Sous Chef | Houston, TX | NE537

Sous Chef | Fine Dining Restaurant | Houston, TX

We are seeking an experienced Sous Chef to join the culinary leadership team of an established, upscale fine-dining restaurant in Houston.

This is an excellent opportunity for a talented, hands-on culinary professional who has built their career in high-quality, scratch-driven kitchens and is ready to continue developing within a growing restaurant organization.

We are looking for someone who takes tremendous pride in their craft, understands the attention to detail required in fine dining, and enjoys being actively involved in service rather than managing from the sidelines.

What You'll Do

Lead Daily Culinary Operations

• Partner closely with the Executive Chef and culinary leadership team to oversee daily BOH operations.
• Lead from the front during high-volume services and work alongside the culinary team when needed.
• Ensure consistent execution of recipes, preparation techniques, portions, flavor profiles, and presentation standards.
• Maintain exceptional standards for food quality and plate presentation.
• Oversee station setup, prep production, organization, and service readiness.
• Play an active role on Expo, ensuring proper pacing, communication, quality, and presentation throughout service.
• Work collaboratively with FOH leadership to create a seamless guest experience.

Train & Develop the Team

• Train, coach, and develop cooks, prep employees, and other culinary team members.
• Reinforce recipes, techniques, sanitation standards, and established operating procedures.
• Lead by example and create an environment built around professionalism, teamwork, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen individual and team performance.
• Provide clear, consistent feedback while maintaining positive relationships with employees.

Maintain Culinary Standards

• Conduct regular quality checks throughout preparation and service.
• Ensure ingredients are properly received, stored, rotated, and utilized.
• Maintain clean, organized, and service-ready kitchen and storage areas.
• Uphold food safety, sanitation, and workplace safety requirements.
• Ensure the culinary team consistently meets the restaurant's standards without taking shortcuts.

Support Financial Performance

• Assist with scheduling and management of BOH labor.
• Monitor food usage, waste, portioning, and product quality.
• Participate in inventory and purchasing processes.
• Help identify opportunities to improve efficiency while protecting food quality and the guest experience.

What We're Looking For

• 2+ years of culinary leadership experience within a fine-dining, upscale, chef-driven, or high-end full-service restaurant.
• Strong foundation in scratch cooking and professional culinary techniques.
• Experience working with premium ingredients and refined plate presentation.
• Comfortable operating in a high-volume, high-expectation environment.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Proven ability to train, coach, and develop culinary employees.
• Hands-on leadership style with the willingness and ability to work any station when necessary.
• Strong understanding of food cost, labor, inventory, waste control, and kitchen organization.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work collaboratively with both BOH and FOH leadership.
• ServSafe Manager certification preferred.
• Experience with Asian cuisine is a plus, but not required.

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to join an established fine-dining organization that is actively growing into new markets.

The company is looking for culinary leaders who want more than their next job. They are interested in individuals who want to continue learning, develop their teams, take on greater responsibility, and potentially grow into future Executive Sous Chef, Executive Chef, opening-team, and multi-unit leadership opportunities as the organization expands.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid time off
• Dining benefits
• Career development and advancement opportunities
• Opportunity to grow with an expanding restaurant organization