Lodge Chef Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Who We Are

Founded in 1926, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is a private, not-for-profit educational, historic, and cultural institution that owns and operates one of the largest and best-known museum complexes in the world. Our mission is “that the future may learn from the past” through preserving and restoring 18th-century Williamsburg, Virginia’s colonial capital. We engage, inform, and inspire people to learn about this historic capital, the events that occurred here, and the diverse peoples who helped shape a new nation.

Today, Colonial Williamsburg is the largest living history museum in the U.S. The Historic Area is the 301-acre restored colonial capital with 88 original buildings and 525 buildings reconstructed to how they appeared in the 18th century through extensive archaeological, architectural, and documentary research. The Historic Area is staffed by highly trained, historically dressed interpreters and expert tradespeople who bring the 18th century to life. The Foundation also owns and operates two world-class museums, the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, and a renowned research library, the John D Rockefeller Jr Library.

Additionally, Colonial Williamsburg is home to five world class accommodations at the Williamsburg Inn, Williamsburg Lodge Autograph Collection, the Griffin Hotel, the Williamsburg Woodlands Hotels and Suites and the unique Colonial Houses in the Historical Area. Visitors may also indulge in food and drink at our many on site restaurants and taverns that blend a historically inspired dining experience with today’s evolved tastes. Each year over 5 million people visit Williamsburg and another 20 million engage with us digitally.

About the Position

The Sous Chef is responsible for the successful achievement of operational, financial, and quality goals for Williamsburg Lodge Culinary. Trains, supervises, counsels, and motivates the kitchen teams while controlling production, quality and food costs. 

This position is responsible for the development and implementation of menus, the consistent preparation of innovative and creative cuisine of the highest quality, presentation, and flavors for the dining room, resulting in outstanding guest satisfaction, improved market share, increased covers, and revenues. 

Sous Chef must work in conjunction with the Guest Service managers and supervisors to ensure adherence to the policies, procedures and standards of conduct established by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

The Sous Chef Interacts on a daily basis with contemporaries in Chef positions across the Hospitality Group.

Production:

• Insure that the culinary and utility staffs are performing to the established standards.

Food Preparation:

• Prepare foods correctly for service according to the standards of the specific dish, and the various meal periods.
• Accurately develops the proper quantities of product through use of station checklists and forecasting.

Food Service:

• Prepare all foods according to the POS system print out, while producing and executing the special request items to meet guest expectations. The established pace of service is to be maintained in order to sustain a steady flow of service.
• Creation and costing of breakfast, lunch and dinner menu’s in accordance to the branding of the specific food outlets policies and procedures.
• Set the example, create and ensure kitchen standards are followed in a positive and professional manner.
• Ensure that the Chef de Partie and culinary staff are following through with the noted daily tasks by following checklists and your demonstrations of proper technique and guidance.
• Effectively oversee that the expediting of breakfast, lunch or bunch and dinner shifts are being followed to standard.
• Demonstrate a proactive approach to managing large parties in the Dining room, in cooperation with the Guest Service Managers
• Oversee production of all prep items ensuring recipe adherence, ticket times, and food production meet or exceed standard as established by yourself and the Guest Service Manager.
• Insure adherence to the recipe cards and plate presentation.
• Work in corporation with purchasing agent to insure the freshest and cost effective ingredients are present in the Restaurants
• Pull, print, read and post BEO’s from visual 1 for the Woodlands and the Lodge daily to have the most up to date information for all functions.
• Pull change log Monday thru Saturday and update all production sheets and BEO book with the updated information.
• Assist in supervising utility and receiving staff for cleanliness of storage and kitchen areas.
• Assist in making sure staff is scheduled appropriately.
• Ensure that food is properly ordered for the area of operations you are managing
  

Inventory Control:

• Thoroughly understand and adhere to the Food Order Guides system of ordering food in the kitchen.
• Order according to established pars and forecasting.
• Properly rotate all food in storage utilizing the F.I.F.O. system.
• Accurately conduct monthly inventory.
• Accurately place orders for pastry and baked goods with the use of the ordering checklists.
• Communicate product levels to storeroom manager when subpar.
• Complete weekly spot inventories on high dollar items and communicate those findings to the Storeroom Supervisor to reconcile with perpetual inventories.

Sanitation:

• Follow food safety and sanitation guidelines and ensure that staff understands and practices the same, including, but not limited to:
• Maintain a working knowledge of the Temperature Danger Zone (41-135F)
• Thoroughly sanitize station, equipment and hands after handling potentially hazardous foods.
• Prevent potential cross-contamination through hand washing and awareness of surroundings.
• Read and follow the standards of the Appearance Policy provided by CW.
• Clean as you go, maintain a clean and orderly work station at all times.
• Keep jackets, pants, aprons, shoe and hats as clean as possible.
• Were protective gloves when handling ready to eat foods.
• Obtain and maintain a valid ServSafe® certification and manage to the standards of the ServSafe® criteria.
• Ensure all employees obtain and maintain food handler’s certification from the Health Department.  Create and nourish a positive working relationship with the local Health Department. Work through any Health Department issues, correcting immediately when possible, and do not allow any repeats on critical violations.
• Supervise Daily detailed cleaning of the kitchens.  Ensure sanitation throughout property including kitchen, dining rooms, and outdoor public areas such as Fire Pit dining area, gardens, walkways, back dock and dumpster area etc.

