Executive Sous Chef

THE PIEDMONT CLUB; Spartanburg (SC); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The Piedmont Club seeks an experienced Executive Sous Chef to partner with the Executive Chef in leading and enhancing every aspect of the Club’s culinary program. This hands-on leadership role is well suited for a chef with strong banquet experience and a passion for developing people and teams.

The Executive Sous Chef will oversee banquet operations, support daily member dining, train culinary staff, and help implement standards and culture set by the Executive Chef in a dynamic private club

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of progressive culinary leadership experience, including senior roles such as Executive Sous Chef or Chef de Cuisine.
• HACCP certification – National or State approved.
• Private club, country club, luxury hotel, resort, or comparable hospitality experience preferred.
• Experience working with banquet operations and private club standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor the culinary team, fostering a collaborative and high-performing culture.
• Oversee banquet operations and ensure consistent food quality, presentation, and service.
• Partner with the Executive Chef to develop menus, standards, and cost controls.
• Maintain safety, sanitation, and staff training programs; manage labor and inventory.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Banquet operations

Education

Bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts or Hospitality Management

Tools

Jonas POS

Microsoft Excel

Job description

The Piedmont Club seeks an experienced, motivated Executive Sous Chef to partner with the Executive Chef in leading and enhancing every aspect of the Club’s culinary program. This hands‑on leadership role is well suited for a chef with strong banquet experience, excellent organizational and administrative skills, and a genuine passion for developing people and building high‑performing teams. The Executive Sous Chef will be instrumental in overseeing banquet operations, supporting daily member dining, training and mentoring culinary staff, and helping implement the systems, standards, and culture established by the Executive Chef. This role offers a meaningful opportunity for a culinary leader to help advance a dynamic private club culinary program while gaining exposure to all facets of culinary leadership.

ABOUT THE PIEDMONT CLUB AND THE COMMUNITY OF SPARTANBURG

Founded in 1941, The Piedmont Club proudly served the Spartanburg community for more than 80 years, maintaining a tradition of exceptional food, gracious service, and warm hospitality. Established to meet the needs of the area's growing business community, the Club has evolved through generations while remaining committed to providing an inviting gathering place for its members and guests. The Club is housed in the historic Montgomery House, an 1893 Queen Anne-style home rich in character and local history. Carefully restored to preserve its distinctive architectural details, the property provides a unique setting that blends timeless tradition with the Club's continued commitment to quality dining, service, and member experiences.

Spartanburg is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the country, with significant investment in its downtown, cultural amenities, recreation, and economic development. Located in the heart of the city's historic downtown, The Piedmont Club is well positioned within a community experiencing continued growth and revitalization. The region combines Southern hospitality, a lower cost of living, and an exceptional quality of life with convenient access to Greenville, Asheville, Charlotte, and Charleston. growing.

ABOUT THE EXECUTIVE CHEF

Executive Chef José Sánchez is an internationally acclaimed chef, author, educator, and culinary innovator recognized by Forbes as one of the 50 Most Creative Mexicans. A Mexican American chef with more than 20 years of experience, he has held executive culinary roles at leading luxury properties, including Conrad Tokyo, Conrad Abu Dhabi, Four Seasons Philadelphia, The Peninsula New York, and Mandarin Oriental Washington, D.C. A former Culinary Institute of America professor, Chef José blends classical culinary traditions with the precision and discipline of Japanese cuisine, emphasizing regional ingredients, local communities, and modern culinary techniques. He is the author of Molecular Gastronomy: Scientific Cuisine Demystified and is currently developing a second book on innovative plant-based cuisine.

EXECUTIVE SOUS CHEF POSITION OVERVIEW

The ideal candidate is an accomplished culinary professional who is confident in their abilities while remaining eager to learn and grow. They bring a genuine passion for food, hospitality, and continuous improvement, along with strong attention to detail and a commitment to excellence in both execution and leadership. This individual can work independently while also embracing the opportunity to collaborate closely with and learn from an accomplished Executive Chef. The role is especially well suited for someone seeking to transition into a future Executive Chef position while gaining a deeper understanding of private club standards and expectations.

