Executive Sous Chef

Are you a culinary leader with a passion for excellence and a love of collaboration? Dish Food & Events, an award-winning catering and events company in the heart of NYC, is seeking an Executive Sous Chef to join our dynamic team. With over 15 years of experience creating unforgettable events, we’re known for our warm hospitality, delicious and innovative cuisine, and a team-focused culture that empowers every team member to thrive.

As Executive Sous Chef, you’ll work closely with our Executive Chef to lead and inspire a talented kitchen team, ensuring the highest standards of quality, flavor, and service. From mentoring new kitchen leaders to overseeing production for extraordinary events, this role offers the opportunity to make a lasting impact on both our team and our clients.

If you’re ready to bring your leadership skills, creativity, and passion for culinary excellence to a company that values authenticity, creativity, and teamwork, we’d love to hear from you!

Qualifications

• Culinary degree or equivalent professional training preferred
• NY Department of Health Food Handler’s License required.
• Minimum 5 years of culinary experience, with at least 2 years in a leadership role, ideally in high-volume catering, fine dining restaurants or events.
• Strong leadership skills with a proven ability to mentor and develop diverse kitchen teams.
• Expertise in food costing, inventory management, and achieving financial goals.
• Exceptional organizational and time-management skills to oversee production and maintain quality standards.
• Proficient in recipe development, menu planning, and maintaining consistency across events.
• Knowledge of NYC Department of Health guidelines and a commitment to maintaining a safe, sanitary kitchen.
• Outstanding communication skills for team coordination, client interaction, and vendor relationships.
• Passion for delivering creative, high-quality dishes that align with seasonality and client preferences.
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and attend off-premise events (1-2 per month) as needed.
• Fluency in English is required; proficiency in Spanish is strongly preferred

Job Description

Responsibilities would include but not be limited to:

LEADERSHIP

• Create a positive and inspiring environment for the commissary team. Provide coaching and mentorship to our team.  Foster new kitchen leadership.
• Maintain a safe and sanitary kitchen as per NYC Dept of Health guidelines.  DOH Food Handler’s license required.
• Lead kitchen when executive chef is absent with sous chef. 
• Assist in hiring, training, scheduling and managing a diverse and professional kitchen and event staff
• Delegate team on event production, commissary cleaning, and organizing.  Train and foster new leadership.
• Lead and maintain a high performing team that produces quality work and excellent food. Control and maintain a high level of quality.  This includes supervising and creating systems for packing events and communication of serving standards.  Set a standard of quality and flavor. 
• Lead + delegate production of an exciting and fun daily family meal for our team.
• Lead training sessions for commissary and event kitchen staff.
• Occasionally attend off premise full service events (approximately 1-2 per month) to gain insight into our operations, lead the event kitchen team and ensure quality control.
• Represent the company in front of our clients and in media (i.e. tastings, interviews with blogs, magazines, social media)

PRODUCTION, PURCHASING + MAINTENANCE

• Collaborate with Sous Chef to develop daily prep lists and then execute food production in our kitchen, resulting in quality work and delicious food
• Oversee daily, weekly, and monthly inventory of food product and supplies
• Assist the Executive Chef in meeting financial goals for food, kitchen labor and kitchen supply costs
• Alongside, the Executive Chef prepares event questions and changes for production meetings. 
• Communicate efficiently and effectively with kitchen team, operations department, event staff, sales team and vendors
• Execute Client tastings and lead at a high  performance level on an as needed basis
• Together with the Operations Manager, Executive Chef and Sous Chef and Pastry Chef, update and maintain recipes, costing, and other menu details in our catering system (Total Party Planner)
• Delegate and oversee facility maintenance including implementation of our preventive maintenance schedule.

R&D 

• Test out flavors of dishes that include sub recipes.
• Measure and weigh individual ingredients using a scale. 
• Keep all records up to date and organized utilizing our catering system (Total Party Planner). 
• Understand all policies, procedures, standards, specifications, guidelines and training programs.
• Attend and actively participate in required meetings and bring suggestions for improvement.
• Fully understand and comply with all federal, state, county and municipal regulations that pertain to health, safety and labor requirements of the restaurant, employees and guests.

• Exemplify our company core values, mission statement and standards.
• Foster positive communication with the front and back of house team.
• Actively participate in our Continuous Employee Success Management program including weekly 1:1s, six-month check-ins and annual performance reviews.

Compensation + Benefits

• Competitive annual salary in the range of $80-90k with bonus potential.
• Option to enroll in major medical, dental and vision insurance
• Paid Days Off (Vacation + Personal Days + Dish Holidays)
• Paid Volunteer Time Off (VTO) program designed to support the communities where we live and work
• Paid Family Leave, Sick Pay, ST and LT Disability insurance 
• 401k Plan to invest in your future after 12 months of full-time employment
• Commuter transportation benefits
• Company dining program of daily delicious family meals (aka free lunch!)

Dish provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.