Senior Sous Chef

wc-br · Charlottesville, VA

seniorfull timeonsite
Apply on wc-br’s site →

Quick Snapshot

Senior Sous Chef reporting to the Executive Chef — onsite, full-time in Charlottesville, VA. Salary: $59,673–$86,526/year, experience-based. Core scope: kitchen quality, team supervision, and catering events. Entry bar: Associate's culinary degree (or four years of equivalent experience), two-plus years of kitchen supervisory experience, and active ServSafe certification. Full benefits package included.

About the Role

This position works directly alongside the Executive Chef to coordinate kitchen personnel through daily food preparation, service, and special catering events. When the Executive Chef is unavailable, you step into the operational lead seat — making sound judgment and composure under pressure non-negotiable. The environment appears to be a residential or senior-living dining setting, so a service-oriented, empathetic approach to resident and guest interaction carries as much weight as technical culinary skill. Pay scales with experience within the published salary band.

About wc-br

No company overview is included in this listing. Context from the job description points to an institutional or senior-living food service operation: the role requires compassion in working with senior populations, references on-site residents, and emphasizes a team-focused culture built around client and customer service. The organization values culinary discipline and genuine care for the communities it serves in equal measure. For a fuller employer profile, follow the apply link to the company's own careers page.

What You'll Do

  • Prepare and cook dishes following established recipes and production standards.
  • Own consistent food quality across taste, serving temperature, and visual presentation.
  • Meet all food production deadlines aligned to daily production orders.
  • Keep workstations, tools, and equipment clean and sanitation-compliant at all times.
  • Engage with residents and guests in a professional, service-oriented manner.
  • Field and resolve customer or resident concerns as they arise.
  • Collaborate with colleagues to uphold service standards and inventory and cash-control procedures.
  • Ensure full compliance with food safety regulations, ServSafe standards, and merchandising requirements.
  • Manage kitchen operations independently whenever the Executive Chef is absent.
  • Plan and lead department-level staff meetings.
  • Contribute to departmental decisions covering personnel actions, performance reviews, resource allocation, and operational controls.

Must-Have Requirements

  • Associate's degree in culinary arts or a related field, OR four or more years of hands-on hospitality or culinary experience in lieu of the degree.
  • Minimum two years of supervisory experience in a kitchen or food service environment.
  • Active ServSafe certification at the food handler or manager level.
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills; ability to negotiate effectively.
  • Proven track record of leadership and team management in a kitchen setting.
  • Organizational ability to juggle multiple priorities simultaneously without losing attention to detail.
  • Solid project management and time management skills with awareness of fiscal responsibility.
  • Demonstrated empathy and experience working with elderly or senior populations.
  • Comfort leading and working within a diverse staff environment.
  • Ability to deliver consistently under time pressure and hard production deadlines.
  • Strategic thinking ability — understanding how day-to-day decisions connect to broader operational goals.
  • Positive, high-energy attitude with strong initiative and flexibility.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in food services technology, culinary management, hospitality, or a closely related field.

Skills Breakdown: Must-Have vs. Nice-to-Have

This role weights culinary execution and operational leadership equally. Must-have skills cluster into three pillars: technical kitchen craft (recipe consistency, food safety, ServSafe compliance), people management (supervising staff, running meetings, contributing to personnel reviews), and operational control (production scheduling, inventory oversight, catering coordination). The strongest differentiator between candidates will be the supervisory track record — two or more years of leading a kitchen team, not just working in one. Experience in senior-living or residential dining is an implicit advantage given the resident-facing nature of this environment. A bachelor's degree is the lone nice-to-have.

Salary & Compensation

The employer has disclosed a starting annual salary range of $59,673 to $86,526, with pay determined by years of relevant experience. More tenured candidates should expect offers toward the upper end of the band. This is a direct-hire, full-time role — not a contract or temporary placement. No relocation assistance, signing bonus, or visa sponsorship details appear in this listing; candidates should raise those questions directly with the employer during the hiring process.

Benefits Package

  • Paid time off (PTO) package
  • Education assistance program — financial support for tuition and continuing education costs
  • Retirement savings plan with employer matching contributions
  • Free meal provided during every shift
  • Paid holidays
  • Free access to on-site gym and pool facilities
  • Free parking
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Location & Work Model

This is a fully onsite position in Charlottesville, Virginia — no remote or hybrid arrangement is offered. The listing makes no mention of relocation assistance or visa sponsorship, so candidates should plan to be locally available or able to commute independently before starting. Onsite presence is expected from day one.

Frequently asked questions

What is the salary for this Senior Sous Chef position?

The employer has disclosed a starting annual salary range of $59,673 to $86,526. Pay is determined by years of relevant experience, so more tenured candidates can expect offers toward the higher end of that range.

Is prior experience working with elderly or senior residents required?

Yes. The qualifications explicitly call for demonstrated ability and compassion in working with senior populations. The role appears to be set in a residential or senior-living dining environment where daily interaction with residents is part of operations.

What education and certifications does this role require?

A minimum of an Associate's degree in culinary arts or a related field is required; four or more years of equivalent hospitality or culinary experience may substitute for the degree. Active ServSafe certification at the food handler or manager level is also required. A Bachelor's degree is listed as preferred but not mandatory.

Is this position remote, hybrid, or fully onsite?

This is a fully onsite position in Charlottesville, VA. No remote or hybrid arrangement is mentioned in the listing.

How much supervisory experience is required, and what does leading this kitchen involve?

At least two years of kitchen supervisory experience are required. In practice that means leading department staff meetings, contributing to personnel reviews and resource-allocation decisions, and managing the kitchen independently when the Executive Chef is absent.

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