Contract Catering Chef Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Proof of the Pudding is a chef-led hospitality company delivering food and beverage experiences at some of North America’s most complex sports, entertainment, cultural, and live-event venues.
Founded in Atlanta in 1979, Proof has built a national reputation for doing hospitality differently — from-scratch cooking at scale, hyper-local sourcing, and a partnership-first approach that treats clients as collaborators, not contracts. The company serves professional and collegiate sports venues, convention centers, cultural institutions, and large-scale destination events across the United States and Internationally.

Proof of the Pudding is seeking a Production Sous Chef to provide culinary leadership to the Offsite Catering and Events Division. The Executive Sous Chef is a management position designed to enhance and amplify kitchen efficiency, menu creativity & design, and provide strong support in food preparations, production and on-site presentation. The perfect applicant has proven experience in high-volume catering, the ability to multi-task, and has a strong culinary background.

Responsibilities

• Review production sheets created by the Executive Chef and translate them into daily and weekly production plans, including batch lists, delegation lists, production priorities, and timelines.
• Use Caterease to access and review BEOs and event information necessary to understand menus, guest counts, dietary requirements, special preparations, service styles, and other details affecting culinary production.
• Oversee daily and weekly kitchen production, ensuring work is completed accurately, efficiently, and on schedule for multiple overlapping events and tastings.
• Provide clear direction, coaching, and constructive feedback to culinary team members while maintaining appropriate production standards and accountability.

• Actively participate in culinary production while maintaining oversight of the overall production operation. When appropriate, prioritize preparations such as braises, stocks, sauces, marinades, long-cooking items, or other tasks that allow continued availability to monitor workflow and support the production team.
• Ensure all culinary production is executed according to recipes, yields, portioning, preparation methods, presentation expectations, and quality standards established by the Executive Chef and culinary leadership team.

• Communicate production challenges and concerns constructively and escalate significant operational concerns to the Executive Chef as appropriate.
• Work collaboratively with the Purchasing Sous Chef to support accurate inventory management, product rotation, organization, and appropriate utilization of available ingredients.
• Monitor production practices for opportunities to reduce waste, improve yields, control food costs, and increase operational efficiency.
• Maintain familiarity with BEOs and event requirements in order to understand service style, quantities, dietary needs, special instructions, and other information

• Assist with receiving and proper storage of deliveries when operationally necessary, particularly when additional support is needed to keep production moving, while the Purchasing Sous Chef maintains primary responsibility for receiving operations.
• Maintain flexibility to step into additional production, receiving, event preparation, sanitation, organization, or other culinary functions as operational needs require.
• Attend culinary management meetings and communicate relevant production, staffing, quality, food-safety, equipment, inventory, and operational information to the culinary management team.
• Identify and communicate production, staffing, equipment, food-safety, quality, inventory, or operational concerns to the Executive Chef and culinary management team and take appropriate corrective action within the scope of the position.
• Perform additional duties and projects as assigned by the Executive Chef.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in a leadership culinary role
• Large scale catering experience is necessary, off-site catering experience preferred
• Must be a chef who thrives on creativity, customer satisfaction and flavor profiles.
• Must be a phenomenal team player.
• Must have impeccable integrity for the business, the community and the Proof of the Pudding Team.

Specialized Qualifications:

• Proven experience building and maintaining positive relationships with clients.
• Excellent listening and communication skills
• Proven time management and delegation abilities
• Capable of producing a consistent product in high volume for multiple service times per day

COMPANY CORE VALUE AND COMPETENCY REQUIREMENTS

Business Acumen - Demonstrate comprehension of the job, including policies, practices, and relationships.  Possess the expertise and skill levels required of the job and perform with quality.

Dedication - Dependable, reliable and follows through on projects from inception to completion.  Willing to put in as much time as necessary to complete tasks.  Demonstrate a win-win attitude: “see it, own it, solve it.”

Ethics and Integrity - Acts with integrity, honesty and knowledge that promote the company’s culture, values and beliefs while maintaining the highest standards of professional conduct. 

Safety & Security - Observe safety and security standards.  Use equipment and materials properly.  Comply with safety standards and personal protective equipment requirements.  Report potential unsafe conditions or practices to appropriate person immediately.  Promote restaurant safety, cleanliness and security compliance at all times.

Teamwork - Cooperate and be willing to work as a team player to achieve goals and tasks accurately, efficiently and timely.

Communication - Communicate clearly and effectively with mutual respect, understanding and trust to fellow associates, managers, supervisors and guests. Listen carefully to opinions and views of others; state understanding of what has been heard. 

Initiative - Contribute new ideas and suggestions to enhance productivity and efficiency.  Be proactive in troubleshooting problems or issues and take action to mitigate potential problems.

Adaptability & Planning - Possess the ability to learn new tasks and adjusts well to new situations.  Perform well under tight time schedules and pressures to change direction quickly.

Service Orientation - Demonstrates a sense of urgency. Is welcoming, friendly and smiles when visible to guests.   

Work Environment 

This role consists of in-office work and time in the kitchen. Office work consists of long periods of sitting at a desk, interdepartmental meetings, screen and phone usage, and communicating orally and through writing often. This position can work indoors, outdoors, and in temporary structured tents/buildings.

Physical Demands:

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Prolonged periods of standing, moving throughout a kitchen and venue, bending, lifting, and reaching.
• Ability to perform physical tasks; such as but not limited to, lifting approx. 30 lbs.

Position Salary & Benefits:

• Proof is pleased to provide all full-time eligible employees with Basic Life and AD&D as well as long term disability at no cost to employees
• Full-time eligible employees may choose to enroll in optional benefits, including Medical, Dental, Vision, and Voluntary Life and AD&D, Short Term Disability, Voluntary Accident, Voluntary Critical Illness, and Voluntary Hospitality Indemnity
• Additional benefits include a cell phone stipend and daily meals

Proof of the Pudding and its affiliates are an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to inclusion and employing a diverse workforce. All applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, disability, or other legally protected characteristics