Sous Chef - Italian Cuisine

We are working with a highly regarded restaurant group seeking a talented Sous Chef for one of its busy Downtown Manhattan concepts. This is an excellent opportunity for a hands-on culinary professional who thrives in a structured, fast-paced kitchen and takes pride in food quality, consistency, speed of service, staff development, and creating a strong kitchen culture.

The ideal candidate brings solid Italian cuisine experience , strong leadership and communication skills, and the ability to maintain high standards while effectively managing food costs, labor, sanitation, and daily kitchen execution.

Benefits & Compensation

• Competitive salary based on experience
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid time off (PTO)
• Paid sick days
• Opportunity for professional growth within an established restaurant group

Requirements & Qualifications

• Minimum 2+ years of Sous Chef or comparable kitchen leadership experience , including at least 2 years of Italian cuisine experience
• Current NYC Food Protection Certificate with strong knowledge of NYC Department of Health standards and kitchen sanitation
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to manage, train, motivate, and retain cooks, porters, and other BOH staff
• English and Spanish , with excellent communication and organizational skills
• Ability to work nights, weekends, and holidays and meet the physical demands of the position, including prolonged standing and lifting 30+ pounds

Preferred Background & Skills

• Experience working in a high-volume, fast-paced Italian or upscale restaurant environment with a strong focus on quality and speed of service
• Proven ability to manage food costs, labor costs, inventory, ordering, waste, and kitchen productivity
• Strong recipe execution and menu-development skills with the ability to collaborate effectively with senior culinary leadership
• Comfortable utilizing Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and restaurant-related technology
• Demonstrated success creating a structured, positive kitchen environment with strong staff retention and consistent performance

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• Maintain established culinary, service, presentation, and quality standards while ensuring consistent execution during every service
• Lead daily kitchen operations, conduct pre-shift meetings and line checks, and ensure cooks and porters are fully prepared for service
• Partner with senior culinary leadership on menu development, recipe creation, costing, production standards, and overall culinary execution
• Manage weekly product ordering, inventory, food costs, labor, waste, and kitchen organization while maintaining appropriate product levels
• Train and develop new hires, supervise BOH staff, enforce NYC Department of Health requirements, and maintain a clean, safe, organized, and accountable kitchen environment