Sous Chef

Bring your culinary leadership to Mather Place, Wilmette’s premier independent living community, where exceptional food, warm hospitality, and meaningful connections come together. Our vibrant community features two year-round restaurants and an inviting outdoor restaurant during the warmer months. From Mediterranean-inspired cuisine complemented by a curated selection of wines and handcrafted cocktails and mocktails, to an all-day casual destination offering innovative American comfort cuisine cooked to order, our restaurants provide variety, creativity, and memorable experiences.

As the Sous Chef, you will play an essential role in bringing these experiences to life through fresh ideas, thoughtful execution, and regular menu rotation. This is a highly visible, hands-on leadership opportunity reporting to our Executive Chef and supporting the daily supervision, training, and development of our Cook and Utility Steward team. We are looking for a collaborative culinary professional with five or more years of experience preparing a variety of foods in varying quantities in a supervisory capacity, strong communication and delegation skills, and the ability to make independent decisions. Formal culinary training and experience supporting varied dietary needs are preferred.

This is a full-time, salaried position requiring flexibility to work weeknights, weekends, holidays, and participate in the Manager on Duty rotation. While schedule flexibility is important, this role offers no late nights.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Prepares and ensures the consistent preparation and timely delivery of quality food to residents, guests, family members and staff.

• Ensures adherence to safe food handling, proper personal hygiene, and sanitation procedures, according to Health Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) guidelines.

• Provides on-going supervision and training of kitchen staff.

• Assists with creation of menu rotation according to guidelines; secures needed food items and supplies within approved departmental budget.

• Monitors food production to minimize waste and over production.

• Ensures consistent adherence to recipes, tracking additions and changes as necessary.

• Coordinates and assists with holiday and theme meals.

• Assures timely and accurate documentation including required production and temperature logs.

• Monitors daily and weekly cleaning assignments and ensures proper use and cleaning of equipment and supplies.

• Assures consistent and appealing garnishment of plate presentation.

• Provides hands-on support as needed to ensure efficient operations.

• Establishes, operationalizes, engages team members in, and sustains a Quality Assurance Process Improvement process.

SENSORY REQUIREMENTS

• Tactile, tasting, smelling, near vision, peripheral vision, and color vision.

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

Required:

• 5+ years of experience preparing a variety of foods in varying quantities in a supervisory capacity.

• Ability to make independent decisions as needed and to establish and maintain professional, positive relationships between production and service staff.

• Ability to read and interpret work related documents, including the ability to follow standardized recipes.

• Current sanitation certification and any other Mather, federal, state, and local requirements.

• Strong communication skills with the ability to articulate and delegate tasks to staff.

• Reliable, predictable, and punctual attendance, to provide timely service to internal and external customers and to support uninterrupted business operations.

Preferred: 

• Formal culinary training.
• Supervisory experience.
• Basic knowledge and understanding of therapeutic diets, recipe ingredients, adherence to heart healthy guidelines and other dietary restrictions.
• Shifts vary, flexibility in scheduling is preferred.
• English language proficiency.
• Computer skills.

The salary base wage range provided is a good faith estimate of what Mather reasonably expects to pay for this position at the time of the posting. The actual salary rate offered will be determined based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to relevant skills, certifications, years of experience, geographic location, and current market conditions.At Mather, we are committed to being inclusive, resilient, bold, and impactful-and that includes offering a total rewards experience designed to support our team members. This position may be eligible to participate in Mather’s benefit plan and the Team Member Appreciation Fund, if applicable. Eligibility for benefits is dependent on employment status and hours worked per pay period. Participation in the Team member Appreciation Fund is not guaranteed and may vary based on factors such as hire date and program eligibility requirements. All benefits are subject to change without notice. 

Salary Pay Range

$67,250—$72,000 USD

Benefits

Mather offers a competitive benefits package.*

Team members are eligible for:

• A generous paid time off (PTO) program including vacation days/personal days, sick days, and holidays. This is an “earn-as-you-go” plan that rolls over year to year, offering long- and short-term flexibility.
• A 401(k) program with per pay-period employer match and annual employer contribution (available to those age 21 or better)
• Convenient, subsidized parking (or public transportation for certain locations)
• Wellness Spending Account: up to $300 available annually for Wellness related expenses such as gym memberships, financial planning, etc. 

Benefits-eligible team members can take advantage of:

• Medical, dental, and vision plans
• Paid Parental Leave
• Adoption Assistance Reimbursement
• Tuition reimbursement for continuing education
• Extended illness benefits
• Employee wellness programs
• Short- and long-term disability insurance
• Life insurance is available to benefit eligible team members.

*Benefits are subject to change without notice. Benefits details dependent on employment status.

About Mather Place

Mather Place is an independent living rental community for those 62 and better, located in the heart of Chicago’s North Shore in Wilmette, Illinois-a short walk from Old Orchard shopping center. Mather Place includes 179 independent living apartment homes, as well as two restaurants, a fitness center, an art studio, a library, and more.

Mather Place is located at 2801 Old Glenview Road in Wilmette.

About Mather

Based in Evanston, Illinois, Mather is a unique, non-denominational, not-for-profit organization founded in 1941. Dedicated to developing and implementing Ways to Age WellSM, we create programs, places, and residences for today’s young-at-heart older adults. Mather has received a national certification as a Great Place to Work®, and has been selected as a Nation’s Best and Brightest in Wellness Award recipient four years in a row.

Mather is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer committed to an inclusive workforce. Candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.