Sous Chef

Pluvio restaurant + rooms; Ucluelet; On-site; CAD 59,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical & dental

Daily family meal

Restaurant discounts

Room discounts

Longevity rewards

Team appreciation events

Winter closure

Housing available

Job summary

Pluvio restaurant + rooms in Ucluelet on Vancouver Island seeks a Sous Chef to lead our kitchen and mentor a dedicated team. You will help run day-to-day operations, uphold our high standards, and guide the seasonal tasting menu with Chef Warren Barr.

This role offers growth toward Chef de Cuisine as the restaurant continues to evolve. We value curiosity, creativity, and collaboration in a small, award-winning, from-scratch kitchen.

Qualifications

• Previous leadership in a high-level, from-scratch kitchen.
• Strong technical cooking skills with attention to detail.
• Curiosity, creativity, and commitment to continuous learning.
• Desire to mentor and support growth of others.
• Ability to lead by example and foster a positive team culture.

Responsibilities

• Work alongside Chef Warren Barr and leadership to evolve the seasonal tasting menu.
• Lead daily kitchen operations, ensuring consistency, quality and efficiency.
• Mentor the kitchen team and uphold professionalism and accountability.
• Assist with onboarding, training, scheduling, and ongoing team development.
• Own kitchen operations in the Chef's absence and maintain standards at all times.
• Manage ordering, inventory, supplier relationships, and food cost controls.
• Contribute to menu development, recipe testing, and seasonal planning.
• Lead by example with organization and hands-on involvement.
• Maintain top cleanliness, food safety, and kitchen organization.
• Collaborate with kitchen and front-of-house teams to wow guests.
• Bring your ideas, experience, creativity, and leadership to Pluvio's future.

Skills

Leadership experience in kitchen

Technical cooking skills

Mentoring others

Team leadership

Organization & time management

Calm under pressure

Attention to detail

Job description

Join our team: Sous Chef

Recognized as one of Canada's 100 Best Restaurants and named Canada's Best Destination Restaurant, Pluvio is an award-winning tasting menu only restaurant and boutique hotel, located in Ucluelet on the west coast of Vancouver Island.

Join our team: Sous Chef

Recognized as one of Canada's 100 Best Restaurants and named Canada's Best Destination Restaurant, Pluvio is an award-winning tasting menu only restaurant and boutique hotel, located in Ucluelet on the west coast of Vancouver Island.

Our intimate 26-seat restaurant serves a seasonal dinner-only tasting menu that celebrates exceptional Canadian ingredients, thoughtful hospitality, and genuine creativity. We make everything from scratch, work closely with local farmers, fishers and producers, forage throughout the region, and continually challenge ourselves to refine and evolve our guest experience.

Behind the restaurant, our four boutique hotel rooms and rooftop kitchen garden allow us to provide guests with a complete hospitality experience while creating a unique and inspiring place to work.

Our team is made up of passionate hospitality professionals who genuinely enjoy working together. We believe exceptional restaurants are built by people who feel supported, respected, and challenged. We work hard to maintain a positive workplace, a healthy work-life balance, and opportunities for professional growth. Along with competitive compensation, we offer extended health and dental benefits, annual education funding, a daily family meal, longevity rewards, restaurant and room discounts, and an annual winter closure.

What Joining Our Team Would Look Like

As Sous Chef, you will play a key leadership role within our kitchen. Working closely with Chef Warren Barr and the leadership team, you will help lead the day-to-day operation of our culinary program, mentor and develop the team, uphold our high standards, and ensure every service reflects the level of quality our guests have come to expect.

This is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on one of Canada's leading independent restaurants while working with some of the country's finest ingredients in an extraordinary setting.

For the right candidate, this position offers a clear pathway for growth into a future Chef de Cuisine role as Pluvio continues to evolve.

Our kitchen team works approximately 45 to 50 hours per week over four days. While the days are full, the schedule provides three days each week to enjoy everything the West Coast has to offer, whether that's surfing, fishing, hiking, foraging, or camping.

We're Looking For Someone Who Has

• A genuine passion for exceptional food and hospitality
• Previous leadership experience in a high-level, from-scratch kitchen
• Strong technical cooking skills and exceptional attention to detail
• Curiosity, creativity, and a commitment to continuous learning
• A desire to mentor, coach, and support the growth of others
• The ability to lead by example while fostering a positive and respectful team culture
• Excellent organization, communication, and time management skills
• The ability to remain calm, focused, and decisive during busy services
• A commitment to maintaining exceptionally high standards of cleanliness, organization, and professionalism while holding both yourself and your teammates accountable
• Confidence in taking direction, providing direction, adapting quickly, and solving problems as they arise

In This Role, You Will

• Work alongside Chef Warren Barr and the leadership team to execute and continually evolve our seasonal tasting menu
• Help lead the daily operation of the kitchen, ensuring consistency, quality, and efficiency
• Manage and mentor the kitchen team while fostering a culture of professionalism, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Assist with onboarding, training, scheduling, and ongoing team development
• Take ownership of kitchen operations in the Chef's absence, ensuring standards are maintained at all times
• Manage ordering, inventory, supplier relationships, product quality, and food cost controls
• Contribute creatively to menu development, recipe testing, seasonal planning, and the continual evolution of the guest experience
• Lead by example through professionalism, organization, and a hands-on approach
• Maintain the highest standards of cleanliness, food safety, and kitchen organization
• Collaborate closely with both the kitchen and front-of-house teams to deliver exceptional guest experiences
• Bring your own ideas, experience, creativity, and leadership to help shape the future of Pluvio

Compensation & Benefits

• Starting salary of $65,000 per year, based on approximately 10.5 months of work with a 1.5-month annual winter closure
• Annual 5% salary increase
• Tip pooling
• Extended medical and dental benefits
• Annual education fund
• Daily family meal
• Restaurant and room discounts
• Family room rates
• Longevity rewards
• Annual team appreciation events
• Annual winter closure (typically six weeks)
• Dinner service only
• A supportive, collaborative, and positive working environment
• Long-term housing available (private room in a shared home)

If you're passionate about thoughtful hospitality, ambitious cooking, and building something exceptional with a close-knit team, we'd love to hear from you.