Executive Sous Chef - NYC Casual Fine Dining | $75K-$90K
3 days ago
Chelsea
Job Description Location: New York City, NY Salary: $75,000 - $90,000, based on experience Benefits: 401(k), health benefit contributions, PTO & sick leave About the Opportunity An established and growing New York City restaurant group is seeking an experienced Executive Sous Chef to join a high-volume, scratch-kitchen operation featuring Southern and Creole-inspired cuisine. This is a hands-on culinary leadership position for a chef who enjoys being on the line, leading a team, maintaining consistency, and working closely with the Executive Chef to elevate the food and overall kitchen operation. The restaurant operates in a casual fine dining environment with busy lunch, brunch, and dinner services and can handle 200+ covers during high-volume periods. If you're a strong Sous Chef or Executive Sous Chef who still loves being in the kitchen and leading from the front, this could be an excellent next step. What You'll Do • Lead kitchen operations during prep and service while remaining hands-on on the line, • Execute menu items consistently and to exact specifications, • Maintain high standards for food quality, presentation, portioning, and execution, • Lead, train, coach, and develop line cooks and prep cooks, • Work alongside the Executive Chef on menu development and seasonal specials, • Assist with hiring, scheduling, training, and performance management, • Manage food preparation, cooking techniques, sanitation, and kitchen organization, • Maintain food safety and HACCP standards, • Assist with inventory, ordering, receiving, and vendor relationships, • Monitor food cost, labor, portion control, and kitchen productivity, • Participate in recipe development, menu costing, and recipe standardization, • Help troubleshoot kitchen challenges and keep service running smoothly, • Utilize restaurant technology and digital systems to manage daily operations What We're Looking For • 3-5+ years of experience as a Sous Chef, Executive Sous Chef, or similar culinary leadership role, • Background in casual fine dining, upscale dining, or high-volume chef-driven restaurants, • Proven experience working hands-on on the line during high-volume service, • Experience with 200+ covers is strongly preferred, • Strong knife skills and broad knowledge of professional cooking techniques, • Scratch-kitchen experience using fresh, quality ingredients, • Demonstrated ability to lead and develop a culinary team, • Strong understanding of food cost, labor, inventory, and kitchen controls, • Excellent communication and organization skills, • Ability to remain calm, focused, and hands-on in a fast-paced kitchen, • Current NYC Food Protection Certificate/Card required, • Availability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed Technology & Systems The ideal candidate is comfortable working with restaurant technology, including: • 7shifts for scheduling, • Toast POS, • XtraCHEF for inventory and cost management, • iPad, iPhone, Mac, and other Apple products, • Digital recipe cards and restaurant management platforms You don't need to be a technology expert, but you should be comfortable learning and using digital tools as part of daily restaurant operations. Preferred Experience • Southern, Creole, Cajun, or related cuisine, • Previous NYC restaurant experience, • Culinary degree or formal culinary training, • Experience with high-volume scratch kitchens, • Experience working closely with an Executive Chef on menu development, • Bilingual English/Spanish/French skills are a plus What You'll Get • $75,000 - $90,000 salary, based on experience, • 401(k) options, • Health benefit contributions, • Paid time off and sick leave, • Professional development opportunities, • Creative input into menu development, • Opportunity for growth within an expanding restaurant group The Ideal Candidate We're looking for a true working chef and team leader who can step onto the line, execute at a high level, and lead the kitchen through busy services. This is not a purely administrative Sous Chef position. The right person will be comfortable getting in the kitchen, setting the standard, coaching the team, and helping drive a strong culinary culture every day. If you have strong high-volume restaurant experience, a scratch-kitchen background, and are ready to take the next step in NYC culinary leadership, we'd like to hear from you. \nCompany Description The Restaurant Zone is a leading hospitality recruitment agency specializing in connecting top-tier talent with restaurants, hotels, and hospitality groups across the United States. We partner with growing brands and established operators to deliver high-quality candidates for management, executive, and specialized roles. Our team combines industry expertise, a vast candidate network, and a results-driven approach to help businesses build strong, reliable teams. At The Restaurant Zone, we focus on speed, quality, and long-term fit—ensuring both clients and candidates succeed. The Restaurant Zone is a leading hospitality recruitment agency specializing in connecting top-tier talent with restaurants, hotels, and hospitality groups across the United States. We partner with growing brands and established operators to deliver high-quality candidates for management, executive, and specialized roles. Our team combines industry expertise, a vast candidate network, and a results-driven approach to help businesses build strong, reliable teams. At The Restaurant Zone, we focus on speed, quality, and long-term fit—ensuring both clients and candidates succeed.