Executive Sous Chef

Reitmr; San Juan (PR); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Sonesta International Hotels is seeking an Executive Sous Chef to lead the banquet kitchen, supervise chefs, and ensure high-quality, consistently presented cuisine across all events. This role emphasizes strong leadership, cost control, and collaboration with the FOH team to deliver exceptional guest experiences.

The ideal candidate will have a culinary degree, ServSafe certification, and a track record of managing diverse teams in a fast-paced hotel kitchen, including evenings, weekends, and

Qualifications

• Track record of delivering exceptional guest or client experience.
• Knowledgeable and dexterous using all manner of complex kitchen equipment.
• Expert skills and experience planning, designing, and preparing meals.
• Communication skills are utilized a significant amount of time for training and safety purposes, and when interacting with guests and associates.
• Strong communication skills (Effective and clear communicator).
• Excellent time management and organizational skills.
• Proven leadership and creative abilities inside the kitchen.
• Appropriate professional appearance and demeanor.
• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
• Must be available to work nights, week-ends and holidays as needed.
• Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form

Responsibilities

• Supervise a diverse culinary staff to produce consistently superior cuisine.
• Plan and organize production, purchasing and scheduling.
• Maintain strong communication and teamwork with the FOH team.
• Establish professional demeanor and standards for the outlet.
• Delegate responsibility to utilize the strengths of the culinary team.
• Perform administrative tasks as assigned by the Executive Chef.
• Demonstrate mastery of cooking techniques: sauté, braise, poach, grill, fry, steam.
• Create innovative dishes and plate presentations using seasonal ingredients.
• Work quickly to meet deadlines and demands of business.
• Train staff on all menu items.
• Monitor food and labor costs in all outlets.
• Attend staff meetings and maintain a clean safe work environment.
• Maintain compliance with health department rules and regulations.
• Keep informed of banquet counts and event orders.

Skills

Staff supervision

Kitchen equipment knowledge

Menu planning

Guest service focus

Communication skills

Time management

Leadership

Education

Culinary degree

ServSafe certification

Job description

We're People People. Are you?

We're Sonesta International Hotels-the 8th largest hotel company in the U.S. (and growing fast).

With a dynamic mix of full-service and focused hotels across major cities, our diverse portfolio of owned, managed, and franchised properties means we're everywhere our guests need us to be.

But here's the thing-we're not just in the business of hotels, we're in the business of people. We bring service with passion, loyalty with purpose, and create experiences that genuinely connect-delivering quality, value, and memorable stays across 1,000+ properties in eight countries (and counting).

What this role is all about

The Executive Sous Chef follows and maintains the standard procedures for all banquet functions. Supervision of Banquet Kitchen. Ordering for functions, maintaining food cost and inventory. Maintain quality, presentation and consistency of food.

What you'll be doing

• Supervise a staff of chefs and cooks of diverse backgrounds and training to produce consistently superior cuisine
• Plan and organize production, purchasing and scheduling
• Maintain a strong positive relationship with the FOH team to ensure strong communication and teamwork throughout the entire F&B team
• Establish professional demeanor and standards of the management team for the outlet
• Delegate responsibility effectively to use the strengths of the entire culinary team
• Perform administrative tasks as assigned by the Executive Chef
• Demonstrate a thorough mastery of all cooking techniques: sauté, braise, poach, grill, fry, steam, etc.
• Create innovative dishes and plate presentations using seasonal and regional ingredients.
• Work quickly and efficiently to meet deadlines and demands of business
• Check staffing, uniforms, daily production sheets, etc
• Check production for all meal periods to ensure consistency
• Train staff on all menu items
• Demonstrate responsibility for food and labor costs in all outlets
• Hold and attend regular staff meetings
• Maintain a clean and safe work environment, following rules and regulations of the local health department
• Keep informed of guarantee and count for all banquet food functions and events on property.
• Check all event order sheets, breakfast, lunch, dinner, receptions and special events scheduled.
• Attend BEO, staff, pre shift, F&B meetings and any other meeting assigned by Executive Chef.
• Perform and assist with schedules, events and needs of other chefs within the property.

Deliver Passionate & Engaging Service to our Guests

You will be passionate and truly engaged in taking care of our guests, recognizing individual guests and anticipating their unique needs in order to exceed their expectations. You will consistently deliver our GUEST model: G reet or welcome everyone, warmly with a smile. Use eye and ear contact and guest's name. Establish/anticipate needs. Solve and own all requests/complaints. Thank everyone.

Build solid relationship with your Colleagues

Treat colleagues with respect and dignity.

Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned. The employee is expected to work in other areas of the hotel when needed to assist operations to perform job duties not necessarily contained in this job description.

Qualifications and Skills

• Track record of delivering exceptional guest or client experience
• Knowledgeable and dexterous using all manner of complex kitchen equipment.
• Expert skills and experience planning, designing, and preparing meals.
• Communication skills are utilized a significant amount of time for training and safety purposes, and when interacting with guests and associates.
• Strong communication skills (Effective and clear communicator).
• Excellent time management and organizational skills.
• Proven leadership and creative abilities inside the kitchen.
• Appropriate professional appearance and demeanor
• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence
• Must be available to work nights, week-ends and holidays as needed.
• Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form

Education and/or Experience

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Three years' experience performing a supervisory or management role in Culinary.
• Culinary degree or relative experience
• ServSafe certification.