KEY PRIORITIES FOR SUCCESS

LEADERSHIP

• Take full ownership of the culinary team; build trust with them by engaging, observing, learning, and listening to their wisdom, experience, and needs.
• Earn members’ trust by instilling confidence through continued enhanced operations, interaction, and visibility.
• Create a fun, collaborative work environment while being a fully hands‑on position, teaching and mentoring the line cooks and service professionals.
• Involve associates in the decision‑making process of how “work gets done” and create a work environment of mutual respect in which people want to come to and participate every day.
• Be a focused and consistent evaluator of personnel, ensuring that standards of conduct and delivery are met; this includes oversight of high standards of appearance, hospitality, service, and cleanliness of the kitchen facilities.
• Be an active and dynamic recruiter of team members and someone who inherently enjoys developing and building their team and leading them to significant, positive membership satisfaction outcomes.
• Work closely with the front‑of‑house food and beverage managers to ensure a cohesive experience that consistently exceeds the expectations of members and guests.
• Hold daily/weekly staff briefings and line‑ups with direct reports to keep them informed of necessary and relevant activities and expectations at the Club.

OPERATIONS

• Plan, organize, and run a busy seasonal operation, with multiple events happening at the same time in the clubhouse as well as à la carte dining.
• Develop and maintain standard recipes and techniques for food preparation and presentation that help to assure consistent, high quality and minimize food costs; exercise portion control for all items served and assist in establishing menu selling prices.
• Evaluate food products to ensure that the highest quality standards are consistently attained.
• Ensure that high standards of sanitation, cleanliness, and safety are always maintained throughout all kitchen areas. Establish controls to minimize food and supply waste and theft.
• Safeguard all food‑preparation employees by implementing training to increase their knowledge about safety, sanitation, and accident‑prevention principles.
• Maintain safety training programs; manage OSHA‑related aspects of kitchen safety and maintain MSDS’s in an easily accessible location.

MEMBERSHIP

• Be visible and engaged with membership when appropriate and supported by club leadership.
• Be responsive to members’ requests for menu selections, event planning, etc., and strive to find creative ways to accommodate reasonable requests. The Piedmont Clubs prides itself on having a “say yes” culture. All menu planning is approved by the Executive Chef.
• Drive consistent innovation, elevate, and build exciting food programs for members to enjoy.

FINANCIAL

• All financial decisions are made in partnership with the Executive Chef of the club.
• Clearly understand the metrics for successful attainment of financial goals and objectives in F&B operations and consistently review these expectations with their direct reports to ensure understanding and ‘buy‑in’ from those contributing to their attainment.
• Consistently monitor payroll and labor resource allocations to ensure they are in line with financial forecasting and goals. Produce variance reports for monthly financial statements.
• Embrace the use of systems (including regular inventory processes) and technology to assist in the management of the kitchen and the financial performance of the operation.
• Prepare necessary data for applicable parts of the budget; project annual food, labor, and other costs and monitor actual financial results; take corrective action as necessary to help ensure that financial goals are met.
• Review and approve product purchase specifications and maintain excellent vendor relationships.

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS

• Ideal candidate has been an Executive Chef in a restaurant or small club and wants to work for an award‑winning Executive Chef for growth and opportunities in the future.
• HACCP certification – National or State approved
• Private club, country club, luxury hotel, resort, or comparable hospitality experience preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive culinary leadership experience, including experience as an Executive Sous Chef, Chef de Cuisine, or comparable senior culinary leadership role.
• Based on the impressive resume of the Executive Chef, this is an ideal previous Executive Chef to continue their education in leadership cuisine and growth in total understanding of the Executive Chef role.
• Experienced with technology, including Jonas POS and Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, etc.

EDUCATIONAL AND CERTIFICATION QUALIFICATIONS

• Preferred to have a degree in Culinary Arts and/or other Hospitality Management focus.