Chef de Cuisine, Campus Dining

USC Hospitality is a prominent division within the University of Southern California's Auxiliary Services, dedicated to providing exceptional dining experiences for over 65,000 students, athletes, faculty, staff, and visitors on campus. As one of the largest employers at USC, USC Hospitality manages a variety of foodservice operations ranging from fine dining establishments to residential dining facilities, quick-service restaurants, and cafés. The organization is led by innovative culinary professionals who strive daily to deliver nourishing, wholesome, and flavorful meals that cater to the diverse nutritional needs and preferences of the USC community. USC Hospitality fosters a commitment to service excellence, innovation, and upholding core unifying values that drive the team’s success and dedication to the Trojan Family.

Campus Dining, a vital segment of USC Hospitality, includes three student residential dining halls, an athletics dining venue, and multiple fast-casual outlets. These venues serve a vibrant campus community every day of the week and emphasize quality, variety, and inclusivity in their food offerings. Among these is the University Village Dining Hall, a high-volume, all-you-care-to-eat venue primarily self-service, welcoming student residents who are enrolled in meal plans, as well as faculty, staff, and visitors. This dining hall is renowned for its California-fresh cuisine featuring balanced, flavorful meals designed to accommodate a spectrum of dietary preferences.

The role of Chef de Cuisine, Campus Dining, is a pivotal culinary leadership position within USC Hospitality. The chef will provide comprehensive operational and culinary oversight of the University Village Dining Hall, which serves approximately 4,000 meals daily during breakfast, lunch, and dinner services. This role demands a seasoned culinary professional committed to maintaining excellence in food quality, service standards, and guest experience. The Chef de Cuisine will lead both the front- and back-of-house operations, ensuring smooth, efficient, and engaging service delivery.

Additionally, this role requires the development and nurturing of a positive, student-centered dining culture aligned with USC Hospitality’s values. The Chef de Cuisine must demonstrate visible, hands-on leadership, fostering teamwork, coaching staff, and ensuring compliance with all food safety and sanitation regulations, including adherence to Los Angeles County Health Department standards. Financial stewardship is a critical aspect of this role, requiring expertise in food cost management, inventory control, waste reduction, and the use of software systems like CBORD for data and ordering management.

Strategic planning and continuous improvement initiatives are essential in this fast-paced, high-volume environment. The Chef de Cuisine must skillfully balance daily operations with long-term goals such as staff development, recipe standardization, menu innovation in collaboration with a Registered Dietitian, and process enhancements aimed at improving operational efficiency and profitability. This leadership position also entails active engagement with students and campus life initiatives, modeling exceptional customer service and professionalism.

The employment type is full-time, offering an annual salary range of $76,000 to $88,000, depending on experience and qualifications. Given the nature of the dining services, the position requires full open availability, including evenings, weekends, and holidays with no fixed schedule. The successful candidate will be joining a team that values integrity, excellence, community, well-being, open communication, and accountability. USC offers comprehensive benefits to support work-life balance and employee well-being, underpinning a thriving work culture based on mutual respect and trust. Join USC Hospitality and become a part of an esteemed team dedicated to culinary excellence and service innovation within the dynamic environment of the University of Southern California.