Executive Sous Chef

About Dragonne

Dragonne is a contemporary New York bistro opening at 13 Barrow Street, in the heart of the West Village. Rooted in classical French technique, layered with subtle Asian influence, and shaped by a distinctly New York sensibility, the restaurant is designed to feel elegant yet deeply warm — grounded in hospitality, restraint, energy, and precision.

The food is seasonal and ingredient-driven, offered through a concise, focused à la carte menu designed to be shared. Seafood and vegetables anchor the menu, while exceptional meats appear thoughtfully and seasonally. The beverage program centers around wines from both classic benchmarks and thoughtful, low-intervention producers, select sake offerings, timeless cocktails rooted in classic structure and subtly reinterpreted through seasonality, and an evolving by-the-glass program designed to move naturally with the menu and the rhythm of the room.

The 61-seat dining room — 53 seats in the main room and 8 at the bar — is anchored by an open kitchen and intentionally scaled to feel intimate yet energetic. Dragonne will launch as a dinner-only experience Tuesday through Saturday, with measured expansion to seven-day service and brunch over time.

We are seeking an Executive Sous Chef to join the opening leadership team and help lead the kitchen alongside the Chef de Cuisine, supporting the culinary vision of the restaurant from the ground up.

About the Role

The Executive Sous Chef will support the Chef de Cuisine in overseeing the daily operations of the kitchen, ensuring consistent execution of a concise, focused à la carte menu — seasonal, ingredient-driven, and rooted in classical French technique with subtle Asian influence. This role requires a balance of technical precision, operational discipline, and genuine leadership.

The ideal candidate is a strong second-in-command who can reinforce systems and structure in the kitchen without losing warmth or humanity in the room. We are looking for someone who leads with humility, composure, professionalism, and curiosity — someone capable of supporting a high-performing kitchen team while helping create food that feels refined, seasonal, and deeply personal.

This position will work closely with the Chef de Cuisine and ownership to help build the opening kitchen team, reinforce culinary standards, support kitchen financial performance, and shape a dining experience that feels polished, collaborative, and emotionally resonant.

Responsibilities

Culinary Leadership & Kitchen Operations

• Support the Chef de Cuisine in overseeing all kitchen operations with consistency, precision, and care.
• Ensure the execution of all dishes meets quality, plating, and consistency standards.
• Actively lead from the line in an open kitchen, stepping in wherever needed to support the team.
• Maintain composure and clear communication in a fast-paced kitchen that is visible to guests throughout service.
• Support a seamless relationship between the kitchen, dining room, and bar.

Menu Development & Execution

• Assist in the development and refinement of seasonal, ingredient-driven menus.
• Help translate recipes into consistent, scalable kitchen systems and prep lists.
• Support sourcing and quality control of seafood, vegetables, and exceptional seasonal meats from local purveyors and the market.
• Contribute to recipe costing, portioning, and waste management.
• Help ensure dishes evolve naturally with the seasons and the rhythm of the menu.

Hiring, Training & Team Development

• Support the recruiting, hiring, training, and development of the kitchen team.
• Help establish and reinforce kitchen systems, stations, and standards.
• Mentor cooks and support their growth and development.
• Assist in leading staff education through tastings and training sessions.
• Help build a collaborative, disciplined, and highly engaged kitchen culture.

Operations & Financial Performance

• Support scheduling, labor management, and daily kitchen flow in partnership with the Chef de Cuisine.
• Help maintain SOPs for food safety, prep, receiving, and kitchen organization.
• Support inventory management, ordering, and food cost controls.
• Assist with budgeting and forecasting for the kitchen.
• Help prepare the kitchen for inspections, licensing, and opening requirements.

Qualifications

• Genuine passion for cuisine, seasonality, and hospitality.
• Strong leadership presence grounded in humility, discipline, and professionalism.
• Ability to support, mentor, and help retain a highly engaged kitchen team.
• Strong technical skill in French technique with an appreciation for Asian cuisine.
• Solid understanding of seafood and vegetable-driven cooking.
• Strong organizational skills, including food costing and inventory awareness.
• Calm, organized, and solutions-oriented under pressure.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• High-quality NYC restaurant experience is strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting restaurant openings preferred.
• Minimum 3-5 years of kitchen leadership experience preferred.
• Availability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as required.

What We're Building

Dragonne is intended to feel timeless, intimate, and alive — a restaurant grounded in rigor without feeling rigid. We care deeply about atmosphere, rhythm, music, materiality, and emotional warmth just as much as technical execution.

This is an opportunity to join the opening leadership team of a chef-driven restaurant at a foundational stage and help shape its culture from the beginning.

Position Details

• Full-time
• Tuesday through Saturday schedule to start
• Dinner service only at opening
• Competitive compensation based on experience
• Opportunities for growth within the company

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation: Competitive compensation based on experience.