Sous Chef

Job Summary

The Sous Chef , working closely with the Executive Chef, is responsible for setting, meeting, and exceeding the culinary, operational, and financial goals of the business. This role oversees all areas of kitchen operations with a strong business mindset, including ownership of food and labor cost performance. The Sous Chef leads and develops Line Cooks, Prep Cooks, and Porters, ensuring operational excellence, consistency, and long-term team growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Meet or exceed budget expectations in partnership with the executive management team, with direct responsibility for food and labor cost performance

• Manage kitchen staffing, scheduling, and prep planning to ensure labor efficiency while maintaining quality and service standards

• Oversee food costing, inventory controls, purchasing, waste management, and portion control systems

• Collaborate with the management team on all culinary aspects of restaurant operations

• Create, develop, and document recipes in detail to support consistency, training, and scalability

• Recruit, train, manage, and retain members of the culinary team

• Ensure all kitchen areas meet or exceed regulatory, health, and safety standards

• Increase productivity and foster positive communication across departments

• Continually innovate, refine, and update culinary programming to maintain the restaurant’s competitive position

• Ensure all culinary team members are continuously trained and developed to the highest standards

• Strengthen relationships between the culinary team, front-of-house partners, and the broader community

• Maintain knowledge of and adherence to all applicable laws, company policies, and procedures

Qualifications

• Extensive knowledge and hands-on experience with Chinese cuisine

• Previous experience as a Sous Chef or Chef de Cuisine

• Proven experience managing food and labor cost controls in a high-volume kitchen

• Strong financial and analytical skills, including budgeting, forecasting, and cost optimization

• Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and empower a diverse culinary team

• Mandarin Chinese language proficiency is a strong plus