Head Chef

Sodexo; Clondalkin; On-site; EUR 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Wellbeing platform

Employee Assistance Programme

24h virtual GP

Discounts scheme

Pension plan

Learning & development tools

Bike to Work scheme

Enhanced benefits & leave policies

Job summary

Sodexo is seeking an experienced Head Chef to lead our kitchen and back-of-house operation at our high-profile client site in Clondalkin, Dublin.

You will manage a team of 18 across kitchen and back-of-house, delivering high-quality food and hospitality while driving customer satisfaction and financial performance. This role demands strong leadership, innovation and strict compliance with standards.

Qualifications

• Senior chef with a proven track record in a senior kitchen or Head Chef role.
• Experience leading and developing a high-performing kitchen team.
• Excellent high-volume cooking and food production skills.
• Passion for fresh, quality food and culinary innovation.
• Experience developing food offers, promotions, theme days and new concepts.
• Strong commercial and financial awareness (P&L and cost control).
• Experience working in standards, compliance or regulated environments.
• Excellent communication, organisation and time-management skills.
• Ability to stay calm and effective under pressure.
• Strong customer and client focus.
• Experience delivering hospitality and functions to high standard.
• Relevant culinary qualifications and training.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the kitchen and back-of-house team, fostering a positive culture.
• Deliver consistently high-quality food across a high-volume operation.
• Develop innovative food offers, promotions and new products.
• Maximise food and beverage sales opportunities across the site.
• Manage food costs, labour costs, margins and other expenses to hit GP targets.
• Ensure compliance with health & safety, food hygiene, and client standards.
• Maintain excellent customer and client relationships and handle feedback.
• Oversee hospitality and events, including themed food occasions.
• Recruit, train, motivate and develop team members; conduct appraisals.
• Manage rotas, overtime, absence and related costs effectively.
• Ensure all documentation and systems are completed accurately and on time.
• Collaborate with Catering/Business Manager to achieve financial objectives.
• Represent Sodexo at client meetings and lead by example to improve offerings.

Skills

Kitchen leadership

High-volume cooking

Food innovation

P&L awareness

Cost control

Compliance & standards

Communication skills

Organisation & time management

Calm under pressure

Customer focus

Culinary qualifications

People development

Education

Culinary qualifications

Job description

The following content displays a map of the jobs location - Clondalkin, Dublin

Working Hours:

39

Location:

Clondalkin, Dublin

Closing Date:

25/09/2026

Job Category:

Head Chef

ROI Corporate Services

Job Introduction

Head Chef

Sodexo is seeking an experienced Head Chef to lead our kitchen and back-of-house operation at our high-profile client site at in Clondalkin.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a passionate and commercially minded chef who can combine high-quality food, team leadership, innovation and strong operational standards within a busy, high-volume catering environment.

You’ll lead a team of 10 kitchen and 8 back-of-house colleagues, supporting the delivery of a high-quality food and hospitality service while ensuring customer satisfaction, financial performance and compliance.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the kitchen and back-of-house team, creating a positive and collaborative team culture.
• Deliver consistently high-quality food across a high-volume operation.
• Develop innovative food offers, promotions and new products in line with market trends.
• Maximise food and beverage sales opportunities across the site.
• Manage food costs, labour costs, margins and other operational expenses to meet budget and GP targets.
• Ensure compliance with all health & safety, food hygiene, company and client standards.
• Maintain excellent customer and client relationships and respond positively to feedback and complaints.
• Oversee hospitality and event requirements, including regular themed food events.
• Recruit, train, motivate and develop team members, including performance reviews and appraisals.
• Manage rotas, overtime, absence and other employee-related costs effectively.
• Ensure all operational documentation and systems are completed accurately and on time.
• Work closely with the Catering/Business Manager and wider site team to achieve operational and financial objectives.
• Represent Sodexo at client meetings when required.
• Lead by example and continuously look for opportunities to improve the food offer and customer experience.

About You

We’re looking for an experienced senior chef who can demonstrate:

• A proven track record in a similar senior kitchen or Head Chef role.
• Strong experience leading and developing a high-performing kitchen team.
• Excellent high-volume cooking and food production skills.
• A genuine passion for fresh, quality food and culinary innovation.
• Experience developing food offers, promotions, theme days and new concepts.
• Strong commercial and financial awareness, including understanding of P&L and food/labour costs.
• Experience working within a standards, compliance or highly regulated environment.
• Excellent communication, organisation and time-management skills.
• The ability to remain calm and effective under pressure.
• Strong customer and client focus.
• Experience delivering hospitality and functions to a high standard.
• Relevant culinary qualifications and training.

Why Sodexo?:

Working with Sodexo is more than a job; it’s a chance to be part of something greater.

Belong in a company and team that values you for you.

Act with purpose and have an impact through your everyday actions.

Thrive in your own way.

We also offer a range of perks, rewards and benefits for our colleagues and their families:

• Unlimited access to an online platform offering wellbeing support
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme to help with everyday issues or life's larger problems, including legal and financial advice, support with work or personal issues impacting your wellbeing
• Access to a 24hr virtual GP Service
• Sodexo Discounts Scheme, offering great deals 24/7 across popular high street retailers (also open to friends and family)
• Save for your future by becoming a member of the Pension Plan
• Opportunities to enable colleagues to grow and succeed throughout their career at Sodexo, including a variety of learning and development tools
• Bike to Work Scheme to help colleagues to do their bit for the environment whilst keeping fit
• Sodexo UK and Irelands enhanced benefits and leave policies

A little more about Sodexo:

At Sodexo, our purpose is to create a better every day for everyone to build a better life for all.As the global leader in services that improve the Quality of Life, we operate in 55 countries, serving over 100million consumers each day through our unique combination of On-Site Food and FM Services, Benefits & Rewards Services and Personal & Home Services.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer. We are a forces friendly employer.We welcome and encourage applications from people with a diverse variety of experiences, backgrounds and identities.We encourage our employees to get involved with our Employee Networks such as Pride, Sodexo Parents & Carers, Sodexo Disability, Ability network, SoTogether, Generations and Origins.

We’re a Disability Confident Leader employer.We’re committed to changing attitudes towards disability, and making sure disabled people have the chance to fulfil their aspirations.We run a Disability Confident interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria for the job.

Sodexo reserves the right to close this advert early if we are in receipt of a high number of applications