Night Junior Sous Chef

Dakota Manchester Airport; Manchester; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discounts on stays and dining

Referral bonuses

Additional holiday on first work‑anniv

Meals on duty and uniforming

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Dakota Hotels is seeking a creative Night Junior Sous Chef to lead our Kitchen Team during night service in Manchester. The role requires leadership, strong communication, and a passion for quality food across menus including breakfast, room service, and events.

You will train junior chefs, ensure HACCP and hygiene standards, and work with front-of-house teams to maintain exceptional dining experiences. The role offers development and a culture of positivity.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years professional cooking experience in a high-calibre restaurant.
• Minimum of 3 years experience as Junior Sous or above.
• Willingness to work night shifts.
• Leadership and communication aligned with a positive, inclusive environment.
• Trained in food hygiene level 2+ and HACCP; allergen knowledge with full training provided.
• Passion for quality food and preparation.
• Hardworking and a team-player.
• Enthusiastic; promotes a positive culture.
• Detail-oriented with great pride in work.
• Flexible with shift patterns.
• Demonstrates genuine interest in our brand.

Responsibilities

• Be the dedicated Chef during night time service.
• Support breakfast operations and prep.
• Prepare and cook dishes according to Head Chef specifications for all menus.
• Lead effective communication within kitchen and front of house.
• Train junior Chefs and apprentices in an open environment of continuous improvement.
• Adhere to Health & Safety and Food Hygiene, write HACCP records and complete due diligence documentation.
• Continuously learn and improve as a professional Chef.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Team player

Hardworking

Enthusiastic

Flexible

Attention to detail

Brand awareness

Job description

We are seeking a creative Chef with strong leadership skills to join our Kitchen Team in the role of Night Junior Sous Chef.

PRIMARY ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Be the dedicated Chef during night time service.
• Support in breakfast operations and prep.
• Prepare and cook dishes according to the specification as set out by the Head Chef. This pertains to all menus including a la carte, room service, breakfast, bar food, bar snacks, events, and guest amenities.
• Be committed to working wholeheartedly as part of the team, effectively and positively communicating with all members of the kitchen and front of house team.
• Have a passion and display a willingness to train junior Chefs and apprentices in an open working environment of ongoing improvement.
• Strictly adhere to Health & Safety and Food Hygiene legislation following best practice at all times and leading the team to do so consistently. Where assigned, write HACCP’s and oversee the completion of due diligence documentation to maintain our high food audit scores.
• Display a willingness to continuously learn and improve your skills as a professional Chef.

APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS

The successful applicant will have/be:

• A minimum of 5 years professional cooking experience in restaurant of a high calibre.
• A minimum of 3 years experience as a Junior Sous or above.
• Be able and willing to work night shifts.
• Demonstrate effective leadership and communication skills which are in line with our positive and inclusive working environment.
• Trained and knowledgeable in food hygiene to level 2 or above, HACCP and allergens, although full training will be provided.
• Demonstrate a passion for quality food and preparation.
• Be hardworking and a team-player.
• An enthusiastic individual who will promote our culture of positivity.
• Be task oriented with a great pride for the work they do and attention to detail.
• Flexible with shift patterns and available around the needs of our business.
• Successful candidates must demonstrate having researched our brand and a genuine desire to be part of our team.

WHAT WE OFFER

In addition to being part of a culture infused with positivity and opportunity for ongoing development, tangible benefits you could enjoy when you join our team include:

FINANCIAL

• Special discounts on stays and dining at any Dakota
• Bonuses to recommend a friend to join our team and every time you are mentioned on Trip Advisor
• Additional holiday day on the first anniversary of your employment
• Meals on duty and uniforming

WELLBEING

• Access to our Employee Assistance Program which includes free private mental health support and counselling sessions, video GP consultations and private prescription services, as well as access to daily rewards to be cashed out for shopping vouchers
• Support from our inhouse Mental Health Champions
• Family-friendly flexible working options
• Participation in meaningful initiatives such as Macmillan Cancer Support Coffee Morning and the Walk for Wellbeing, Supporting causes that matter while connecting with colleagues

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

• Accredited, certified compliance training given on employment
• Access to a suite of external, certified resources via our Learning Management System
• Supportive continuous professional development culture with an annual appraisal and objectives, or a Personal Development Plan
• Opportunities to undertake both internal and external training courses, including potential for in-house Apprenticeships

Full terms on our benefits can be found in our Handbook.

ABOUT DAKOTA HOTELS

Dakota is a growing UK-based lifestyle brand, known for our stylish hotels, bustling brasserieGrillsand upscale cocktail Bars. Dakota’s story started with two boutique hotels on the outskirts of Edinburgh, in South Queensferry, and Glasgow, in Eurocentral. We have now expanded into prime city centre locations in Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, andNewcastlewith morein our pipeline.

Dakota is synonymous for delivering attentive and genuine guest service. We attract hard-working individuals who are passionate about working to the highest standards and have been voted within The Caterer’s Top 15 Best Employers in Hospitality for the last five years in a row. We were also featured within the Top 10 employers in the 2024 Sunday Times Best Places to Work in the UK, as well as being awarded the Spotlight Award for Best Places to Work for LGBTQIA+ employees.

As recent winners of The Cateys ‘People Team of the Year’,we have award-winning internal training programmes within Dakota Academy fostering continuous development and ongoing training. As a result, over 75% of our leaders have been promoted internally and, for four consecutive years, a member of our team has won a prestigious Acorn Award awarded byThe Caterer to the ‘Top 30 under 30’in the industry,demonstratingour success in developing talent.