Chef Instructor (Sur La Table)

As a Chef Instructor at Sur La Table, you are the in-store expert and advocate for all things education. You deliver #bestincenter service by sharing product knowledge, brewing techniques, knife skills, and personalized instruction that supports all company initiatives. The Chef Instructor plays a key role in driving sales of espresso machines, coffee makers, coffee grinders, knife skills, and cooks tools through active demonstrations, coffee classes and knife skills classes.

Responsibilities

Represent Sur La Table’s brand and culture by creating memorable, educational experiences; Lead engaging and informative culinary and coffee-focused demonstrations; Deliver high-quality, hands-on classes that teach fundamental and advanced cooking techniques, including essential knife skills; Educate customers on a variety of brewing methods, including pour-over, French Press, AeroPress, espresso, and cold brew; Guide customers in selecting coffee beans based on flavor profiles, roast levels, and origin; Promote and sell cooking tools, coffee products, equipment, and accessories as part of class experiences and demos; Support the store in achieving revenue goals by driving customer engagement and conversion through education; Consistently meet or exceed monthly sales goals; Partner with store leaders to ensure alignment between culinary programming and store priorities; Collaborate on merchandising strategies that highlight key tools and products featured in classes; Ensure compliance with food safety standards, local health codes, and sanitation regulations; Properly handle all tools, ingredients, and kitchen equipment; Maintain accurate inventory levels, minimize shrink, and control supply and culinary expenses; Ensure store safety and cleanliness, addressing any maintenance needs promptly; Adhere to applicable wage and hour laws; Model and ensure consistent adherence to all Sur La Table policies and standard operating procedures

Requirements

Must be 21 years of age or older at the time of employment; 1-2 years of kitchen operations experience; Valid Food Manager Certification; Excellent communication, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities; Passion for community engagement and providing exceptional customer experiences; Ability to communicate verbally and work cooperatively with associates and customers; Ability to remain standing for up to 4 hours at a time; Ability to move about the store; Ability to perceive and differentiate flavors or odors; Ability to grab, reach, push, pull, bend, stoop, kneel, and crouch; Ability to use hands to chop, whisk, slice, stir, juice and demonstrate other techniques; Ability to lift and/or move merchandise weighing up to 50 lbs; Ability to ascend/descend ladders; Ability to operate a computer, POS system, keyboards, merchandise scanners and mouse; Available to work between 12 and 16 hours per week with flexible schedule including nights, weekends, and holidays; Regular and predictable attendance with flexibility to adjust class assignments ensuring 3-4 classes taught per week; Ability to work in variable environment with exposure to hot equipment, steam, varying temperatures, and potential airborne and physical coffee-related allergens

Nice to have

Degree in culinary arts preferred; Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and retail systems preferred