Culinary Instructor Jobs in Portland, OR (NOW HIRING)

About us

Since 1942, SkyChefs has taken culinary excellence to new heights. As a trusted partner to the nation’s leading airlines and retailers, we proudly deliver millions of meals and exceptional service experiences every year across 43 sites throughout the United States. Built on a legacy of operational excellence, culinary expertise, and continuous innovation, we are committed to setting the industry standard in aviation culinary, airline services, last-mile logistics, and retail commerce. From the kitchen to the runway, our teams work together to deliver quality, reliability, and service at every altitude. Our people are the heart of everything we do. At SkyChefs, a career is more than a job – it’s an opportunity to grow, lead, and make an impact in a fast-paced, team-driven environment. Join America’s first, foremost, and finest and take your career to new heights.

Role Purpose Statement

We are seeking a dynamic and detail-oriented Sous Chef – Cold Food to join our Portland operations team. In this role, you will lead the cold kitchen, driving the preparation and presentation of high-quality airline meals that meet strict company standards, menu specifications, and production timelines.

As a key culinary leader, you will oversee all cold food production while collaborating closely with the hot kitchen to ensure seamless operations across the facility. You will play a critical role in delivering exceptional food quality, maintaining consistency at scale, and ensuring compliance with food safety and hygiene standards.

This position requires a hands-on leader who can balance operational execution with team supervision—guiding kitchen staff, maintaining high culinary standards, and stepping in to support hot kitchen operations when needed. If you thrive in a fast-paced, high-volume environment and are passionate about quality, precision, and teamwork, this is an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful impact.

Location: near Portland International Airport

Benefits: No waiting period, eligible as of Day 1. 

Main Accountabilities

Food Production

• Executes and supervises food production activities, e.g. proper cleaning, cutting, marinating, seasoning, cooking of food items etc. 
• Assumes responsibilities of Executive Chef when he/she not available ie. Vacation, off-days, menu presentation to customers, etc.
• Supervise, coordinate and control kitchen helpers in food storage (e.g. maintaining tidiness, following the first in - first out principle)
• Conducts, coordinates and supervises inventories 
• Monitors material consumption and orders required food and equipment on a daily basis to satisfy the daily production plan
• Participates in the development of food products and menus as needed for menu presentations
• Must be aware of content in catering manuals; conducts updates when necessary
• Executes countermeasures in the production in case of customer complaints
• Supports training of kitchen helpers 

Cold Food Department 

• Leads all culinary activities in the cold kitchen, including preparation and production of cold food items such as vinaigrettes, dressings, sauces, desserts, marinades, sandwiches, and salads.
• Ensures the quality and integrity of all components used for plating (freshness, expiration dates, and proper ingredient usage).
• Prepares and oversees production to ensure all cold food items meet quality, presentation, and specification standards.
• Establishes and signs off on Gold Standard presentations prior to production and plating.
• Ensures proper portion control using approved tools (portion scoops, scales) and prohibits improper equipment usage.
• Maintains direct communication with the hot kitchen to address production shortages, overages, and operational adjustments in real time.
• Oversees the final quality and presentation of all completed menu items.
• Ensures all menu specifications are accurate, up to date, and properly communicated to the production team.
• Identifies, addresses, and escalates culinary discrepancies requiring change notices (e.g., incorrect photos, unit of measure errors, plating inconsistencies, missing ingredients).
• Serves as the primary point of contact for all cold kitchen-related culinary questions during daily production.

Quality

• Maintains and monitors hygiene, health and safety standards and monitors that Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations are adhered to
• Maintains and monitors quality, conducts quality control checks according to HACCP regulations
• Conducts quality checks of goods received
• Monitors and ensures compliance with recipe specifications

Leadership

• Ensure that the area of responsibility is properly organized, staffed and directed
• Guide, motivate and develop the subordinate employees within the Human Resources Policy
• Make the company's values and management principles live in the department(s)
• Implement and control the cost budget in the area of responsibility; initiate and steer corrective actions in case of deviations
• Participate and support company sponsored initiatives such as Global Quality Standard (GQS), HACCP, Lean Manufacturing 
   

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• 3–5 years of experience in commercial cooking, or culinary apprenticeship/certification required.
• Strong knowledge of both hot and cold kitchen operations, with emphasis on cold food production.
• Knowledge of food safety and hygiene regulations (HACCP).
• Financial acumen, including food cost control, inventory management, and waste minimization.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.
• Service-oriented mindset.
• Proven leadership capability.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and Windows-based applications.