Sous Chef - Vancouver (2025 Season - March to October 2025)
Purpose
Rocky Mountaineer (RM) is the world's largest privately-owned luxury passenger rail service.
We are committed to living our values: Create Meaningful Moments, Be One Team, Achieve Extraordinary Outcomes. We endeavor to foster a work environment of respect, integrity, and honesty; where diversity is valued, and talent is developed to the benefit of the individual and the company.
As Rocky Mountaineer chefs, we create culinary experiences for our guests to enjoy while they are travelling through some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. We are an integral part of our customer experience and create meaningful moments to connect our guests to the lands that we travel through by showcasing local ingredients and cuisine.
The Sous Chef reports to the Train Manager/Senior Onboard Manager and is accountable to the Chef de Cuisine and Executive Chef. The Sous Chef is responsible for all Culinary and Food Safety Standards, role modeling the values and culture of the organization as well as supporting their team through training, coaching and performance management programs. This position is responsible for delivering culinary excellence to upwards of 500 onboard guests per train and is a key contributor to the creation of life-changing experiences.
This position is deemed Safety Sensitive and requires the incumbent to periodically access an active railway area where impaired performance could result a significant incident affecting the health and safety of team members, guests, team members, the public, property, or the environment.
Key Areas of Accountability
Team Engagement & People Leadership
• Organize the culinary team for each trip to optimize teamwork and performance.
• Collaborate with onboard leadership team to action change and proactively eliminate obstacles as needed.
• Develop and mentor culinary team with coaching, audits, feedback and reviews
• Provide support and on the job training for new hires to successfully perform their jobs
• Responsible for performance management of direct reports and overall team. Complete mid and end season performance reviews
Leading Culinary Activities
• Comfortable engaging and interacting with guests.
• Responsible for ensuring all meals are prepared and presented according to specifications.
• Responsible for ensuring guest dietary requirements are met.
• Ensure the culinary ordering and receiving processes are accurate, including maintaining the correct inventory of food, supplies and products.
• Oversee time management in all railcars.
• Inspect the quality and presentation of plated meals.
• Identify and act on opportunities to create business efficiencies and cost savings.
• Maintain and improve service delivery, conduct Quality Assurance Reviews, monitor team members' input and guest feedback.
Leading Safety
• Ensure food safety processes and proper food handling procedures are always followed.
• Ensure daily scheduled cleaning and sanitization of food preparation areas and equipment is completed.
• Ensure the maintenance of kitchen equipment, standards of slicing techniques, utensil sanitizing, proper refrigeration, heating requirements, hand washing, cross-contamination prevention, spoilage identification, disposal and documentation.
• Ensure defective kitchen equipment is reported according to procedures.
• Ensure all team members are always adhering to both Rocky Mountaineer and railway safety protocols.
Collaboratively work in a team environment
• Able to adapt and work with various teams over the course of a season
• Demonstrate strong time management skills
• Work closely with onboard leadership team to provide seamless services and address any guest issues
• Champion Rocky Mountaineer's waste reduction program and composting initiatives
Qualifications
Education/Certifications/Knowledge
• Post-Secondary degree or diploma is an asset
• Red Seal Culinary Certification is preferred
• BC Food Safe Certification required
• Serving It Right (SIR) and ProServe are an asset
Experience
• Minimum 3 years people leadership experience
• Minimum 5 years' experience with line or restaurant cooking
• Experience in leading groups of up to 20 employees required
Skills
• Ability and passion to make delicious and visually appealing food every day
• Communicate clearly so that others understand expectations and exactly what to do
• Always display a commitment to food safety
• Establish and foster an open and collaborative relationship with Onboard Leadership
• Highly adaptable, flexible professional who embraces teamwork, but also enjoys working independently
• Technical proficiency in Microsoft office products
Attributes
• Maintain a professional and polished presence
• Energetic, motivated, hardworking, and committed to delivering culinary excellence
• Demonstrates a professional, accountable work ethic; self-motivated
• Exceptional physical endurance and emotional resiliency with the ability to work long days
• Must be able to lift and carry up to 50 pounds
• Able to travel away from home base for up to 6 days at a time
• Comfortable with early morning shifts
• Driving company vehicles for travel to RM locations as required
• Must be legally authorized to work in Canada thorough the end of October 2024
Perks and Benefits
• Position Salary Range : $30 to $32 per hour
• Average Working Hours : 64 hours per week (4 days work week)
• Short term incentive plan
• Up to 5% group RRSP Matching plan
• Two annual complimentary rail pass (beginning your 2nd season)
• Friends and family rail tickets and packages discount
• Exclusive discount with various partners on Perkopolis
• Work shoes reimbursement
• Growth opportunities
• Fun and inclusive team environment