About Langham Hospitality Group

A wholly-owned subsidiary of Great Eagle Holdings, Langham Hospitality Group (LHG) comprises a family of distinctive brands, including The Langham Hotels and Resorts, Cordis Hotels and Resorts, Eaton Workshop and Ying’nFlo. With over 40 hotels and residences in operation or development, LHG has a global footprint that extends across Asia, Europe, North America, Australasia and the Middle East.

The Langham Huntington, Pasadena, Los Angeles is located in Pasadena, California, in the heart of an upscale residential neighborhood bursting with historic gems like Albert Einstein's former residence and famous film locations including the homes from Mad Men and Father of the Bride

Just up the street you'll find Pasadena's vibrant shopping and entertainment district boasting theaters, boutiques, incredible restaurants and world-class museums. And the hotel is just a short drive from the rest of Pasadena's must-see spots including the Rose Bowl stadium, The Huntington Library, Descanso Gardens, Kidspace Children's Museum and much more.

Check out what’s nearby, or inquire with our concierge team for recommendations on what to see, eat, and do in Pasadena and nearby Los Angeles.

DEPARTMENT: Executive Kitchen

JOB TITLE: Sous Chef Tournant

REPORTS TO: Executive Chef

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF POSITION:

The Chef Tournant is a key culinary leadership position reporting directly to the Executive Chef and serving as a versatile extension of the resort's culinary leadership team. This position is responsible for providing additional leadership, operational support, and culinary expertise across all food and beverage outlets within a large, multi-outlet luxury resort.

The Chef Tournant must be proficient in all areas of culinary operations and capable of seamlessly moving between outlets and departments based on business needs. The position combines hands-on culinary leadership with menu development, research and development, financial analysis, purchasing, labor management, and operational support.

The successful candidate will have a strong understanding of both culinary excellence and the financial responsibilities required to operate a high-volume luxury resort profitably.

Chef Tournant

Key Responsibilities

Culinary Leadership & Operations

• Provide flexible culinary leadership and support across all resort outlets and culinary operations.
• Be fully proficient in the standards, recipes, systems, and operating procedures of each culinary outlet.
• Step into leadership roles during high-volume periods, staffing gaps, vacations, special events, openings, and other operational needs.
• Maintain consistently high standards of food quality, presentation, execution, sanitation, and organization.
• Support Executive Sous Chefs, Chef de Cuisines, Sous Chefs, and other culinary leaders with daily operational challenges.
• Provide hands-on leadership during service and ensure smooth execution of daily operations.
• Assist in training, coaching, mentoring, and development of culinary team members.
• Promote consistency and adherence to the resort's culinary standards across all outlets.

Menu Development & Culinary R&D

• Assist the Executive Chef with menu development and seasonal culinary projects.
• Participate in recipe development, testing, tastings, and menu implementation.
• Conduct culinary research and development for new concepts, dishes, techniques, and products.
• Assist with special events, VIP experiences, activations, and new outlet projects.
• Ensure recipes are properly documented, standardized, and communicated.
• Evaluate new products and culinary techniques for quality, consistency, guest appeal, and financial viability.

Menu Costing & Financial Management

• Assist with recipe and menu costing to ensure alignment with established food cost objectives.
• Maintain an understanding of ingredient pricing, yields, portions, and product utilization.
• Analyze food cost performance and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Monitor high-cost ingredients and product usage.
• Assist in identifying waste, overproduction, spoilage, and other areas negatively affecting food cost.
• Partner with the Executive Chef, Finance, and Purchasing to address food cost variances.
• Ensure culinary decisions consider both guest experience and financial impact.

Purchasing & Ordering

• Be fully proficient in ordering for all culinary areas of the resort.
• Understand product specifications, par levels, lead times, and ordering schedules for each outlet.
• Place accurate orders based on forecasted business, occupancy, reservations, events, and operational requirements.
• Maintain appropriate inventory levels while avoiding unnecessary purchasing and excess inventory.
• Monitor product pricing, availability, market changes, and substitutions.
• Work closely with Purchasing and Receiving to ensure quality, quantity, and specification compliance.
• Ensure all purchasing decisions remain aligned with established food cost obligations and budgetary expectations.
• Identify opportunities to improve purchasing efficiency and product utilization.

