Sous Chef

Job Description

The Sous Chef plays a key role in delivering an exceptional culinary experience across the University of Calgary campus. You’ll bring creativity, consistency, and strong kitchen leadership to a fast paced, student focused environment—where great food fuels learning, community, and connection.

In this hands on role, you’ll support daily culinary operations, uphold Aramark’s food standards, and help lead a team committed to quality, safety, and service. You’ll apply your culinary expertise to menu execution, presentation, and service while mentoring cooks and supporting a positive, efficient kitchen culture.

Why This Role Matters at UCalgary
Campus dining is more than food—it’s community. As a Sous Chef, you help shape the daily experience of thousands of students and staff. Your leadership and craft directly influence how people feel, gather, and fuel their day.

Culinary experiences and well-maintained environments are fundamental to student success.

From brain-powering ingredients to comforting flavor combinations, nutritious food doesn’t have to be boring. Aramark chefs and dietitians are constantly reviewing the latest insights and food trends to find the next culinary innovation and help students discover their love of food.

We partner with you to enhance the student experience, support parents, and collaborate with administration, all while delivering on the expectations of parents and the community.

Job Responsibilities

• Lead culinary preparation and presentation, ensuring techniques, recipes, and plating meet brand and quality expectations.
• Train, coach, and mentor kitchen staff, building shared understanding of goals, standards, and daily priorities.
• Run daily kitchen huddles to align the team, communicate updates, and reinforce safety and service expectations.
• Maintain accurate staff records, including training logs, performance notes, and opening/closing checklists.
• Build strong relationships with students, faculty, and campus partners to support a welcoming dining environment.
• Support food and labor targets, applying cost control strategies and efficient production planning.
• Champion Operational Excellence, including waste reduction, recipe adherence, menu accuracy, and labor standards.
• Manage procurement and inventory, ensuring correct ordering, authorized suppliers, and accurate consumption forecasting.

• Lead culinary preparation, cooking, and presentation, ensuring recipes, food quality, and plating standards are consistently met.

• Maintain audit readiness at all times and support successful internal, client, health authority, and food safety audits.

• Lead a safe kitchen, following Aramark SAFE protocols and all food safety, occupational health, and environmental standards.

• Follow all policies and regulations, including safety, health, wage, and hour requirements.

This role may evolve over time; duties may shift or expand based on operational needs.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of culinary experience in a professional kitchen.
• 0–2 years of leadership experience (lead cook, supervisor, or similar).
• Culinary diploma or equivalent experience (degree not required for strong culinary backgrounds).
• Strong communication skills and a collaborative leadership style.
• Ability to work in a fast paced, high volume environment with a diverse campus community.
• Commitment to food quality, safety, and continuous improvement.
• Physical ability to meet role demands, including lifting up to 50 lbs, standing for extended periods, and working in a busy kitchen environment.
• Willingness to wear required uniforms and PPE.

Education

About Aramark

What We Offer You

• Time to Recharge: Three weeks of paid vacation for all new salaried hires, plus 3 personal/flex days dedicated to your mental health and well-being.
• Comprehensive Health Benefits (No Waiting Period!): From day one, enjoy coverage for dental, prescriptions, vision, massage therapy, and more—because your health matters.
• Future Security: A Self-Directed Pension Plan where every dollar you contribute is matched with two by Aramark—helping you grow your retirement savings faster.
• Well-Being Support: Access Aramark’s Employee Assistance Program for confidential resources and support for you and your family whenever you need it.
• Inclusive Community: Be part of our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), where we celebrate diversity, build connections, and support one another.
• Exclusive Perks: Enjoy discounts on everyday products and services to make life more affordable.
• Continuous Learning: Benefit from Educational Assistance to support your growth, plus scholarships for your children entering post-secondary studies.
• Career Growth: Clear career path planning and development opportunities tailored to your skills and aspirations.
• Safe & Supportive Workplace: We are deeply committed to providing a safe, healthy, and positive work environment for all.

At Aramark, we empower our people to create moments that matter through exceptional hospitality experiences. We serve more than a dozen industries with pride and passion, building community, connection, and careers all around the world.

You'll be surrounded by some of the most innovative minds in the industry and powered by our shared mission to pursue what matters. Here, you'll have the opportunity to do great things for our people, our planet, our partners and our communities. We believe a career should develop your talents, fuel your passions, and enable your growth. Supported by committed leadership, you'll be empowered to try new things and find solutions to tough problems. No matter what you're pursuing - a new challenge, a sense of belonging, or just a great place to work - our focus is to help you reach your full potential and pursue what matters.

The pay range for this position is $53,045.00 - $65,776.00.