Demo

Sous Chef

Hornblower Group
Norfolk, VA Full Time
POSTED ON 8/5/2025 CLOSED ON 9/4/2025

What are the responsibilities and job description for the Sous Chef position at Hornblower Group?

City Experiences is seeking a Sous Chef for its City Cruises Operation in Norfolk, VA.

About Us

City Experiences’ passion is to provide amazing experiences on land and water. Our 40-year success through organic growth and acquisitions has resulted in a portfolio of over 25 brands that welcome upwards of 30 million guests/riders annually. If you’re an enthusiastic team player who thrives in an environment where communication, creativity, and cooperation are encouraged, this may just be the opportunity for you.

About The Opportunity

The Sous Chef, in conjunction with the Executive Chef, participates in managing back-of-the-house (BOH) cruise execution to ensure consistently high levels of quality, sanitation, service and guest satisfaction while maintaining a high level of profitability.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Cruise Execution

  • Act as the on-duty kitchen manager for cruises and manage kitchen staff to ensure adherence to procedures detailed in the Product Management Guide and Galley Operating Manual
  • Ensure that all staff consistently follows and adheres to all health department sanitation codes and requirements thereby maintaining the Company’s strict standards of sanitation
  • Maintain close liaison between the kitchen and other departments including the front-of-the house (FOH)
  • Recommend and execute approved programs that improve the level of service and product quality
  • Execute other projects as assigned by management


Kitchen Team Management

  • Recruit new kitchen staff when necessary to fill vacant positions
  • Participate in training of all new kitchen staff
  • Participate in scheduling kitchen staff according to staffing matrix
  • Adhere to Company’s performance management guidelines for all discipline and termination situations
  • Provide input to the Executive Chef and F&B Director with regard to the development/career growth plans for each kitchen staff members
  • Recommend to the Kitchen Manager & F&B Director the promotion of kitchen staff members
  • Develop positive working relationships with city department heads and peers
  • Participate in the development of strong teamwork within the staff
  • Help develop and execute shipmate incentive programs


Guest Service

  • Ensure effective execution of each cruise (back-of-the house only) according to the specifications of the Product Management Guide so that guests receive a quality, seamless experience on each cruise
  • Resolve guest service issues, in conjunction with the on-duty Restaurant Manager, utilizing strong guest service skills and exercising diplomacy in keeping with company objective of guest retention
  • Participate in implementing and maintaining effective safety programs in conjunction with the Operations Department
  • Maintain high standards of sanitation in accordance with Company standards and in accordance with health department codes & requirements


Administration

  • Participate in monitoring and controlling all costs associated with the operation of the kitchen in accordance with budget
  • Participate in the inventory process to ensure adequate stock
  • Participate in purchasing all food products and cleaning supplies according to established procedures
  • Participate in processing all invoices in a timely manner to maximize corporate rebate program.
  • Participate in administering the payroll system including scheduling, checking, transmitting and processing
  • Participate in maintaining food, suppliers and equipment purchasing systems, which ensure maximum quality, least cost and high reliability
  • Participate in scheduling kitchen staff work periods to achieve maximum payroll efficiency
  • Ensure that all state and local health requirements are met onboard and that all shipmates are familiar with these requirements
  • Attend all scheduled meetings
  • Operate all restaurant systems (PC, restaurant cost analysis software, etc.)


Other

  • Participates in fleet wide task forces as requested
  • Additional job duties assigned


Minimum Qualifications

  • High school or equivalent required
  • Minimum of three (3) years of total kitchen experience in full-service/banquet, high volume environment
  • At least one (1) year of kitchen staff management experience
  • Minimum two (2) years formal culinary training OR two (2) years additional kitchen experience in a full-service/banquet, high volume environment
  • ServSafe Certified
  • Able to manage multiple priorities/tasks and prioritize appropriately
  • Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships
  • Must be able to communicate effectively in oral and written form
  • Ability to work in confined spaces and perform duties within extreme temperature ranges
  • Must be able to stand, walk, and/or sit continuously perform essential functions for an extended period of time
  • Must have hearing and visual ability to observe and detect signs of emergency situations, distinguish product, taste, texture and presentation and observe preparation
  • Physical requirements- Must have finger/hand dexterity in order to operate food machinery; must be able to lift, move, and/or carry items weighing a maximum of 200 lbs. on a continuous schedule
  • Able to work with Microsoft Office applications (especially Word & Excel)
  • Ability to read, write, and speak English to comprehend and communicate job functions


The RESPECT Service System embodies City Experiences’ mission, vision, values and operating principles. By creating a company culture that puts RESPECT at its core, we believe it will drive us to achieve our goal of becoming a Global Experiences and Transportation Leader.

The Company is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We prohibit discrimination and harassment against any applicants or employees based upon their race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, mental or physical disability, status as a protected veteran, or other characteristics prohibited by applicable law.

Additionally, we encourage all qualified applicants including those with past arrest or conviction records to apply. The Company participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations.

We encourage qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records to apply.

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

What is the career path for a Sous Chef?

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs on the Sous Chef career path by checking the boxes next to the positions that interest you.
Income Estimation: 
$46,150 - $62,241
Income Estimation: 
$54,608 - $73,002
Income Estimation: 
$38,848 - $47,384
Income Estimation: 
$42,857 - $54,506
Income Estimation: 
$38,344 - $47,165
Income Estimation: 
$37,157 - $47,352
Income Estimation: 
$61,261 - $79,378
Income Estimation: 
$54,608 - $73,002
Income Estimation: 
$88,880 - $118,930
Income Estimation: 
$46,150 - $62,241
Income Estimation: 
$54,608 - $73,002
This job has expired.
View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

Job openings at Hornblower Group

Hornblower Group
Hired Organization Address Chicago, IL Part Time
Pay $17.00/hr City Experiences is seeking a Seadog Docent for our City Cruises operation in Chicago, IL . About You This...
Hornblower Group
Hired Organization Address San Francisco, CA Part Time
Salary: $30.00 per hour City Cruises is seeking an Event Manager for our operation in San Francisco and Berkeley. About ...
Hornblower Group
Hired Organization Address San Diego, CA Part Time
Salary: $18.00 per hour City Cruises is seeking a Server Assistant for our operation in San Diego. About You This person...
Hornblower Group
Hired Organization Address Chicago, IL Part Time
City Experiences is seeking Ticket Booth Agents for City Experiences operation in Chicago, IL. About Us City Experiences...

Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Sous Chef jobs in the Norfolk, VA area that may be a better fit.

Sous Chef

City Experiences, Norfolk, VA

Sous Chef

Hornblower, Norfolk, VA

AI Assistant is available now!

Feel free to start your new journey!