Head Chef

We currently have an incredible career opportunity for an experienced Head Chef to lead our culinary departments - off-site catering and cafe. While some time (outside of standard business hours) will be spent in the field at events, this position is anchored in our Alviso/ North San Jose production kitchen.

Founded in 2009, Smashing Dishes is a dynamic and well-regarded off-site catering company that produces events in the South Bay and also has a presence all around the greater Bay Area. Our sister brand, Tony Caters, also operates two cafe locations including the cafe located inside The Tech Interactive Museum in downtown San Jose.

As the Head Chef you will be responsible for overseeing day to day kitchen operations while maintaining a safe, sanitary and positive work environment for the staff. You’ll work closely with the Executive Chef to cultivate a team of chefs and cooks who work in the field at events, and you will often lead the cooking at those events.

This position requires a very organized, results-oriented, high-energy, passionate individual with the stamina and mental agility to thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth professional atmosphere.

And we cannot stress this enough: Excellent organization AND communication skills with all levels of management/staff will be key to your success. Spanish speaking preferred.

Core Duties and Responsibilities:

• Run Production Kitchen
• Manage and mentor a small team of cooks; build trust and foster community
• Write daily prep lists
• Write kitchen staff weekly schedules
• Place product orders, and occasionally interact with vendors
• Oversee daily production and ensure team is meeting deadlines; identify systems that can be improved
• Maintain Smashing Dishes standards and consistency of product being sent out the door
• Collaborate with our 3 Cafe Managers and on-site cooks to uphold consistency and understand expectations for weekly specials

Collaborate with Fellow Managers

• Participate in production meetings with other departments to understand scope of upcoming events and to review past events
• Collaborate with sales department (and Exec Chef) as needed to develop special menus
• Collaborate with Exec Chef/ Founder to streamline and strengthen menus and overall systems, and to stay current of industry trends
• Work closely with Event Production Manager to hand-off consistently high quality food, and ensure guest expectations are exceeded

Participation On-site at Events

• Lead field kitchen at events as assigned
• Cultivate and train a team of event chefs and cooks to act as surrogates onsite for yourself

Culture

• Exhibit confidence in decisions and in team’s abilities
• Set a tone of professionalism
• Embody core values of the company (Passion, Flexibility, Integrity, Efficiency and Respect)

What we offer:

• A collaborative & upbeat company culture
• Competitive salary
• Quarterly & Annual Bonus opportunities
• Medical, Dental, Vision & Life
• 2 weeks PTO
• Retirement Plan

Requirements:

• Previous Culinary Management experience required
• Off-site Catering experience preferred
• Bilingual Spanish/ English preferred