Head Chef

Job Details

Job Title: Head Chef
Reports To: Director of Operations
Department: Back of House, Culinary
Employment Type: Salaried, Exempt
Salary: $100,000 per year
Location: Txula, 515 W 30th St, New York, NY 10001, inside Mercado Little Spain

About José Andrés Group

José Andrés Group (JAG) is a hospitality company led by Chef José Andrés, known for outstanding guest experiences, innovation, and a values-driven culture. Our teams bring world-class food and warm hospitality to life across acclaimed concepts worldwide.

About Txula

Txula is the steakhouse at Mercado Little Spain, where Basque heritage, wood fire, and New York energy meet. Built around an imported Spanish wood-fired oven, the kitchen serves 60-day aged Txuleton ribeyes alongside rare Ibérico pork, Spanish lamb, and Mediterranean seafood, with expert sommeliers guiding pairings from an exclusive Spanish wine list. Bold, spirited, and confident, Txula delivers sophistication without stuffiness and redefines what a New York steakhouse can be. The restaurant sits beneath the High Line at Hudson Yards and serves seven days a week.

Position Summary

The Head Chef leads all culinary operations at Txula and owns the outcome: the food, the team, and the kitchen's financial performance. This is a fire-driven steakhouse built on expensive product, so the Head Chef sets the standard on the wood-fired oven and the aging program and holds the kitchen to it every service. Demonstrate that employees are the highest priority, maintain a positive work environment and develop the next generation of restaurant leaders. Take full ownership of the kitchen; ensure it operates efficiently and profitably.

Key Responsibilities

Culinary Leadership

Own the Txula menu, developing and evolving it with the JAG culinary team in a way that is faithful to Basque and Spanish grilling tradition. Own the 60-day dry-aging program end to end, including sourcing standards, aging protocol, trim and fabrication specs, and yield. Set and hold cooking standards on Txuleton ribeye, Ibérico pork, Spanish lamb, and Mediterranean seafood. Manage fire, wood, and oven temperature as a discipline, not a variable. Write and maintain recipes, specs and line check standards, and audit against them. Educate self and communicate to team on regional history, culture and cuisine, industry trends, innovative techniques and environmentally friendly product and procedures. Partner with the beverage team on pairings and with marketing on press, festivals and special events. Be on the line during peak times, press events, and festival periods.

Performance and Talent Development

Build and own the back of house organization, including sous chefs, station leads, and hourly team. Actively recruit and hire top tier talent, and treat potential employees with the same sense of hospitality and respect as employees and guests. Develop a bench of leaders prepared and qualified to move upward in the organization. Clearly define expectations and hold individuals accountable. Provide both positive and constructive feedback in a timely manner and documented when appropriate. Own the training program for both hourly and management employees, and certify station competency before anyone runs a station alone. Partner with HR on performance management, scheduling fairness and compliance.

Ambassador of JAG Culture

Seek out opportunities to communicate José Andrés Group's vision to team, guests, students, vendors and community in a clear and positive manner. Lead by example. Demonstrate ownership, accountability, and initiative in daily tasks by anticipating business needs and proactively addressing issues. Readily adjust to circumstances and manage change effectively by finding ways to accommodate team and guests by always "making it happen," without sacrificing quality. Create a positive work environment by demonstrating no tolerance for negative behaviors. Welcome new ideas and seek feedback from team by asking questions. Exemplify professionalism and hospitality in all interactions and especially in difficult situations.

Manage Daily Operations

Understand, practice and teach policies and procedures, and ensure the concept vision is communicated to team and managers. Run a seven-day operation serving 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM, with management coverage across lunch and dinner. Own Health Department readiness and results, including corrective action on any violation with a sense of urgency, and ensure all federal, state and local laws are met. Own fire and equipment safety on the wood-fired oven and grill, including hood and suppression service intervals and safe handling and storage of wood. Own dry-aging room temperature, humidity, and rotation logs. Maintain a daily log to communicate between shifts and prevent issues from reoccurring. Run pre-shift meetings and weekly chef meetings. Communicate any major facility or operational emergencies to leadership immediately. Work with Home Office support (finance, marketing, events) to ensure standards are met.

Manage Financial Results

Own the kitchen's financial results. Build and execute a plan to hit food cost, labor cost and department budget, and explain variances at period close. Own purchasing standards and vendor performance on high-cost proteins, and manage aging loss, protein yield, trim utilization, and portion accuracy. Set and manage menu pricing and mix with the Director of Operations and finance. Own kitchen scheduling and payroll to plan against forecasted volume. Ensure inventory and labor management systems are utilized correctly and data is accurate. Reach out to the JAG community for support as needed.

Required Qualifications

• The position requires a minimum of 3+ years of head chef, chef de cuisine, or executive sous chef experience and 7+ years of kitchen experience. Culinary degree preferred.
• Extensive knowledge of culinary fundamentals (knife skills, butchery, sauces, all kitchen stations) is required.
• Hands-on experience with live fire, wood-fired ovens or charcoal grilling, and whole-muscle beef fabrication is required.
• Steakhouse experience is required. Experience owning a dry-aging program, or with Basque and Spanish concepts and premium proteins such as Ibérico, is highly desired.
• Demonstrated ownership of food cost, labor cost and department budget in a high-volume restaurant is required.
• Extensive knowledge of the food industry, restaurants and competitive markets.
• Requires developed communication skills, both verbal and written. Spanish language ability is a plus.
• Ability to maintain compliance with all local, state and federal laws and regulations. NYC Food Protection Certificate required or obtained within 30 days of hire.
• Ability to supervise, train and motivate multiple levels of employees. Ability to assess and evaluate other employees' performance in a fair and consistent manner.
• Participation in the development of short- and long-term financial and operational goals of the restaurant.
• Administrative duties as needed, including scheduling, ordering, inventory and period close support.
• Must be available to work nights, weekends and holidays.

Working Conditions & Physical Requirements

• This position will spend 100% of the time standing or walking.
• Must be able to stand and exert well-paced mobility for up to 8 hours in length.
• Ability to work at a steady pace while multitasking in limited kitchen space.
• Frequent and sustained exposure to open flame, radiant heat, wood smoke, steam, refrigeration, and cleaning chemicals.
• Continuous use of knives, grills, wood-fired equipment and kitchen equipment.
• Ability to lift 30-50 lbs regularly, including primal cuts, wood, and full sheet pans.
• Occasional pushing or pulling of carts and equipment up to 250 lbs.
• Requires repetitive motions including grasping, writing, standing, sitting, walking, bending, hearing ability, and visual acuity.
• Slip-resistant footwear required.

In Return, We Offer You

• Competitive salary with opportunities for cross-training and advancement
• Eligible health & wellness benefits (for qualifying positions)
• Employee dining and partner discounts
• Growth in a values-driven, award-winning hospitality group

Equal Opportunity Employer

José Andrés Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer and participates in the federal E-Verify Program.