to an appreciation for diversity, and fosters an open, respectful, and enjoyable living, learning, and working environment. A personal and professional commitment to providing excellent customer service and creating inclusive environments is a core value of University Housing and Dining Services.

The UHDS Culinary Team is committed to providing an inspirational culinary experience through a food-first philosophy: integrating nutrition, quality, and passion in food. This team is dedicated to sustainable practices, food innovation, and supportive work environments. Food is a voice to expressing these values along with educating students, staff, guests, and the OSU community.

UHDS staff members are expected to demonstrate a personal and professional commitment to providing excellent customer service. Creating inclusive, welcoming, and safe environments are core values of UHDS.

The purpose of the Sous Chef is to provide support for day to day operations of the micro-restaurants including food production, supervision, and training within the assigned Dining Center. This includes enforcing established processes that ensure proper food handling techniques and health department compliance, ordering of food and supplies, developing menus and recipes within the guidelines set by the Culinary Team, meeting food cost goals, and using a clear and positive communication style. The Sous Chef requires culinary skills necessary to provide consistent, innovative, quality food in a fast paced, high volume kitchen. This position provides direction and continuous training for culinary staff and student workers on a daily basis. This position’s main focus will be to oversee production and food presentation for UHDS in conjunction with other culinary members and mangers. This position is a member of a management team of employees and OSU Catering staff expected to develop a successful plan for meeting or exceeding customer demands of an on-campus food service. OSU focuses on local and sustainable ingredients, healthy food options and cooking from scratch. Catering events include small intimate gatherings, business meetings, and conferences of varying sizes.

This position will work with the Dining Leadership team to ensure the policies and procedures agreed upon within the SEIU/OPEU union contract are followed.

This position will be required to work a flexible schedule to ensure the work within the unit is completed and the goals of the department are met. Dining Services is a year-round operation, open from early in the morning to very late at night.

This position will adhere to all OSU and UHDS policies and procedures. OSU Administrative Policies and Procedures, State of Oregon Health and Sanitation requirements, departmental directives and the SEIU union contract are used as guidelines and/or reference materials.

This position performs essential functions and is required to report to work during emergency university closures.

This position has direct access to, or control over, cash, checks, credit card account information and care, safety, and security of people or property. Therefore, position requires a background check prior to hire.

In addition, this position will potentially serve as a back-up person for the delivery of food and beverage items into access-secured residence halls, where there may be minors present; and/or this position may need to regularly access storage areas in a residence hall without an escort. These security sensitive tasks will require passing a Criminal History Check.
Why OSU?
Working for Oregon State University is so much more than a job!

Oregon State University is a dynamic community of dreamers, doers, problem-solvers and change-makers. We don’t wait for challenges to present themselves — we seek them out and take them on. We welcome students, faculty and staff from every background and perspective into a community where everyone feels seen and heard. We have deep-rooted mindfulness for the natural world and all who depend on it, and together, we apply knowledge, tools and skills to build a better future for all.

FACTS:

• Top 1.4% university in the world
• More research funding than all public universities in Oregon combined
• 1 of 3 land, sea, space and sun grant universities in the U.S.
• 2 campuses, 11 colleges, 12 experiment stations, and Extension programs in all 36 counties
• 7 cultural resource centers that offer education, celebration and belonging for everyone
• 100+ undergraduate degree programs, 80+ graduate degrees plus hundreds of minor options and certificates
• 35k+ students including more than 2.3k international students and 10k students of color
• 217k+ alumni worldwide
• For more interesting facts about OSU visit: https://oregonstate.edu/about

Locations:

Oregon State has a statewide presence with campuses in Corvallis and Bend, the OSU Portland Center and the Hatfield Marine Science Center on the Pacific Coast in Newport.

Oregon State’s beautiful, historic and state-of-the-art main campus is located in one of America’s best college towns. Corvallis is located close to the Pacific Ocean, the Cascade mountains and Oregon wine country. Nestled in the heart of the Willamette Valley, this beautiful city offers miles of mountain biking and hiking trails, a river perfect for boating or kayaking and an eclectic downtown featuring local cuisine, popular events and performances.

