Chef Instructor (Sur La Table)

As a Chef Instructor at Sur La Table, you are the in-store expert and advocate for education.

You deliver exceptional service by sharing product knowledge, brewing techniques, knife skills, and personalized instruction.

The Chef Instructor plays a key role in driving sales of espresso machines, coffee makers, coffee grinders, knife skills, and cooks tools through active demonstrations, coffee classes, and knife skills classes.

Key Responsibilities

Customer Experience & Brand Representation

• Represent Sur La Table's brand and culture by creating memorable, educational experiences that inspire repeat visits and customer loyalty.
• Lead engaging and informative culinary and coffee-focused demonstrations that showcase expertise and elevate the in-store experience.
• Deliver high-quality, hands-on classes that teach fundamental and advanced cooking techniques, including essential knife skills.
• Educate customers on various brewing methods, including pour-over, French Press, AeroPress, espresso, and cold brew.
• Guide customers in selecting coffee beans based on flavor profiles, roast levels, and origin.

Sales & Business Performance

• Promote and sell cooking tools, coffee products, equipment, and accessories as part of class experiences and demos.
• Support the store in achieving revenue goals by driving customer engagement and conversion through education.
• Consistently meet or exceed monthly sales goals, contributing to overall store revenue.

Team Engagement & Store Support

• Partner with store leaders to ensure alignment between culinary programming and store priorities.
• Collaborate on merchandising strategies that highlight key tools and products featured in classes.

Operations & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with food safety standards, local health codes, and sanitation regulations.
• Properly handle all tools, ingredients, and kitchen equipment to maintain a safe and efficient work environment.
• Maintain accurate inventory levels, minimize shrink, and control supply and culinary expenses.
• Ensure store safety and cleanliness, addressing any maintenance needs promptly.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to communicate verbally and work cooperatively with associates and customers.
• Ability to remain standing for up to 4 hours at a time.
• Ability to move about the store directing class participants while selling to customers and retrieving merchandise from stockroom or sales floor.
• Capability to accurately perceive and differentiate variations in intensity or quality of flavors or odors.
• Ability to grab, reach, push, pull, bend, stoop, kneel, and crouch to retrieve and replenish merchandise.
• Ability to lift and/or move merchandise weighing up to 50 lbs.
• Ability to ascend/descend ladders to retrieve and/or move merchandise.
• Ability to operate a computer, POS system, keyboards, merchandise scanners, and mouse.
• Available to work between 12 and 16 hours per week, with a flexible schedule, including nights, weekends, and holidays.

Qualifications & Experience

• Must be 21 years of age or older.
• A degree in culinary arts is preferred; however, candidates with extensive culinary experience and demonstrated technical proficiency will be considered.
• 1-2 years of kitchen operations 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.