Safety:

• Insure that you and your direct reports have successfully completed all required Safety Training, including but not limited to, Safety orientation, Fire Extinguisher Training, Lifting, etc., Asbestos Awareness, Preventing Slips, Trips, Falls
• Successfully complete Driver Safety Training and complete the process to become an approved driver before operating a company automobile.
• Fill out an incident report for all accidents that happen on your shift.
• Complete the incident follow-up form for each accident
• Wear slip resistant shoe to prevent slips, trips and falls.
• Practice safety in the work place at all times, including but not limited to:
   Understand and identify hazards in the work place so proper actions may take place in order to reduce injury.
• Maintain a sharp knife while safely handling as to not obtain injury.
• Have a working knowledge of safely prepping, using and cleaning of all equipment in the kitchen.
• Lift with your legs and always ask for assistance when necessary.
• Utilize a pushcart whenever transporting products over a distance.
• Take action to secure a hazard through the supervisor by reporting issues immediately.
• Ensure that others are practicing safety procedures at all times.
• Troubleshoot and locate potential problems with the Kitchen facilities and equipment (i.e. maintaining machinery, cleaning equipment regularly, spotting safety hazards, etc.). Ensure repair and maintenance of kitchen equipment by partnering with our maintenance department.
• Stay informed and current on all areas of Risk Management.

Financial Responsibility:

• Insure that the culinary Staff under your direction are clocking in and out accurately and according to the CW attendance policy.
• Be financially aware of the cost of food and cost of labor and effectively contribute to the control of both.
• Be aware and understand overtime and maintain practices to avoid accruing any pertaining to yourself and other staff members.
• Ensure employee standards are consistent through documented, timely performance evaluations, training checklists and daily reviews, and discharges when necessary.
• Attends daily front of the house line ups to highlight specials and up selling techniques associated with those specials
• Make sure quality and timeliness of food product maintained to that particular areas standards.

Communication:

• Effectively communicate with co-workers and managers to maintain an efficient work space.
• Hold daily line-ups to inform the crew of the daily duties and tasks at hand.
• Effectively communicate to Cooks, Stewards and front of the house employees.
• Attend all meeting that have to do with the Hotels business needs and your specific areas.
• Effectively communicate menu changes, special events or any other changes that pertain to your specified units.

Teamwork:

• Demonstrates teamwork within your direct work group as well and surrounding departments.
• Identify and act when assistance is needed under any circumstance.
• Assist in strategies to develop efficiencies with the work group to streamline production and labor.
• Take the initiative to step in and direct other to assist others in a collaborative effort. 
• Work on all staffing plans for kitchen staff.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education: 

Culinary Degree and 5 years’ experience accompanying professional managerial experience with the hotel and restaurant industries.

Knowledge: 

Thorough knowledge of all aspects of Kitchen operations including but not limited to:

• thorough understanding of profit and loss management, marketing and management of Kitchen
• knowledge of American regional cuisine, and menu development 

Experienced in the development and administration of operating and capital budgets, manpower planning, purchasing, and control of operating equipment and sensitivity to design and refurbishing of restaurant and kitchen facilities.

Experience: 

Progressive track record with deluxe hotel, resort and restaurant organizations.  Proven record of culinary accomplishments.  Functional experience in guest service, dining room, catering and back of the house management. 

Personal Characteristics:

• Excellent leadership, communication and presentation skills
• Gracious and approachable manner in dealing with guests and employees
• Strong partnering and networking skills
• Ability to develop and work as part of a team, and develop partnerships both within your unit and outside
• Demonstrate a calm demeanor and positive attitude

Business Acumen: 

• Ability to:
  • read and analyze financial (profit and loss) statements
  • develop annual operating budgets
  • forecast business levels
  • analyze food cost via monitoring of recipes, production, spoilage, waste, breakage, etc…
  • understand and implement internal controls relative to food storage and production
  • conduct menu engineering analysis
  • forecast labor needs and adjust staffing as business levels change

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous experience in presenting training and development programs as well as administration of a union contract preferred. 
• Must be willing to make a long-term commitment to the Resort, the management, and the culinary and Food and Beverage teams to establish and maintain a reputation for excellence in cuisines locally, regionally and nationally.

Benefits: 

• Beautiful historic setting 
• Competitive benefits for eligible employees include:  

• health insurance  
• pension plan 
• vision plan  
• medical and dependent care flexible spending accounts  
• Sick, vacation, and holiday pay 
• 401(k) plan with a portion of contributions matched  
• life insurance  
• long-term disability 
• accidental death and dismemberment insurance 
• group travel accident insurance 

Compensation Disclaimer: The compensation listed below for this position represents the anticipated hiring range and is provided in accordance with Virginia pay transparency requirements. Actual compensation will be determined based on factors such as the selected candidate’s skills, qualifications, experience, education, certifications, internal equity, and the specific requirements of the role.

Range: $44,100 to $66,100