An established, neighborhood-driven Italian restaurant is seeking an experienced Sous Chef or Executive Sous Chef to guide the culinary team and uphold the highest standards of food quality, consistency, and hospitality.
The restaurant is known for its handcrafted pasta, wood-fired pizza, premium steaks, house-made cheeses, seasonal Italian cuisine, craft cocktails, and thriving private dining program.This role is ideal for a hands-on culinary leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment, enjoys mentoring and developing teams, and takes pride in building strong kitchen culture while delivering exceptional guest experiences.
The Sous Chefs and Executive Sous Chef partners closely with the Executive Chef to ensure exceptional food quality, operational consistency, and a positive, high-performing kitchen culture.
The ideal candidate is a hands-on culinary leader who thrives on the line, enjoys developing others, and leads by example. This position plays a key role in daily kitchen operations, team development, inventory management, and executing an elevated dining experience with precision and consistency.
What You Bring to the Table:
- Lead and support daily kitchen operations while maintaining exceptional quality, consistency, and execution during service.
- Run the line with confidence, organization, and clear communication across all stations.
- Assist with menu execution, daily specials, and seasonal offerings while maintaining recipe integrity and presentation standards.
- Support ordering, receiving, inventory management, and vendor coordination to maintain quality and control food costs.
- Assist with scheduling, labor deployment, and daily operational planning to maximize efficiency.
- Train, coach, and mentor line cooks and junior culinary team members, fostering accountability and continuous development.
- Help cultivate a positive, respectful kitchen culture built on teamwork, professionalism, and hospitality.
- Maintain the highest standards of sanitation, food safety, organization, and Department of Health compliance.
- Support equipment maintenance, kitchen organization, and operational readiness.
- Monitor food cost, labor utilization, waste reduction, and inventory controls while supporting overall financial goals.
- Partner closely with front-of-house leadership to ensure seamless communication and an exceptional guest experience.
- Assist with private dining events, catering functions, and other special culinary initiatives as needed.
Required Work Experience:
- 2–5+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience as a Sous Chef, Executive Sous Chef, or comparable kitchen leadership role.
- Experience in high-volume, full-service, chef-driven restaurant environments.
- Strong understanding of kitchen operations, food costing, inventory management, labor controls, and scheduling.
- Proven ability to train, mentor, and develop culinary teams.
- Strong knowledge of food safety, sanitation standards, and Department of Health regulations.
- Excellent organizational, communication, and leadership skills.
- Ability to remain composed and effective in a fast-paced service environment.
- Flexible schedule including evenings, weekends, and holidays.