Senior Sous Chef

COREcruitment Ltd; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

COREcruitment Ltd in Amsterdam is seeking an experienced Senior Sous Chef for a 4-star hotel. You will lead day-to-day kitchen operations, mentor a culinary team, and ensure exceptional quality across restaurant, banqueting, and in-room dining.

The role combines hands-on cooking excellence with people management, menu development input, cost control, and maintaining the highest standards of hygiene and presentation.

Qualifications

• Education/experience requirement: High school diploma or GED plus 6 years in culinary, food & beverage, or related area; or 2-year culinary/hospitality degree plus 4 years of experience.
• Proven expertise across kitchen craft: techniques, production, presentation, storage, sanitation, maintenance, purchasing/materials management.
• Basic computer literacy, numerical reasoning, clear written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Operational leadership: oversee daily kitchen operations and fill gaps as needed.
• Team development: mentor culinary professionals, set performance standards, coach staff.
• Quality and standards: monitor food quality, drive menu input, ensure FIFO and hygiene compliance.
• Financial acumen: contribute to budgeting, manage food costs, supplies, and equipment.
• Guest experience: gather feedback, handle complaints, empower team to exceed expectations.
• People management: conduct performance reviews and foster a culture of trust.

Job description

We are seeking an experienced and passionate culinary leader to take on a key role in one of our client's distinguished kitchen operations. Reporting to senior culinary management, the successful candidate will combine outstanding cooking craft with the ability to lead, develop, and inspire a professional kitchen team. This is a hands-on leadership position in which you will personally demonstrate your culinary expertise while guiding day-to-day operations across every food production area of the property — from the restaurant and bar/lounge to banqueting, in-room dining, and the employee cafeteria — while playing a central role in driving continuous improvement in guest and team satisfaction, maximizing financial performance, and guaranteeing that every dish leaving the kitchen meets the highest possible standards of quality, consistency, and presentation.

Key Responsibilities

• Operational leadership: Oversee day-to-day kitchen operations, stepping into any position confidently when needed and identifying the right people to fill gaps.
• Team development: Guide and mentor a team of culinary professionals — setting performance standards, coaching individuals, and building the next generation of talent in your section.
• Quality and standards: Monitor raw and cooked product quality, drive menu development input, oversee food presentation, and ensure full compliance with food handling, sanitation, and storage (FIFO) standards.
• Financial acumen: Contribute to the budgeting process, manage controllable expenses including food cost, supplies, and equipment, and champion sound business decision-making across the operation.
• Guest experience: Interact with guests to gather feedback, handle complaints with confidence, and empower your team to deliver service that goes above and beyond expectations.
• People management: Administer performance reviews and progressive discipline procedures fairly, use an "open door" approach to address team concerns, and foster a culture of mutual trust, respect, and collaboration.

Key Requirements

• Leads by example — confident, credible, and respected by both their team and their guests, with a global mindset, strong interpersonal and communication skills, and a track record of solving complex operational problems calmly and decisively.
• Education and experience — one of the following:
• High school diploma or GED plus 6 years of experience in culinary, food & beverage, or a related professional area; or
• A 2-year degree in Culinary Arts, Hotel & Restaurant Management, or a related major, plus 4 years of professional experience.
• Proven expertise across the full spectrum of kitchen craft: cooking techniques, food production and presentation, storage and rotation, sanitation and hygiene, kitchen maintenance, tools and equipment, and purchasing/materials management.
• Basic computer literacy, numerical reasoning, and clear written and verbal communication skills.

Job title: Senior Sous Chef – 4* hotel

Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands