Executive Sous Chef - Luxury Hotel Culinary Leader

Fairmont New Orleans; New Orleans (LA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Fairmont New Orleans is seeking an Executive Chef to lead the culinary operations for a luxury downtown property. You will guide the culinary team, drive menu engineering, control costs and ensure exceptional guest experiences across all outlets.

Reporting to the Executive Chef, you will champion brand standards, safety, and collaboration with other departments to deliver memorable dining experiences in a premier hotel setting.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive culinary leadership in luxury hotel or high-volume kitchen.
• Proven ability to lead with influence, foster trust and accountability.
• Experience recruiting, mentoring and retaining top culinary talent.
• Strategic and operational expertise in labor management and food cost control.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic culinary leadership in partnership with the Executive Chef and lead operations in absence of the Executive Chef.
• Develop and inspire a high-performing culinary brigade through recruitment, onboarding, coaching and performance management.
• Oversee food and labor costs, budgeting, forecasting, yield analysis, inventory, procurement (Birchstreet), scheduling (Watson LMS), and waste reduction.
• Ensure exceptional culinary execution, menu engineering, costed recipes, daily QA and adherence to quality and dietary standards.
• Uphold Fairmont brand standards and health, safety, sanitation and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate across Food & Beverage and other departments to deliver guest experiences and drive innovation.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Recruitment & mentoring

Operational excellence

Food cost control

Labor management

Strategic planning

Team development

Tools

Birchstreet

Watson LMS

Job description

Fairmont New Orleans is seeking an Executive Chef to lead the culinary operations for a luxury downtown property. You will guide the culinary team, drive menu engineering, control costs and ensure exceptional guest experiences across all outlets.

Reporting to the Executive Chef, you will champion brand standards, safety, and collaboration with other departments to deliver memorable dining experiences in a premier hotel setting.