Executive Sous Chef (All Genders)

HelloFresh; Verden (OK); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Growth & Development

Discounts on Factor boxes

Competitive salary

30 days vacation

Well-being initiatives

Mobility support (future)

Company pension scheme (future)

Job summary

HelloFresh is seeking an Executive Sous Chef to lead a fast-paced, high-volume kitchen. You will bridge shifts, uphold quality, safety, and efficiency, and shape the culture and capability of the culinary team.

You will mentor Area Managers, drive KPI insights, manage shifts, maintain GMPs, and push culinary excellence through data-driven decisions while fostering continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Experience leading kitchen teams in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
• Strong understanding of kitchen operations, shift management, and cross-functional coordination.
• Comfortable working with performance data, identifying trends, and translating metrics into actions.
• Proven ability to mentor supervisors and team leads and grow talent.
• Solid knowledge of GMP standards, food hygiene protocols, and compliance.
• Excellent written and verbal communication across teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead, inspire, and hold accountable a high-performing kitchen team with clear expectations and a culture of excellence.
• Provide mentorship and strategic oversight to Area Managers and support operational decision-making.
• Act as central pivot between shifts, ensuring smooth handovers and continuous production.
• Monitor KPIs across productivity, quality, and customer satisfaction to drive improvements.
• Uphold GMPs and food safety standards and maintain a spotless, compliant kitchen.

Skills

Kitchen leadership

Operational management

KPI fluency

People development

Food safety knowledge

Communication & collaboration

Adaptability & resilience

Job description

Your role

As Executive Sous Chef, you will play a central leadership role in our kitchen operations — not just managing day-to-day execution, but shaping the culture, capability, and performance of the entire culinary team. You will act as the critical bridge between shifts, ensuring that production cycles run seamlessly and that our standards for quality, safety, and efficiency are met consistently.

• This role is available for a 24‑month contract (extension possible).
• Please submit your resume in ENGLISH.

Your area of responsibility

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, inspire, and hold accountable a high‑performing kitchen team, setting clear expectations and fostering a culture of excellence, ownership, and continuous improvement
• Provide direct mentorship and strategic oversight to Area Managers, strengthening their operational decision‑making and leadership capabilities
• Guide Area Managers through performance management processes, HR alignment, and the effective escalation of critical operational risks

Shift & Operational Management

• Act as the central pivot between shifts, orchestrating handovers that guarantee continuity, consistency, and alignment across production cycles
• Implement and maintain a structured shift handover process, ensuring no gaps in communication, staffing, or output between teams
• Oversee cross‑shift collaboration, proactively identifying and resolving bottlenecks before they impact production

Performance & Data-Driven Decision Making

• Monitor and analyze KPIs across productivity, quality, and customer satisfaction — using data insights to drive operational improvements
• Make informed, timely decisions that optimize kitchen efficiency and elevate culinary outcomes
• Track resource utilization and ensure responsible, cost‑conscious management of kitchen operations

Food Safety & Standards

• Uphold and enforce all food hygiene protocols and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) without exception
• Maintain a kitchen environment that meets the highest standards of cleanliness, compliance, and safety at all times

Culinary Excellence

• Champion precision and consistency in food preparation, ensuring every product meets established quality benchmarks
• Foster a culture of innovation, encouraging the team to bring creative thinking to process improvements and culinary execution

Your profile

• Culinary leadership experience: A solid track record of leading kitchen teams in a fast‑paced, high‑volume environment, with the ability to manage both people and production simultaneously
• Operational expertise: Deep understanding of kitchen operations, shift management, and cross‑functional coordination — you know how to keep things moving even when challenges arise
• KPI fluency: Comfortable working with performance data, identifying trends, and translating metrics into actionable improvements for the team
• People development skills: Experience mentoring supervisors and team leads, with a genuine commitment to growing the people around you
• Food safety knowledge: Thorough, practical understanding of GMP standards, food hygiene protocols, and compliance requirements
• Communication & collaboration: Clear, direct communicator who builds trust across teams, conveys expectations effectively, and creates an environment where feedback flows both ways
• Adaptability & resilience: Calm and decisive under pressure, able to pivot quickly when operational demands shift without losing sight of quality or safety standards

What we offer you

• Growth & Development: Internal training opportunities plus a yearly Learning & Development budget
• Food & Lifestyle: Discounts on Factor_-boxes
• Compensation & Vacation: Competitive salary and 30 days of vacation
• Health & Well-being: Access to well‑being initiatives, with discounted fitness offers currently being rolled out
• Future Benefits: We’re working on introducing additional perks, including mobility support and a company pension scheme, to give our team even more flexibility and security

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