Executive Chef

Role Overview

This is a hands-on senior kitchen leadership position for a chef who can run a demanding, quality-driven kitchen from the pass outward. Day to day, you will set the rhythm of service — planning menus, directing and coaching the brigade, controlling food cost and stock, and personally ensuring that every plate leaving the kitchen meets the standard the venue is known for. The role matters because kitchen consistency is the foundation of a high-end lounge, restaurant, or hotel dining operation: when preparation, timing, and presentation hold steady night after night, the guest experience and the business's reputation hold steady with it.

Key Responsibilities

• Menu development: design and refine menus that fit the venue's concept, including costing dishes, sourcing ingredients, and testing recipes before they reach service.
• Kitchen leadership: supervise, train, and mentor kitchen staff across all sections, setting clear expectations for technique, timing, and teamwork, and providing regular performance feedback.
• Service execution: oversee food preparation and cooking during service, working the pass at peak times to check quality, pace, and consistency before dishes go out.
• Presentation standards: maintain exacting plating and portioning standards so that every dish is presented to the same high specification regardless of who prepared it.
• Food safety and hygiene: enforce sanitation, safe food handling, storage temperature, and cleaning routines throughout the kitchen, keeping the operation inspection-ready at all times.
• Stock control: manage ordering, receiving, inventory counts, and stock rotation, reducing spoilage and ensuring the right ingredients are on hand without over-ordering.
• Cost management: track food cost, yields, and waste, adjust portioning and purchasing where needed, and contribute to keeping the kitchen within its budget targets.
• Cross-team coordination: work closely with front-of-house and management on service flow, special menus, and event or private dining requirements.

Requirements & Qualifications

• A minimum of five years' experience as an Executive Chef or Sous Chef in a high-end lounge, restaurant, or hotel environment.
• A diploma or degree in Culinary Arts, Food Production, or Hospitality Management.
• Demonstrated experience in menu planning, food preparation, and high-quality food presentation.
• Proven leadership ability, including managing, training, and supervising kitchen staff.
• Strong working knowledge of food safety and hygiene standards, stock control, and cost management.
• The composure to work under pressure during busy service while maintaining consistent quality and efficient kitchen operations.
• Availability to work the service hours typical of a busy kitchen, including evenings, weekends, and public holidays.