Total Rewards Package:

Oregon State University offers a comprehensive benefits package with benefits eligible positions that is designed to meet the needs of employees and their families including:
• Medical, Dental, Vision and Basic Life. OSU pays 95% of premiums for you and your eligible dependents.
• Free confidential mental health and emotional support services, and counseling resources.
• Retirement savings paid by the university.
• A generous paid leave package, including holidays, vacation and sick leave.
• Tuition reduction benefits for you or your qualifying dependents at OSU or the additional six Oregon Public Universities.
• Robust Work Life programs including Dual Career assistance resources, flexible work arrangements, a Family Resource Center, Affinity Groups and an Employee Assistance Program.
• Optional lifestyle benefits such as pet, accident, and critical illness insurance, giving you peace of mind and the support you need to thrive in all aspects of your life.

Future and current OSU employees can use the Benefits Calculator to learn more about the full value of the benefits provided at OSU.
Key Responsibilities
55% Culinary Leadership & Operations:
  • Assists with the operational leadership of the day-to-day functions of the micro restaurants including supervision of food production, menu development and implementation, inventory management and vendor communication and management.
  • Provides hands on participation in daily food preparation for multiple areas & instruct staff on culinary principals in line with the department’s goals.
  • Role models the culinary practice of batch cooking to ensure the highest quality, freshness and minimize waste.
  • Provides leadership and support to the entire kitchen, when needed.
  • Assists with the planning, evaluating and revising of procedures and practices to ensure efficient, effective workflow and quality standards.
  • Promotes efficient use of time, equipment, technique and ingredients.
  • Assists with the purchase food and supplies within the purchasing guidelines of OSU and UHDS, purchasing local, sustainable, and seasonal when available.
  • Confers with the Chef de Cuisine to develop and implement long- and short-term goals and promotions for the micro-restaurants.
  • Ensures the department’s safety and sanitation goals are being exceeded on a daily basis. This includes ensuring daily temperature logs are maintained accurately, staff are trained and following the established safety and sanitation policies, HACCP procedures are being followed and exceeded, daily inspections are made to ensure all internal and exterior areas are clean and debris free; Unit has no critical violations on the semiannual health department inspections.
  • Performs daily inspections of kitchen to include maintenance of equipment and that the micro-restaurants are cleanly maintained and work areas are well organized.
  • Assists with the development and implementation of all menus & ensures recipes are developed and submitted on time for each micro-restaurant within the dining center. Ensures developed recipes are followed during daily production.
  • Works with the Chef de Cuisine to develop new recipes, daily specials and assist/develop theme meals.
  • Ensure high quality food, production, presentation, flavor and customer service.
  • Role model and ensure cleanliness in personal appearance, hygiene, food handling, work areas and food storage.
  • Participates in daily & weekly production meetings. Facilitates these meetings if needed.
  • Create a work environment that is welcoming to all employees, focused on motivating employees to do better and open to input from all.
  • Work closely with the Executive Chef, Registered Dietician, General Manager, and Chefs de Cuisine.
  • As a member of the Culinary Team, assist in food decisions that are in line with Dining’s strategic direction.
  • Assists with the development of menus that include multiple dietary and allergen needs along with healthy cooking principals.
  • Ensure all dishes are of the highest quality, meet food cost expectations, and meet the vision of the Culinary Team.
  • Keeps the General Manager and Chef de Cuisine informed of new developments.
  • Assists with the planning of special menus for events and conferences as needed.
  • Work with the Dietician in accommodating guests and students with dietary needs and food allergies.
  • Ensure that dishes have proper labels regarding allergens and dietary preferences (e.g. vegan, Halal, gluten free) on a daily basis.
  • Assists with the development of recipes for Catering, or assigned restaurant concepts and grab and go items, working with the Catering team or restaurant leaders and management team.
  • Engage with all culinarians to develop new creative dishes.
  • Assists with the evaluation of menus routinely.
  • Use Dining’s menu software to enter and manage recipes.
20% Employee Leadership and Supervision:
  • Hire, train, supervise, evaluate, discipline and coach full-time staff and students.
