Kitchen Manager - Dollywood's Heartsong Lodge & Resort - Exempt

Job Summary

At Dollywood Parks & Resorts, we create memories worth repeating. We do this every day across Dollywood Resorts which includes over 600 rooms and 15 Food & Beverage outlets, all located in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Our plan is to grow our resort footprint to over 1200 rooms across five resorts at Dollywood and to add other resorts to our overall company resort portfolio.

Ask anyone who has visited Dollywood Parks & Resorts and they will tell you this place is different. It’s not a difference that you can touch or see - it’s a difference you can feel. We are seeking a Sous Chef who will embody the heart and soul of our mission of creating memories worth repeating while caring deeply about our brand and our region.

We want to work alongside someone who acts as an extension of our mission, values, and culture. This person is driven to create meaningful experiences for our hosts, guests, and community while simultaneously ensuring the success and profitability of our unique culinary offerings. This person also brings a spirit of fun, authenticity, collaboration, creativity and genuine hospitality to their life and work. We are seeking an individual who has the ability to bring the vision of the Dollywood Resorts to life. The recipe for the right Sous Chef will be equal parts curious learner, innovator, administrator, mentor and motivator.

The Sous Chef is responsible for supervising and coordinating the preparation of food according to standards set by the Executive Chef. The Sous Chef will assist in overseeing all hot and cold food produced and served in all Food and Beverage outlets while ensuring a consistent, high quality food product.

Summary of Essential Functions & Responsibilities

• Ensures all safety training is completed per company policy
• Demonstrates continuous improvement with ongoing audits, e.g. Health inspection, Steritech, REI, internal, etc.
• Actively manages the kitchen staff within their culinary responsibilities and following proper scheduling procedures to ensure staffing levels are appropriately maintained and productive
• Maintains proper working order of all equipment. Inspects ovens, ranges, fryers, water faucets, refrigerators, and ware washing machines. Reports deficiencies in HotSOS to Engineering Department and verbally to Food and Beverage Team
• Checks physical cleanliness of operations. Ensures all staff practice “clean as you go” techniques, and proper use of sanitizer ensuring that all health regulations are followed
• Assists periodically in conducting food inventories
• Assists ordering of food and kitchen supplies, working with the purchasing agent to ensure all products are set up and organized in Crunchtime
• Ensures quality specifications for inventory of ingredients are being met on a daily basis. Corrects the item and informs Executive Chef when quality is not acceptable
• Supervises and coordinates the production of food according to menu specifications and quantities necessary. Assists Cooks in preparation of specific cuisine daily including but not limited to hot prep, cold prep, saucier station, brick oven fired cuisine (where applicable), banquet production, staff meals, and ensures excellence in products
• Able to display knowledge of modern and classical style plating techniques.
• Will perform all HOH duties as needed
• Able to show basic knowledge of Sous Vide cooking, Saucier responsibilities.
• Maintains Food Safety Standards for all kitchens and banquet areas while assuring time and temperature logs are utilized and monitored for all food stations, cooling and hot holding equipment and dish machines
• Able to execute recipe standards in Batch cooking and plate specifications. Scratch cooking applications to include sauces, soups, dressings, vinaigrettes, doughs, vegetable production, proteins and garnishing.
• Assists the Executive Chef and/or Executive Sous Chef with departmental human resource functions
• Tastes all elements of menu on a regular basis to ensure quality and taste profiles are correct along with visual checks for proper plating and appearances
• Ability and knowledgeable in Butchery and Fabrication techniques of Beef, Chicken and Fish.
• Actively demonstrates and teaches proper cooking methods for producing excellent food products for our Guests and Hosts

Management reserves the right to change and/or add to these duties at any time.

• Able to ensure proper handling of food products by receivers and culinary.
• Able to be flexible to handle frequent changes in priorities.
• Able to educate and instruct Hosts on spoilage and food cost controls.
• Must be able to be productive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Must display and live out Lead with Love qualities strongly rooted in the Dollywood Company culture by being patient, kind, humble, respectful, selfless, forgiving, honest, and committed.
• Able to communicate effectively using standard English grammar and punctuation
• Must reflect Dollywood’s image by being genuinely friendly and caring and by taking pride in work.
• Able to meet the physical demands of the job.
• Able to tolerate temperatures from 0 – 120 degrees.
• Able to prioritize tasks and complete assignments on time.
• Able to perform duties consistent with creating a safe and secure environment for hosts and guests.
• Must be self-motivated and disciplined.
• Must maintain dependable work attendance and flexibility with assigned work schedules including any required overtime, evenings, weekends and holidays.
• Must be sensitive to the needs of our Guests and feel empowered to act to meet their needs within company guidelines.
• Able to lift at least 50 pounds.
• Must be committed to continuous improvement.
• Must be able to utilize effective communication, problem solving, conflict management and interpersonal skills.
• Must show appreciation of others.
• Must have professional appearance with good personal hygiene.
• Able to make a friendly impression when speaking to or corresponding with guests, vendors, and other employees.
• Able to tolerate various temperatures while working outdoors.
• Must maintain strict confidentiality and judgment regarding privileged information.
• Able to add, subtract, multiply and divide with accuracy.
• Able to operate/drive a company vehicle with valid TN driver’s license and insurance.
• Must promote and support a “team” work environment by cooperating and helping co-workers.
• Able to comprehend instructions and retain information.
• Must be able to prioritize and complete work assignments on a timely basis.
• Able to get along with other employees to work out problems and resolve conflicts

• Culinary degree or ACF certification preferred.
• A minimum of two (2) years of supervisory experience.
• Basic computer experience.
• Must successfully pass a background check, drug test and obtain a TN driver’s license.
• At least 3-5 years of experience working as a sous chef or very similar role in restaurant or banquet operations
• Must be at least 21 years of age.

The Dollywood Company is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. The Dollywood Company drives a welcoming culture where ideas and decisions from all people support our efforts to be relevant in an ever-changing world.