Chef de Cuisine, Campus Dining

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From fine dining restaurants to residential dining, USC Hospitality serves over 65,000 students, athletes, faculty, and staff, as well as our many visitors. Hospitality is one of the six core business units that comprise USC Auxiliary Services and one of the largest employers on campus. The team at USC Hospitality is led by innovative chefs and directors who strive every day to craft nourishing and wholesome alternatives for our hungry Trojan Family and our guests. We are driven to succeed by our commitment to uphold our unifying values. Campus Dining encompasses three student residential dining halls, athletics dining venue, and multiple quick-service retail restaurants and cafés, serving a dynamic campus community seven days a week. We are seeking a Chef de Cuisine, Campus Dining to join our team! The Chef de Cuisine, Campus Dining will oversee the Parkside Dining Hall, which operates as an all-you-care-to-eat venue where food is primarily self-serve, welcoming student residents enrolled in meal plans as well as faculty, staff, and visitors. Parkside Dining Hall specializes in global flavors and creative variety, offering an all-you-care-to-eat experience that keeps students coming back. The made-to-order action station features student favorites like pho, taco, and Mongolian bars, complemented by fresh salads, sandwiches, entrees, soups, pizza, and a range of plant-forward options. With its international focus and playful extras, Parkside fosters a welcoming and dynamic place to gather and eat. Position Overview The Chef de Cuisine, Campus Dining provides culinary and operational leadership for the Parkside Dining Hall, one of USC's high-volume residential dining venues serving approximately 4,000 meals daily across breakfast, lunch, and dinner service. This role is responsible for maintaining excellence in both front- and back-of-house operations while delivering a high-quality, engaging, and inclusive dining experience. The Chef de Cuisine serves as the culinary leader for the operation, ensuring strong team performance, financial stewardship, and compliance with all food safety and sanitation standards. This position requires visible, hands-on leadership and the ability to cultivate a positive, student-centered culture that reflects USC Hospitality's commitment to service and innovation. Operating in a fast-paced, high-volume environment, the Chef de Cuisine must balance daily execution with strategic planning, team development, and continuous operational improvement. Key Accountabilities Provide overall culinary and operational leadership, ensuring excellence in food quality, service standards, and guest experience. Oversee daily food production and execution for high-volume meal periods ensuring consistency, efficiency, and quality. Manage, train, supervise, coach, and effectively deploy a diverse culinary team, including three non-union Sous Chefs and a unionized staff of shift leads, culinary team members, dishwashers, and storeroom specialists, in accordance with seniority rules and applicable guidelines. Develop and maintain a strong food safety culture; ensure compliance with all sanitation and safety standards, including Los Angeles County Health Department regulations. Create, develop, and standardize recipes; perform recipe costing and breakdowns independently using Excel to ensure accurate food cost control. Own food cost management, inventory control, waste reduction, and forecasting; enter and manage data in CBORD. Oversee ordering processes, including purchasing through approved vendors such as US Foods, ensuring accurate forecasting and product availability. Collaborate closely with the Registered Dietitian to develop menus that support diverse dietary needs and promote inclusive dining options. Monitor and analyze operational and financial performance metrics; identify opportunities for process improvement, cost savings, and operational efficiencies. Maintain an active presence on the dining floor; model strong customer service, professionalism, and approachability while engaging with students and participating in campus life initiatives. Manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment, balancing daily operations with strategic planning, staff development, and continuous improvement efforts. Performs other related duties as assigned or requested. The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time. This role requires full open availability. No set schedule. May be required to work weekends, evenings, and/or holidays. Minimum Requirements Specialized/technical training. Three years of experience. Three plus years in a culinary leadership role within a high-volume, full service kitchen environment. Strong track record of success in previous assignments demonstrating upward career mobility. Demonstrated knowledge of pertinent local, federal, and state health and safety laws and regulations. Preferred Requirements Related undergraduate stud

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