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…