Executive Sous Chef, Blue Mound Golf & Country Club – Wauwatosa, WI

About the Club: Located in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, (A suburb of Milwaukee) Blue Mound Golf and Country Club was founded in 1903 and has become one of the top private clubs in Wisconsin. The Club has an 18-hole Golf Course, Members Grill, Main Dining and Ballroom, two Member bars and two beautiful outdoor patios overlooking the prestigious golf course. The Club has over 350 members and gross revenues of $7.5 million.

Blue Mound Golf and Country Club has been providing its members with an excellent golfing experience for over 100 years. The club has 18 challenging holes, an elegant clubhouse, fine dining, and a variety of social activities along with a dedicated staff. The atmosphere is designed to encourage the kind of satisfying golf and rewarding social experiences found in the country’s finest clubs. Once members and their guests have ‘The Blue Mound Experience’, they will consider it their “home away from home.” The historic golf course, designed by the acclaimed Seth Raynor, was the first in Wisconsin to host a golf major: the 1933 PGA Championship, won by Gene Sarazen. Mr. Raynor’s masterpiece is maintained at the highest levels, with greens and fairways in pristine condition.

Blue Mound Golf and Country Club invested $1.1M in 2024 to improve the current footprint of the kitchen and to improve the efficiency of food service. The renovation included all new state-of-the-art hood systems, new cooking equipment, slip resistant flooring, Ecolab dishwasher, and an improved and larger capacity for banquet operations.

Position Specific: Blue Mound Golf & CC is a traditional club with a respected culinary reputation featuring several popular traditional dishes and preparations. The Executive Sous Chef is responsible for assisting the Executive Chef in operating the culinary operation. He or she will aid the Chef in his responsibilities for the quality and presentation of all food served for lunch, dinner, private parties, and staff meals. The Executive Sous Chef is a “hands on” manager and trainer of the entire culinary team. He or she will also have general supervisory responsibility for the conduct of all service staff while they are present in the kitchen. The sanitation and general upkeep of all preparation areas and equipment is also key. From a financial standpoint, The Executive Sous Chef is expected to understand and ensure that costs are kept within budget.

The Executive Sous Chef will assume the full duties of the Chef in his absence.

Note From the General Manager: The membership at Blue Mound Golf & CC is down to earth, genuine, humble and cares deeply for the staff. The Membership treats their staff as family and wants to know about them and their families as well. They are willing to listen and are very understanding. The management team is one piece away in achieving a collaborative team and needs a Chef who is willing to work together as we strive towards our goal of excellence. We live by the motto, “yes we can do that, but what was the question?” We never say No and want to accommodate member requests, knowing some may not be immediately achievable. We want a co-worker that cares for his/her coworkers and wants to make BMG&CC the best Club in the Midwest.

The best advice I can give the new Sous Chef is to, “listen to the Executive Chef, trust your fellow managers to help steer you in the right direction, maintain humility and treat staff with kindness and respect” It will come back to you two-fold!

Candidate Qualifications:

• An engaged self-starter. A confident leader with empathy and an ability to inspire the team. Someone that will hold the team accountable and challenge them to be better than they were yesterday. The goal is to move the program from ‘Good to Great.’
• Prepares and/or directly supervises kitchen staff responsible for the daily preparation of all food items to ensure that methods of cooking, garnishing, and portion-sizing are as prescribed by standardized specifications.
• Is the supervisor of all a la carte food operations, checking daily for the quality and quantity of la carte food items needed. Also to lend creativity and help to ensure that the food quality and presentation of banquet meals and buffets are of the highest standards.
• He/she is highly organized, with the ability to meet deadlines related to a la carte service, event execution,weekly features, and operational deliverables.
• Passionate about all things culinary and committed to staying current with food trends, techniques, and equipment.
• Ensure the production of all a la carte items such as soups, sauces, and daily mis en place meets quality standards.
• Understand and assist with the development of all menus including procedures for seasonality, pricing, kitchen specification worksheets, portion specifications, and ordering system.
• The ESC will attend regular staff meetings where practical and is expected to maintain a professional relationship with all employees. He or She will communicate weekly schedules and document the performance of employees under his or her supervision.
• Work with Chef on scheduling, employee reviews, counseling, employee grievances, and motivation of staff.
• The Executive Chef writes budgets for the department. The ESC role will be to monitor food costs and labor cost to help stay in line with budget. If interested, the Sous Chef may be a part of the budget writing administrative side of the operation.
• Responsible for oversight of employee family meals.
• Work with Maintenance Engineer on general upkeep of kitchen. Perform monthly kitchen inspections for general upkeep and cleanliness.
• To assume responsibility for the Executive Chef’s duties in conjunction with other Senior Sous Chef and understand the operations of all food outlets including banquets, a la carte, and special events.

Initial Focus:

1. Lead with Presence and Awareness — Stay highly visible in the operation and take the time to understand the Club’s culture, the rhythm of the team, and the expectations of the membership.
2. Strengthen and Uphold Systems — Dive into the current standard operating procedures and evaluate how each part of the kitchen operation functions day to day. Identify what’s working, what needs refinement, and where we can tighten consistency and accountability within the team..
3. Develop and Elevate the Team — Provide hands-on training, clear procedures, and steady guidance to ensure the team delivers consistent, high-quality results. Set the tone for urgency, precision, and pride in every plate. Hold staff accountable while also supporting their growth, helping them understand that excellence is the baseline.
4. Champion Sanitation and Safety Standards — Maintain constant vigilance over cleanliness, sanitation, and safety across all food service areas. Conduct regular checks and reinforce expectations as it pertains to our deep-cleaning schedule. Your leadership here directly protects the team, members, and our reputation.

 Additional Information:

• Annual food sales at $1,274,000; total F&B Sales $1,982,000. The Club subsidized F&B ($573,541) in most recent FY.
• The Food cost is 44% with a sales mix of 45% a la carte and 55% banquet. Budgeted food cost 42%
• There are 12 culinary staff and 8 Stewards supported by a $1.3 MM labor budget.
• The Team includes (2) Sous Chefs, (Executive Sous Chef & Banquet Sous Chef), a Pastry Chef and Banquet Chef. The Executive Chef collaborates with ESC in doing the purchasing.
• The Club has one (1) main kitchen with a Banquet line and A La Carte line with prep space for both areas. Management rates the condition of kitchen as a (5) out of (5). The kitchen is two years old. A capital reserve plan for replacement of all kitchen assets is in place. (Note: Membership always supports new equipment for the right reasons.)
• BMG & CC has one 50,000 sq. ft. Clubhouse with 350 members whose average age is 62.
• The Club operates 10.5 months annually and closes mid-Feb until late-March (6 weeks). Busy months are May – October and after Thanksgiving to the end of the year.
• The Executive Sous Chef reports to the Executive Chef

Dining: (various a La Carte Outlets & Events)

• The Grill Room – Casual with 85 seats, serving Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner six days per week
• Raynor Room – Golfers Casual with 25 seats, serving Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner six days per week
• Patio – Golfers Casual with 100 seats, serving Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner six days per week
  
• Private Member & Club Events
  The Club supports eight (8) private rooms with seating from 10 to 300. Included is the Main Dining Room/Ball Room which is formal and has 180 seats. The largest sit down event can accommodate 300 guests.

The Club offers a competitive base salary, performance bonus and benefits package including a 401k plan, health with dependent coverage, life & dental insurance, ACF Dues and Conference and dining allowance. Relocation is available. Interested individuals should send resumes, a well-conceived cover letter, and supporting information (a digital Portfolio is encouraged).