Culinary Lead (Sur La Table)

As a Culinary Lead at Sur La Table, you play a key role in the success of the store by inspiring customers throughout every stage of their culinary experience by combining culinary expertise, business acumen, and teaching skills. This role supports the culinary program, drives sales, delivers a #bestincenter customer experience, a company-wide standard for excellence in service, and helps build and manage a high-performing culinary team.

Responsibilities

Support recruitment, training, and ongoing development of a high-performing team; Lead, coach, and inspire associates to exceed performance expectations; Provide in-the-moment coaching and feedback; Represent Sur La Table's brand and culture by creating memorable educational experiences; Ensure an outstanding cooking class experience in every session by following recipes and game plans; Work with store leadership to increase foot traffic and store engagement through cooking classes and private events; Lead a customer-focused, Guest Obsessed culture in the kitchen and retail sales floor; Assist with driving sales growth by implementing strategies to enhance the culinary and retail business; Analyze key performance metrics daily and leverage insights to optimize store performance; Meet or exceed culinary program goals by delivering exceptional classes; Ensure compliance with food safety standards, local health codes, and sanitation regulations; Maintain accurate inventory levels, minimize shrink, and control supply and culinary expenses; Ensure store safety and cleanliness; Model and ensure all Sur La Table policies and standard operating procedures are followed

Requirements

Must be 21 years of age or older at the time of employment; A degree in culinary arts is preferred; candidates with extensive culinary experience and demonstrated technical proficiency will be considered in lieu of formal education; 1-2 years of progressively responsible kitchen management experience; Valid Food Manager Certification; Excellent communication, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities; Passion for community engagement and providing exceptional customer experiences; Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and retail systems preferred; Ability to communicate verbally and work cooperatively; Ability to remain standing for up to 4 hours at a time; Ability to move about the store; Ability to grasp, reach, push, pull, bend, stoop, kneel, and crouch; Ability to use hands to chop, whisk, slice, stir, juice or 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; Flexible schedule including nights, weekends, and holidays; Regular and predictable attendance with flexibility to adjust class assignments; Ability to work in a variable kitchen environment including open flames, hot surfaces, temperature variations, and food allergens

Nice to have

A degree in culinary arts; Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and retail systems