  • Assists with the development and implementation of training programs that demonstrate culinary expectations and instruct the production staff on cooking, food handling, safety, sanitation, customer service and other areas as needed.
  • May be required to schedule full-time staff and collaborate with other managers for student staff according to business needs.
  • Provides leadership, mentoring, coaching and advising to all staff. Works with the Chef de Cuisine to identify the career goals of all staff and offers guidance and support on how they can achieve them.
  • Evaluate staff on an ongoing basis and provide daily coaching. Meet at least monthly one-on-one with each staff member to provide performance feedback.
  • Complete annual performance evaluation, provide professional goals and update position descriptions.
  • Works with the Chef de Cuisine on providing progressive discipline as necessary.
  • Understand the advantages of developing and supporting a diverse workgroup.
  • Utilizes student workers efficiently.
  • Ensure staff is in proper uniform and appearance.
15% Administrative, Fiscal and Communication:
  • Administrative decisions include an understanding of food cost, labor cost and menu pricing with the ability to assist with recommending and implementing cost saving processes.
  • Attend weekly dining center (and department) meetings as required; ensure confidentiality when needed but communicate appropriate information to dining staff as needed.
  • Assists with the gathering of Menu Management System production info so that accurate future forecasting can occur.
  • Makes recommendations with forecasting production levels and menus based on relevant information and record keeping. These are discussed with the Chef de Cuisine before implementing.
  • Review all recipes for appropriate pricing and food cost.
  • Enter recipes within the structured guidelines.
  • Contribute all relevant information to managers and supervisors in a timely manner.
  • Seek assistance and logistical support for busy periods from other chefs & managers.
  • Informs all culinarians in timely manner with relevant information of future production needs and changes.
  • Actively seeks feedback and ideas from staff and customers.
  • Assists with the development of staff training/inspirational days with fellow managers/chefs and General Manager.
  • Makes recommendations on the kitchen’s needs for smallwares and equipment.
  • Assists with the completion of monthly inventory and inputs daily data entry as needed.
  • Manage and approve assigned staff timesheets.
  • May need to process student payroll or prepare schedules for posting.
  • Expected to communicate clearly with compassion and respect to all employees, including students.
  • Expected to lead by example, role model a positive attitude, and instill a positive attitude.
10% Collaboration and Other Duties:
  • In our team-oriented operation, there will be occasions when it is necessary to support other areas in the dining center, housing and/or campus beyond those assigned as a primary responsibility.
  • Facilitate cooking classes or educational programs for guests, staff and/or students as needed.
  • Assume the role of the Chef de Cuisine or Duty Manager whenever business needs require.
  • May be required to complete Front of House and/or Opening duties and/or Closing duties when business needs require.
  • Complete various projects assigned by the supervisor.
  • Actively participate in the coordination of department’s response to emergency situations.
  • May support the development and education of undergraduate and graduate students in the form of committee involvement, internship supervision, and/or being in the classroom.
What You Will Need
  • Associates degree, vocational or technical degree in Culinary Arts; or completion of a certified culinary apprenticeship; or an equivalent combination of education and work experience may be substituted.
  • At least 5 years of progressive chef experience in a large commercial restaurant, hotel, catering, or institution.
  • At least 3 years’ full-time work experience as a Sous Chef or Lead with supervisory experience in a large commercial restaurant, hotel, catering, or institution.
  • Demonstrated knowledge in a variety of culinary skills, techniques, and styles. E.g. experience in exhibition cooking, experience in various global cuisines.
  • Must have strong knowledge of the flow of food through the preparation process, presentation, and service.
  • Demonstrated ability to teach others.
  • Excellent oral, written, and communication skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to cooperate, follow instructions, and organizational skills.
  • Basic working knowledge of Windows-based personal computer applications (e.g. Word, Excel, e-mail).
  • Demonstrated passion for food and the food service industry.
  • Demonstrated ability to relate well to individuals and groups with widely varying backgrounds, perspectives, education, and skills.
  • Demonstrated commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of food allergens and special dietary needs.
  • Working knowledge of ServSafe principles; certification required within 90 days of employment.