Labor Analysis & Productivity

• Assist the Executive Chef with labor analysis, forecasting, and productivity initiatives.
• Evaluate staffing levels against business volume and operational requirements.
• Review scheduled versus actual labor hours.
• Identify opportunities to improve productivity and efficiency.
• Assist with labor planning for outlets, events, and seasonal business.
• Monitor overtime and additional labor usage.
• Support cross-training initiatives to maximize flexibility and efficiency throughout the culinary operation.

Month-End Reporting & Analysis

• Assist the Executive Chef with month-end financial reporting and analysis.
• Support monthly food cost and labor reviews.
• Assist with physical inventory and inventory reconciliation.
• Analyze food cost and labor variances against budget and forecast.
• Review purchasing trends and identify significant fluctuations.
• Assist in preparing information and recommendations for monthly financial reviews.
• Follow through on corrective actions designed to improve financial performance.

Resort-Wide Responsibilities

The Chef Tournant may be assigned to support any culinary operation within the resort, including:

• Fine dining restaurants
• All-day dining
• Pool and seasonal outlets
• Bars and lounges
• Banquets and catering
• In-room dining
• Club or executive lounge
• Special events and VIP functions
• Employee dining
• New concepts and culinary projects

The position requires the ability to quickly adapt to different culinary environments, service styles, staffing structures, and business volumes while maintaining consistent luxury standards.

Leadership & Communication

The Chef Tournant is expected to operate as a professional representative of the Executive Chef and culinary leadership team.

The successful candidate will:

• Demonstrate strong leadership and communication skills.
• Maintain a calm, professional presence during high-pressure operations.
• Communicate effectively with culinary, food & beverage, finance, purchasing, and other departments.
• Identify problems proactively and develop practical solutions.
• Hold themselves and others accountable to established standards.
• Lead by example through professionalism, organization, and culinary excellence.
• Maintain confidentiality and discretion regarding personnel and financial matters.

Food Safety & Sanitation

• Maintain strict compliance with all food safety, sanitation, HACCP, and resort standards.
• Ensure proper food handling, storage, labeling, dating, and temperature control.
• Address food safety or sanitation deficiencies immediately.
• Promote a culture of cleanliness, organization, and accountability throughout all culinary operations.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5–7 years of progressive culinary experience, preferably within luxury hotels, resorts, or high-volume multi-outlet operations.
• Previous experience in a leadership position such as Sous Chef, Executive Sous Chef, Chef de Cuisine, or equivalent.
• Strong knowledge of multiple culinary disciplines and service styles.
• Experience with luxury hospitality and high guest-expectation environments.
• Strong understanding of food cost, menu costing, purchasing, inventory, and labor management.
• Demonstrated experience with menu development and culinary R&D.
• Strong organizational and analytical skills.
• Ability to read and understand financial reports and operational data.
• Proficiency with recipe costing, inventory, purchasing, and labor systems.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and extended periods during high-volume business.
• Culinary degree or equivalent professional experience preferred.

Core Competencies

The ideal Chef Tournant will demonstrate:

• Culinary Excellence
• Leadership & Team Development
• Operational Flexibility
• Financial Acumen
• Menu Development
• Purchasing & Cost Control
• Problem Solving
• Communication
• Organization
• Accountability
• Attention to Detail
• Luxury Hospitality Standards

Performance Expectations

Success in this position will be measured by the Chef Tournant's ability to:

• Provide dependable leadership and support across the resort.
• Maintain consistent culinary standards across multiple outlets.
• Successfully execute assigned menu and R&D projects.
• Maintain accurate recipe and menu costing.
• Make responsible purchasing decisions aligned with food cost objectives.
• Support effective labor utilization and productivity.
• Contribute to accurate and timely month-end reporting.
• Reduce waste and improve operational efficiency.
• Develop and support culinary team members.
• Anticipate operational needs and proactively assist the Executive Chef.
• Protect both the guest experience and financial performance of the resort.

Position Philosophy

The Chef Tournant is more than a relief chef or floating operational position. This role is designed as a high-level culinary leadership position that provides the Executive Chef with additional depth, flexibility, and expertise across a complex luxury resort operation.

The ideal candidate must be equally comfortable leading a kitchen during a demanding service, developing a new menu, conducting recipe costing, analyzing labor, placing resort-wide orders, reviewing month-end financial results, or supporting a culinary team through operational change.