Head Chef @ Villa Copenhagen

Strawberryhotels; København; On-site; DKK 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension program with health insurance

4 free hotel nights per year withinThe

25% discount on food & beverages

Staff discounts and friends & family

Sweet deals on experiences, travels, &

Job summary

Villa Copenhagen seeks an experienced Head Chef to lead our main upstairs kitchen and oversee daily restaurant operations across Courtyard Bar, In-Room Dining, and Pool Bar & Terrace (Summer season). You will manage a team of 16, drive standards, food safety, and cost control, while collaborating with the Executive Chef for menus and concepts.

The ideal candidate has 8+ years in a 5-star or high-end kitchen, strong leadership, and fluent English.

Qualifications

• Trained Chef with 8+ years of experience in a 5-star hotel or high-end, fast-paced kitchen.
• Proven experience leading and developing a kitchen team, ideally as Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef.
• Strong planning and administrative skills, with confidence in scheduling, ordering, vendor communication, and cost follow-up.
• A practical, organized approach to service, standards, food safety, and kitchen routines.
• Fluent in English, both spoken and written.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of 16, creating a respectful, supportive, and performance-focused workplace.
• Take ownership of daily kitchen operations and lead service from preparation through close-down.
• Manage staffing and schedules in accordance with collective union agreements, while supporting recruitment, onboarding, and staff development.
• Handle kitchen administration, including ordering, stock control, supplier management, food cost monitoring, and administrative compliance.
• Collaborate with the Executive Chef on menu design, seasonal concepts, budgeting, operational routines, and continuous improvement.
• Coordinate closely with RUG, Bakery & Pastry, Breakfast, and Banquet operations to ensure smooth cross-departmental execution.

Skills

Kitchen leadership

Menu planning

Staff development

Cost control

English fluency

Job description

Want to be a part of a fantastic adventure?

Villa Copenhagen is a social scene in Copenhagen allowing the past, present and future to come together in an inspiring, playful and authentic ambiance.

We live by our values - Contrast - Playful - Local. These values form our daily lives at Villa Copenhagen as well as guide us towards our vision of being the best hotel FOR the world.

We are looking for an experienced Head Chef to lead our main upstairs kitchen and oversee the daily restaurant operations across the following outlets:

Courtyard Bar

In-Room Dining

Pool Bar & Terrace (Summer season)

You will take responsibility for the daily operation, the team’s development and the administrative work that keeps a busy kitchen running smoothly. You will lead a team of 16 colleagues and work closely with the Executive Chef and Director of F&B.

Skills & Qualifications Needed

Trained Chef with 8+ years of experience working in a 5-star hotel and/or high-end, fast-paced à la carte kitchen.

Proven experience leading and developing a kitchen team, ideally in a Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef role.

Strong planning and administrative skills, with confidence in scheduling, ordering, vendor communication, and cost follow-up.

A practical, organized approach to service, standards, food safety, and kitchen routines.

Fluent in English, both spoken and written.

Responsible, positive, and approachable leadership style, with deep respect for colleagues, ingredients, and the environment.

Strong knowledge of the Copenhagen culinary scene, with international experience considered a distinct advantage.

You identify with the following

You thrive in a high pressure and dynamic environment ensuring a consistently high level of productivity and operational standards paying particular attention to details. You are a true team player, approachable and have a can-do attitude. You are a Cosmopolitan spirit with a genuine love for Copenhagen and Mother Earth.

Responsibilities

Lead, coach, and develop a team of 16, creating a respectful, supportive, and performance-focused workplace.

Take ownership of daily kitchen operations and lead service from preparation through close-down.

Manage staffing and schedules in accordance with collective union agreements, while supporting recruitment, onboarding, and staff development.

Handle kitchen administration, including ordering, stock control, supplier management, food cost monitoring, and administrative compliance.

Collaborate with the Executive Chef on menu design, seasonal concepts, budgeting, operational routines, and continuous improvement.

Coordinate closely with RUG, Bakery & Pastry, Breakfast, and Banquet operations to ensure smooth cross-departmental execution.

What’s in it for you?

Pension program with health insurance

4 free hotel night stays per year within the Strawberry chain (contract higher than 20%)

25% discount on food & beverages at all our restaurants & bars

Staff discounts and friends & family rates at our 200+ hotels

Sweet deals on experiences, travels, retail and lots more!

The opportunity to grow and develop in an inspiring environment

Together with a team of dedicated and passionate people, you have the chance to put your very personal imprint and create a Villa Copenhagen that you - and we - are proud to be part of. A preferred place to work. We come from very different backgrounds and we love how that diversity positively influences our work

We hire attitude ….and train skills

A culture to cherish

Our people always make guests their top priority! Our warm and welcoming atmosphere creates the right setting for you to flourish and work your magic. You will get the freedom you need to perform your tasks and solve problems as they arise in the best way you see fit. A strong team spirit and family-feeling foster a culture of collaboration. And when there’s something to celebrate, we make sure to have some fun! In larger cities, we also regularly host after-work events to allow colleagues to mingle. How do we achieve all this you may wonder? We believe it’s down to the fact that we’re a diverse crowd full of energy, courage and enthusiasm. That’s how we create extraordinary experiences every single day!

Job security for peace of mind

When you work with us, we’ll take your whole life situation into consideration. We offer good job security through collective agreements and insurances, as well as paid parental leave, holiday leave, wellness allowance, attractive pension plans and competitive salaries. We’re there for you.

Room to grow

With more than 200 hotels across the Nordics, we offer you endless opportunities for career progression! Would you like to work full-time, part-time, a few hours here and there, or perhaps only a season? We have room for you, no matter where you’re at. We encourage creativity and curiosity, and we make every effort to foster a culture of learning for professional development. Ready to take your next career leap within the company? We applaud you and will help you achieve this! An academic degree isn't the most important thing for us. If you have the right mindset, we can certainly promise you a bright future!

Explore more

We encourage you to get out and explore all that life has to offer! So, we always give numerous discounts to you and your friends and family at our hotels, bars and restaurants. As part of Strawberry, you get four FREE nights at our hotels each year* To remind you just how important you are, we’ll always do our best to offer you an upgrade! And on top of that, we’ve also partnered with other companies to give you sweet deals on air travel, charter holidays, car rental and lots more.

*If you are employed on a contract for at least 20% of full-time working hours.

Our heart beats for the world around us. To meet global challenges, we support the transition to clean energy, and we recently opened the first zero‑energy hotel in the Nordics. We seek to use organic produce and have championed the elimination of unsustainable palm oil. We promote equal rights above all and are proud sponsors of Pride. Regardless of your ethnicity, gender, religious beliefs, disabilities or age - our doors are always open.

All over the Nordics & Baltics

Be it a vibrant city, a tranquil island or a charming little town in the mountains, you’ll probably find one of our hotels there.

The position is a full-time position, reporting to the Executive Chef.

To work at Villa Copenhagen, you need to either be a citizen of a Nordic country, a EU citizen or have a valid work permit.

For questions, please contact the Executive Chef at christoffer.oberg @villacph.com (no applications)

Interviews will be held throughout the application period.