This position is designated as a critical or security-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a criminal history check and be determined to be position qualified as per OSU Standard: 05-010 et seq. Incumbents are required to self-report convictions and those in youth programs may have additional criminal history checks every 24 months.
What We Would Like You to Have
  • Working knowledge of computerized menu and recipe systems strongly preferred.
  • A degree from a Culinary Arts School may be given preference.
  • Experience as a chef executing a variety of menus for various catering events both small (20 – 100 guests) and large (200 + guests).
  • Extensive work as a chef in a full-service culinary environment (i.e. breakfast, lunch, dinner, receptions) with dining room service, casual service, catering, and special events.
  • Experience working in a team-based environment.
  • Experience working with a clientele that has various special diet needs.
  • Bachelor’s degree; or equivalent combination of field-related education and work experience
Working Conditions / Work Schedule
Must have the ability to plan for the production, and the ability to interpret recipes from varied sources and be able to test, develop, and deliver quality food products to Dining Services customers.

Must have the ability to make quick decisions under stress.

The employee in this position will often be required to lift/carry/push/pull objects weighing up to 50 pounds.

This is a physically active job in a commercial kitchen environment. Incumbent will experience long working periods of standing on a hard floor; long periods sitting doing data entry; working with commercial kitchen equipment; fluctuations in work flow, temperature, and noise level.

Must be able to work shift on your feet and perform frequent arm movements

Will require work in areas that prepare and handle raw meat, as well as most common food allergens, including gluten.

OSU is a 100% tobacco-free campus.

Work Schedule
UHDS dining operations run seven days per week, so weekends, evenings, and occasional holiday work will be required. OSU requires the ability to work a flexible schedule based on the needs of the business.

This position is deemed essential; and the incumbent is expected to report to work during inclement weather, emergency, and other University work curtailments or closures.
Pay Method Salary
Pay Period 1st through the last day of the month
Pay Date Last working day of the month
Recommended Full-Time Salary Range $51,000 -$58,000
Link to Position Description
Posting Detail Information
Posting Number P09504UF
Number of Vacancies 1
Anticipated Appointment Begin Date 11/24/2025
Anticipated Appointment End Date
Posting Date 10/10/2025
Full Consideration Date
Closing Date 10/27/2025
Indicate how you intend to recruit for this search Competitive / External - open to ALL qualified applicants
Special Instructions to Applicants
When applying you will be required to attach the following electronic documents:
1) A resume
2) A cover letter indicating how your qualifications and experience have prepared you for this position.

You will also be required to submit the names of at least three professional references, their e-mail addresses and telephone numbers as part of the application process.

For additional information please contact:
Dave Wilber
david.wilber@oregonstate.edu
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability, protected veteran, and other protected status.

OSU will conduct a review of the National Sex Offender Public website prior to hire.

Starting salary within the salary range will be commensurate with skills, education, and experience.

OSU is a fair chance employer committed to inclusive hiring. We encourage applications from candidates who bring a wide range of lived experience including involvement with the justice system. This job has “critical or security-sensitive” responsibilities. If you are selected as a finalist, your initial job offer will be contingent upon the results of a job-related pre-employment check (such as a background check, motor vehicle history check, sexual misconduct reference check, etc.). Background check results do not automatically disqualify a candidate. Take a look at our Background Checks website including the for candidates section for more details. If you have questions or concerns about the pre-employment check, please contact OSU’s Employee and Labor Relations team at employee.relations@oregonstate.edu.
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