Sous Chef

Role Overview

Kitchen Operations

• Assist the Executive Chef with daily kitchen operations.
• Supervise, coordinate, and support chefs, kitchen stewards, and other culinary team members.
• Organize assignments, section responsibilities, preparation schedules, and service requirements.
• Ensure food follows approved recipes and luxury standards for quality, consistency, hygiene, and presentation.
• Monitor food quality, freshness, temperature, presentation, and portion control.
• Support menu development, recipe testing, costing, and implementation.
• Plan production for regular service, private functions, events, and special occasions.
• Conduct briefings, line-ups, tastings, and operational meetings.
• Coordinate communication across kitchen sections and other departments.

Controls and Team Development

• Monitor ingredient availability, stock levels, requisitions, receiving, storage, and stock rotation.
• Control food costs, minimize waste, monitor portion sizes, and improve efficiency.
• Ensure compliance with food, hygiene, sanitation, health, fire, and workplace-safety standards.
• Inspect kitchen areas, equipment, storage spaces, and team standards.
• Coach, train, motivate, and evaluate team members.
• Assist with recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and succession planning when required.
• Handle operational challenges, guest or client requests, complaints, and service issues.
• Maintain production, waste, stock, quality, training, and operational records.
• Assume responsibility for the kitchen when the Executive Chef is absent.

Requirements and Expertise

• Culinary qualification, diploma, degree, or equivalent professional training.
• Previous experience as a Sous Chef, Junior Sous Chef, or senior Chef de Partie in a high-quality professional kitchen.
• Experience in a luxury, premium, private, corporate, lifestyle, or high-end environment is preferred.
• Strong knowledge of modern culinary techniques, food presentation, menu execution, and kitchen operations.
• Good understanding of food cost control, inventory management, purchasing, waste reduction, and recipe costing.
• Strong knowledge of food-safety, hygiene, sanitation, and workplace-safety standards.
• Proven experience leading, training, and developing a diverse kitchen team.
• Proficiency in kitchen-management systems and Microsoft Office or comparable systems is an advantage.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends, public holidays, and special events.