Executive Sous Chef - Boston Seaport

The Role

The Executive Sous Chef serves as the bridge between the Chef de Cuisine and the kitchen team, translating culinary vision into daily execution. Reporting directly to the Chef de Cuisine, this role owns the day-to-day rhythm of kitchen operations—leading line cooks, maintaining uncompromising food quality standards, and developing the Sous Chef and kitchen staff into a high-performing team. The Executive Sous Chef steps fully into leadership in the CDC's absence and is a critical voice in menu development, cost management, and operational excellence. This is a role for a seasoned culinary professional ready to grow into a Chef de Cuisine.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead by example with top-tier professionalism and culinary excellence on every shift.
• Assist the Chef de Cuisine in overseeing all BOH operations, stepping in as acting CDC when needed.
• Execute and enforce food quality, consistency, and plating standards across all stations.
• Drive kitchen efficiency through proper prep organization, station setup, and line management.
• Support BOH hiring, onboarding, and ongoing training of Sous Chefs and line staff.
• Maintain labor, food cost, and waste to meet budget objectives alongside the CDC.
• Enforce company policies, health codes, and sanitation standards at all times.
• Embody Sally's Apizza culture and champion the brand's culinary identity.
• Kitchen Operations: Manage all kitchen activities during service, ensuring smooth and efficient execution. Conduct daily line checks, monitor prep procedures, and hold the team to company standards. Oversee holding, storage, stocking, and food rotation to ensure freshness and safety. Supervise and maintain all cooking equipment—keeping everything clean and in working order. Support seamless menu transitions and rollouts with the CDC and Leadership Team. Ensure food presentation and plating reflect the highest standards and are executed on time. Identify operational gaps and proactively recommend solutions to the CDC.
• Staff Development & Leadership: Mentor and develop the Sous Chef and line kitchen staff, building a culture of growth and accountability. Conduct on-the-floor coaching, training sessions, and follow-up to ensure skill development. Support performance conversations and contribute input to reviews and development plans. Foster open communication between BOH staff and management. Lead pre-shift meetings and tastings to align the team on standards and priorities. Serve as a positive culture carrier—hard-working, fair, and passionate about the craft.
• Financial & Compliance: Assist in controlling food costs, labor scheduling, and inventory management. Execute BOH training checklists, compliance programs, and health inspection readiness. Support accurate ordering and receiving processes in partnership with the CDC. Apply practical costing knowledge to minimize waste and maximize kitchen profitability.

ROLE COMPETENCIES

• Technical: Expert-level prep, knife skills, and cooking technique across multiple station types. Proficient in Microsoft Office and POS systems (Brink preferred). Working knowledge of supply chain management and third-party vendor relationships.
• Attention to Detail: Maintains a thorough and disciplined approach to all culinary and operational tasks.
• Leadership & Functional Expertise: Ability to lead a kitchen team confidently in the CDC's absence. Applies operational, financial, and HR knowledge to everyday management decisions.
• Organizational Awareness: Understands how kitchen decisions impact front-of-house experience, staffing, and brand reputation.
• Communication: Gives clear, direct instruction and listens actively to both guests and team members. Communicates effectively with all levels of management, staff, and external vendors.
• Financial Awareness: Understands food and labor cost drivers and actively works to optimize both. Comfortable reading basic financial reports and communicating cost implications.
• Integrity: Models ethical behavior and holds the team to the same standard—visible or not.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Language: English required. Basic Spanish preferred but not required.
• Experience: Minimum 5–7 years of progressive culinary experience, with at least 2 years in a supervisory kitchen role. Demonstrated success as a Sous Chef or Senior Sous Chef in a high-volume environment. Comprehensive understanding of restaurant kitchen operations from prep through service. Strong knowledge of food safety, sanitation, and health code compliance. Experience with food and labor cost management.
• Education: High school diploma or GED required; formal culinary training or associate degree in culinary arts preferred.
• Certifications: ServeSafe Certified required.
• Work Environment: This is a hands-on position—90% of your week is spent actively running kitchen and food operations. Must be able to work on your feet for up to 10 hours per shift. Must be available to work days, nights, weekends, and holidays. Must be able to lift up to 50 lbs. and perform repetitive physical tasks including bending, standing, and stooping. Professional communication skills required—clear instruction, active listening.

DETAILS

Sally’s Apizza will provide a $4,000 sign on bonus paid in quarterly installments of $1,000 each following the successful completion of the employee’s first 90 days of employment. To remain eligible for each bonus installment, the employee must be actively employed and in good standing with Sally's Apizza at the time of payout.

- Full Time, In-Person, Day, Evening & Weekend availability