Line Cook II; Culinary Specialist II

Intro

From fine dining restaurants to residential dining, USC Hospitality serves thousands of students, athletes, faculty, and staff, as well as our many visitors. Hospitality is one of the six core business units that comprise USC Auxiliary Services and one of the largest employers on campus. We are renowned for our fresh take on self-operated food concepts with restaurants between both campuses.

The team at USC Hospitality is led by innovative executive chefs and directors who strive every day to craft nourishing and wholesome alternatives for our hungry Trojan Family and our guests.

Are you passionate about serving quality food and providing exceptional customer service? Join us! The Culinary Specialist II will prepare food for guests, utilizing fresh, locally sourced ingredients. You will ensure high standards of excellence are maintained throughout our kitchens, keeping inventories and facilities clean, organized, and up-to-date. As a member of our team, you will take pride in exceeding expectations of all customers and keeping the Trojan spirit alive.

• Customer Service – Provide services to faculty, staff, students, and guests. Maintain friendly demeanor and offer timely options for specialty diets or dietary restrictions.
• Food Preparation – Measure, cut, and mix ingredients according to recipes. Cook and prepare food to specific quality, quantity, appearance, and temperature.
• Yield and Waste – Ensure all food goods are utilized to maximum yield, reducing waste, spoilage, and pilferage.
• A la Carte and Special Events – Prepare food items for a la carte and special events according to recipe or instructions. Maintain compliance and consistency with product, menu, and recipe specifications and on time production standards.
• Sanitation – Adhere to the kitchen sanitation program, complete temperature and cooling logs, and keep work spaces clean and sanitized.
• Cooking Techniques – Maintain working knowledge of classical and modern cooking techniques, learn and execute new techniques applied to batch, prep, and a la carte menu items.
• Safety and Standards – Adhere to department service, health, and sanitation standards, safety and university rules. Store all food goods properly.
• Facility Maintenance – Maintain cleanliness and organization of facilities, kitchen common areas, stations, tools, and equipment. Report maintenance issues.
• Staff Guidance – Provide guidance and direction to culinary and kitchen staff.
• Training – Attend all required culinary trainings.
• Other Duties – Perform other related duties as assigned or requested. The University reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

• Minimum Education – Specialized or technical training.
• Minimum Experience – 3 years in a fast-paced kitchen environment.
• Field of Expertise – Culinary School Certificate or Diploma from a nationally accredited school, knowledge of kitchen equipment, restaurant and catering/special event cooking, customer service experience, classical cooking techniques, standard food handling, and ability to lift up to 50 lbs.
• Commitment to USC's Unifying Values.

• Preferred Education – High School Diploma, Associate's Degree from a culinary school.
• Preferred Experience – 4 years in a high-volume banquet and catering environment.
• Preferred Field – Ability to oversee temporary and resource workers.

We pride ourselves on creating the BEST USC EXPERIENCE, and we offer a wide variety of benefits and programs that support staff and their families. For more information please visit (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

The hourly rate for this position is $27.22.

Job
Posted Date: 05/29/2025

Current employees may apply through the USC employee portal. Applicants are invited to apply online at the university job posting site.