Sous Chef of Catering and Production

Join our team and become a part of something bigger – a force for change in the fight against hunger. The Community Foodbank of New Jersey is more than just a food bank – we champion healthier lifestyles and positively impact social and economic change. Together we can create a stronger, more resilient New Jersey for everyone. 

We are seeking a passionate and innovative culinary leader to join the Community Kitchen team as a Catering and Production Sous Chef. This hands-on role supports high-quality catering production, internal staff meals, emergency meal production, and mission-driven culinary programs. The position collaborates with cross-functional teams to develop menu offerings, improve food quality, strengthen production efficiency, and identify cost-saving opportunities while advancing the mission of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. 

This role offers the opportunity to collaborate with cross-functional teams while supporting and expanding our high-end catering program. The Catering & Production Sous Chef will oversee food preparation for both revenue-generating and internal catering events, coordinate weekly staff meals, and assist with emergency meal production to support disaster relief efforts and community feeding initiatives. 

What you’ll do in your role:  

• Assist the Executive Chef in planning, organizing, and overseeing all catering food production and execution. 

• Lead the preparation, cooking, packaging, and presentation of food for on-site and off-site catering events while ensuring exceptional quality and consistency. 

• Coordinate daily catering production schedules with the production kitchen to ensure efficient workflow and timely completion of all orders. 

• Supervise kitchen staff, temporary employees, volunteers, and culinary trainees during catering production and event execution. 

• Monitor food safety and sanitation practices to ensure compliance with ServSafe guidelines, local health department regulations, and organizational policies. 

• Maintain inventory of catering-specific food, supplies, smallwares, and equipment; assist with ordering and receiving. 

• Work collaboratively with the Catering Team, Production Team, and other departments to ensure successful event execution. 

• Train, coach, and mentor culinary staff on production techniques, customer service, food presentation, and kitchen best practices. 

Why you’ll love working at CFBNJ:  

• Opportunity for Impact: At CFBNJ, your work drives meaningful changes. Just last year, we provided over 90 million meals and 35 million pounds of fresh produce to our neighbors in need. 

• Wellness that Works for You: Rooted in our culture of caring, we offer comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, wellness programs, generous sick/personal time off, 14 paid holidays, childcare resources, and organization-wide engagement days for rest and reflection. 

• Professional Development: Grow your career through our Learning Lab, with access to workshops, online courses, and book resources. We also offer tuition assistance and certificate reimbursement for job-related training to support continuous growth. 

• Recognition and Belonging: We celebrate great work and grow inspiration with Bonusly, our peer-recognition platform, and foster community through employee resource groups to create space to uplift voices and strength connections 

• Retirement Planning: Plan confidently for your future in our 401(k) program, including a 4% company match after one year of service.  

What you’ll need to be successful in this role:  

• Minimum of 8–10 years of verifiable industry experience as a Sous Chef, Kitchen Manager, or equivalent in a high-volume kitchen environment. 

• Verified ServSafe Certification. 

• AOS in Culinary Arts and BOS in Restaurant or Food Service Management from an accredited university preferred, or related industry experience. 

• At least 5 years of related food service experience, including scratch cooking. 

• Collaborative people leader with strong vision to deliver profitable business results. 

• Ability to influence and inform strategic development for the function and business. 

• Strong presentation skills with the ability to effectively convey ideas and solutions. 

• Must be willing and able to carry bulk materials consistently, up to about 50 lbs.  

• Demonstrated project management skills. 

• Positive, professional communication style that supports strong interpersonal relationships with customers, the public, co-workers, and managers in alignment with CFBNJ’s mission. 

Pay Transparency: The salary range for this position is $63,982 - $86,583. The final rate may be influenced by factors such as the position's scope and responsibilities, work experience, training, job-related skills, internal equity, and market conditions. 

CFBNJ is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to complying with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on  race, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, sex , sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, transgender status, marital status, domestic partnership or civil union status, pregnancy or breastfeeding, disability, being a victim of domestic violence, status in the uniformed services of the United States (including veteran status), record of arrest, as well as any other category protected by federal, state or local laws.