Culinary Specialist II, Town & Gown

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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. We are renowned for our fresh take on self-operated food concepts with 43 restaurants between both campuses. The team at USC Hospitality is led by innovative executive chefs and directors who strive every day to craft nourishing and wholesome alternatives for our hungry Trojan Family and our guests. 

With a multitude of event spaces throughout both campuses, Hospitality provides extraordinary banquets and high-quality catering service to ensure each event for our guests is memorable. The Vineyard Room, Town & Gown, and Bashor Lounge are a few of our most popular locations for meetings, gatherings, celebrations, and weddings. Our guests can take comfort in knowing that we have every detail covered, and our team will provide impeccable service for any day-of needs.

We are seeking a Culinary Specialist II to join our rapidly growing Banquets & Catering team.

The Opportunity:

Are you passionate about serving quality food and providing exceptional customer service? Are you eager to construct award-winning meals? Join us! The Culinary Specialist II will have the opportunity to prepare food for our guests, utilizing fresh, locally sourced ingredients. You will ensure that our high standards of excellence are maintained throughout our kitchens, keeping our inventories and facilities clean, organized, and up-to-date. As a member of our team, you will take pride in exceeding the expectations of all of our customers and keeping the Trojan spirit alive!

The Accountabilities:

• Provide customer services to faculty, staff, students, and guests. Ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction without unnecessarily referring customer to other staff members. Maintain friendly, helpful demeanor. Provide timely options for customers with specialty diets or dietary restrictions.

• Measure, cut, and mix ingredients according to recipes, and/or direction from unit chef/manager. Cook and prepare food according to chef/managers direction to specific quality, quantity, appearance, and temperature.

• Ensure all food goods are utilized to maximum yield, reduces waste, spoilage, and pilferage.

• Prepare food items for a la carte and special events food goods according to the recipe or instructions provided by the unit chef/managers. Ensure compliance and consistency with product, menu, and recipe specifications and on time production standards. Prepare high quality soups, sauces, salads, appetizers, dressings, stews, and desserts, including meat, game, seafood, poultry, starches, sauces, and vegetables daily for meal and service production in a timely manner.

• Adhere to the kitchen sanitation program. Comply with standard food handling and sanitation procedures. Complete temperature and cooling logs as directed. Ensure work/cooking space is neat, orderly, and left in a clean and sanitized manner.

• Maintain working knowledge of classical and modern cooking techniques including but not limited to grill, fry, broil, roast, poach, blanch, and bake. Learn and execute new techniques applied to batch, prep, and a la carte menu items.

• Adhere to department service, health, and sanitation standards, safety and university rules and regulations. Store all food goods in approved containers that are wrapped, dated and labeled (where applicable) and store equipment in proper place.

• Maintain cleanliness and organization of facilities, kitchen common areas, stations, tools, kitchen small wares, and cooking equipment. Ensure proper use of kitchen small wares and cooking equipment, including proper knife handling and sharpening procedures. Maintain personal and professional tools in adherence with policies and procedures. Report any maintenance issue to the unit chef/manager.

• Provide guidance and direction to culinary and kitchen staff.

• Attend all required culinary trainings.

• Perform other related duties as assigned or requested. The University reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

The Qualifiers:

• Education: Specialized or technical training.

• Experience: 3 years.

• Expertise:

  • Culinary School Certificate or Diploma from a Culinary Arts and Management nationally accredited school.

  • Knowledge of all kitchen equipment, small or large scale.

  • Knowledge of both restaurant and catering/special event cooking.

  • Demonstrated customer service experience.

  • Experience in a fast-paced kitchen environment.

  • Knowledge of classical cooking techniques and modern cookery.

  • Ability to effectively communicate in English.

  • Knowledge of standard food handling and sanitation procedures.

  • Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.

What We Prefer:

• High School Diploma.

• Associate’s Degree from a Culinary Arts and Management school.

• 4 years of experience in a restaurant, hotel, or high-volume banquet and catering environment.

• Ability to oversee student, temporary, and/or resource workers.

The Trojan Family Rewards:

We pride ourselves in creating the BEST USC EXPERIENCE, and that begins with our employees! We offer a wide variety of benefits and programs that support our staff and their families including:

• Benefits: dental and vision plans, tuition assistance for our employees and their families, paid time off, flexible spending accounts, 2:1 retirement plan contributions, child care centers and up to $50,000 housing subsidy. And because we are a qualifying public service organization, you may qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) for educational loans. Don’t believe us? Visit https://employees.usc.edu/benefits-perks/benefits-eligibility/.

• Perks: discounts to USC sporting events, USC Bookstores, wireless plans, travel, accommodations, and local entertainment. 

• Career Growth: We are the largest private employer in Los Angeles offering tremendous development opportunities in multiple fields and industries. The Trojan Network connects current and previous members of the Trojan family to create an endless professional network.

This support advocates work-life balance and employee well-being. As members of the Trojan family, employees are connected by the traditions and history that make us proud to be Trojans!

As an equal opportunity employer, USC values and promotes diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The work culture thrives on mutual respect, trust, and synergy amongst all of its members.

USC has great minds that transform the world with their talents and research. Will you be one? Join us!

FIGHT ON!

The hourly rate for this position is $21.72/hr. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

Minimum Education: Specialized/technical training, Less than high school Minimum Experience: 3 years Minimum Field of Expertise: Culinary School Certificate/Diploma from a culinary arts and management nationally accredited school. Three years experience must include at least six months of prior experience as a USC Culinary Specialist or equivalent culinary experience in an external full service restaurant operation. Must successfully complete the culinary skills test administered by the Executive Chef. Knowledge of all kitchen equipment, small or large scale. Knowledge of both restaurant and catering/special event cooking. Demonstrated customer service experience. Experience working in a fast paced working environment. Knowledge of classical cooking techniques and modern cookery. Ability to effectively communicate in English.