Sous Chef

About Rice:
Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston Texas Rice University is ranked among the nations top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio and a residential college system which supports students intellectually emotionally and culturally through social events intramural sports student plays lecture series courses and student government. Developing close-knit diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rices culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name RICE Responsibility Integrity Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:
The Sous Chef is a key culinary leader within Rice Hospitality supporting daily kitchen operations across both retail dining concepts and residential dining facilities as well as catering and special events (if applicable). This role is responsible for supervising kitchen staff maintaining food quality and consistency and ensuring efficient production in a high-volume multi-concept environment.

The Sous Chef plays a critical role in executing diverse menus supporting peak service periods and upholding Rice Hospitalitys standards for culinary excellence food safety and guest experience across all dining platforms.

Ideal Candidate Statement:
The ideal candidate is a versatile culinary leader who can seamlessly transition between retail dining and residential dining operations (if applicable) while maintaining high standards of quality and efficiency. They are hands-on adaptable and experienced in high-volume production with the ability to lead teams in both fast-paced service and structured dining environments. They bring a strong operational mindset a passion for developing others and a commitment to delivering consistent high-quality food across all Rice Hospitality platforms.

Workplace Requirements:

Work Schedule:

• Must be available to work a flexible schedule including weekends and holidays
• Must be available to work any shift required based on operational needs

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to lift and carry up to 50 pounds several times daily
• Requires standing or walking up to eight hours per day
• Must be able to bend crouch kneel lift reach climb balance and perform repetitive motions
• Must be able to detect scents and discern flavors accurately

Work Environment:

• Primarily indoor environments including kitchens service areas and residential dining facilities
• Exposure to temperature variations in nonclimate-controlled spaces
• Exposure to cleaning agents chemicals wet floors and elevated work areas

Essential Personnel:
This position is designated as essential. During campus emergencies the Chef de Cuisine is expected to report to campus and provide critical dining services under the direction of the Crisis Management Team.

Hiring Range: $25.00 $29.00 per hour

*Non-Exempt (hourly) positions underFLSA are eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements:

• 3 years of culinary experience in high-volume retail residential dining or institutional foodservice environments
• Previous supervisory or leadership experience required
• Experience with batch cooking station-based service and/or catering production strongly preferred
• Strong knowledge of food safety and sanitation standards
• Ability to manage multiple priorities across different dining formats
• Culinary degree or equivalent experience preferred

Skills:

• Strong working knowledge of food safety sanitation and HACCP principles
• Demonstrated ability to maintain high standards of cleanliness and organization
• Advanced culinary skills including knife work seasoning tasting and flavor evaluation
• Excellent attention to detail and commitment to consistency
• Ability to multitask prioritize and make sound decisions under pressure
• Strong verbal communication and interpersonal skills
• Proven ability to motivate train and lead teams effectively
• Ability to read interpret and execute standardized recipes and production sheets
• Proven ability to execute high-volume production while maintaining quality standards
• Solid understanding of food cost control inventory management and kitchen operations
• Flexibility to work evenings weekends and varied schedules

Preferences:

• 3-5 years of culinary experience in high-volume retail residential dining or institutional foodservice environments

Essential Functions:

Culinary Operations (Retail & Residential)

• Support the Chef de Cuisine in overseeing daily food production across retail cafés food concepts and residential dining serveries
• Ensure consistency quality and presentation of all menu items across multiple service styles (à la carte stations batch cooking)
• Lead and execute high-volume production for residential dining while maintaining speed and efficiency in retail service environments
• Assist with menu execution seasonal updates and concept-specific offerings
• Maintain proper food handling storage and labeling standards

Leadership & Team Development

• Supervise train and mentor cooks lead cooks and student employees across both retail and residential operations
• Assist with scheduling and labor deployment to support fluctuating volume between dining formats
• Provide real-time coaching during service to ensure efficiency consistency and adherence to standards
• Promote a collaborative culture that supports cross-utilization of staff between retail and residential dining

Events & Catering

• Support execution of on-site and off-site catering events including preparation production and breakdown (if applicable)
• Ensure accurate and timely production of banquet and catering menus (if applicable)
• Collaborate with front-of-house teams to deliver seamless event experiences

Food Safety & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with all health safety and sanitation standards (HACCP local regulations) across all kitchen environments
• Maintain clean organized and inspection-ready kitchens in both retail and residential settings
• Monitor proper use and care of kitchen equipment

Inventory & Cost Control

• Assist with inventory management ordering and receiving across multiple outlets
• Support food cost control through portioning waste reduction and cross-utilization of product
• Maintain proper product rotation and storage (FIFO practices)

Additional Functions:

• Open and secure kitchen facilities as required
• Receive and verify deliveries
• Address and resolve operational or food quality issues promptly
• Support continuous improvement initiatives within kitchen operations

Rice University HR Benefits: Mission and Values: Mission and Values Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race color religion age sex sexual orientation gender identity national or ethnic origin genetic information disability or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process please get in touch with Rice Universitys Human Resources Office via email at for support.

If you have any additional questions please email us at Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.