Pastry Sous Chef - Events & Culinary Operations
We have an incredible opportunity for a dynamic, experienced, skilled
Pastry Sous Chef of Events & Culinary Operations at our
Los Angeles, Chicago, or
Miami locations!About the Role
The Pastry Sous Chef - Events & Culinary Operations is responsible for elevating the daily kitchen excellence, motivating a high-performing team, and contributing to creative, cost-smart menu development within the unit. The Pastry Sous Chef - Events & Culinary Operations will partner with our premier global events team to create curated desserts at DO & CO's premier global events-like Formula 1 and FIFA-throughout the U.S. and around the world.
Responsibilities:
- Lead daily kitchen operations within your assigned area, guiding and mentoring culinary teams to deliver exceptional food quality, flawless technique, consistent portioning, presentation, and cost control.
- Champion ingredient excellence by inspecting freshness, participating in tastings, and standardizing production recipes to ensure consistency across all menus.
- Maintain seamless production flow by monitoring inventory levels, preventing shortages, and proactively communicating needs or discrepancies to the Executive Chef.
- Drive culinary innovation and catering excellence by contributing ideas that elevate cost efficiency, quality, presentation, and overall guest experience.
- Uphold rigorous production standards to guarantee timelines, quality benchmarks, and client specifications are met without compromise.
- Ensure menu items meet DO&CO's signature standards, delivering products that align precisely with airline meal specs and premium catering expectations.
- Support the Executive Chef with proposal development, creative menu concepts, food cost control, operational reporting, and team scheduling.
- Optimize staffing coverage & travel to DO&CO catered events, to ensure culinary personnel levels align with business demands and operational needs.
- Safeguard a world-class kitchen environment by enforcing strict compliance with federal/state food safety regulations, sanitation protocols, equipment care, and overall cleanliness standards.
- Maintain Culinary Excellence Standard- train, motivate and manage kitchen personnel and supervise culinary activities as assigned.
- Maintain a positive, team-oriented attitude, demonstrate a willingness to learn, and be receptive to both giving and receiving constructive feedback while consistently demonstrating a growth mindset.
- Hands-on role: Requires active involvement in daily production activities, including organization, coordination, execution, and direct participation in operational tasks.
- Optimize staffing coverage and travel requirements for DO&CO-catered events, ensuring culinary personnel levels are aligned with business demands, event requirements, and operational needs.
- Travel is required to support U.S. locations and major events, including Formula 1 events across North America, Brazil, and Mexico, as well as international events outside the U.S. This role requires flexibility to travel based on business needs, event schedules, and operational priorities.
- Foster and maintain a culture of professionalism, punctuality, accountability, and clear communication across the team.
- Work additional days or adjust schedules as needed due to unforeseen circumstances, operational demands and event support requirements.
Qualifications:
- Minimum of 3+ professional cooking experience in a high-volume kitchen environment required.
- Culinary degree or certification is preferred.
- Knowledge of current catering industry trends.
- Ability to work efficiently under pressure while maintaining attention to detail and consistency in food quality.
- Familiarity with kitchen safety and sanitation protocols.
- Excellent teamwork and communication skills.
- Ability to work long hours on foot and in environments with varying temperatures.
- Flexibility to work different shifts (including nights, weekends, and holidays) based on business needs.
- Developing training programs designed to facilitate quick adaptation and fast-track the integration of team members into already established units.
What We Offer:
- Salary range: $80,000 - $100,000 annually - based on experience and location.
- Daily Complimentary Meals (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner).
- FT employees are eligible for 401K and medical benefits: medical, dental, and vision.
- An organization dedicated to fostering innovation; in pursuit of cultivating creativity, embracing new ideas and leveraging our impeccable standard for hospitality.
- Genuine career development opportunities, both nationally and internationally.
- Flexible schedule with availability to work evenings, overnights, weekends, and holidays based on company operations.
- The chance to collaborate and represent a leading force in the luxury global gourmet entertainment industry by attending world-class events.
