Sous Chef - Bar Sprezzatura

Makeready; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO exchange

Medical/dental/vision

Maternity/Paternity leave

Pet insurance

401k matching

Job summary

Bar Sprezzatura, located in the Heathman Hotel, is seeking a hands-on Sous Chef to lead daily kitchen operations, assist the Executive Chef, and mentor line cooks to sustain excellence in food quality, safety, and presentation. This role balances execution with leadership while helping manage inventory, labor, and training.

The ideal candidate is a detail-oriented culinary leader who upholds restaurant standards, mentors junior staff, and drives a culture of professionalism, collaboration, and

Qualifications

• Minimum of 2 years' experience in a fine dining high volume kitchen, with at least 1 year in a leadership role.
• Knowledge of safety and hygiene protocols.
• Working knowledge of HR practices and labor laws.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily kitchen operations and mentor line cooks to ensure consistency in food quality, safety, and presentation.
• Assist the Executive Chef and manage inventory and labor; drive training and staff development.
• Collaborate with HR and Chef to maintain policies, standards, and an inclusive, high-performance kitchen culture.

Skills

Communication

Organization

Hospitality

Staff development

Job description

Inspired by the casual elegance of Italy, Bar Sprezzatura is a unique escape into Italian culture and cuisine. Located in the historic Heathman Hotel, Bar Sprezzatura is a bustling lunch spot by day and aperitivo and cicchetti bar at night. Whether enjoying a bustling meal, an aperitivo, or savory snacks, guests are transported to a world where timeless traditions meet the vibrant, sun-kissed charm of coastal Italy.

About the Role

The Sous Chef at Bar Sprezzatura plays a vital leadership role in daily kitchen operations, supporting the Executive Chef and mentoring line cooks to deliver excellence at every service. With strong technical skills, a focus on organization, and a collaborative spirit, the Sous Chef ensures consistency in food quality, safety, and presentation while helping manage inventory, labor, and training. This role is hands-on in the kitchen, balancing execution with leadership to elevate both guest experiences and team performance.

Our Ideal candidate is

A detail oriented culinary leader who will operate the kitchen on a daily basis with professionalism, respect, efficiency, knowledge and awareness. You will understand the philosophy of the Chef and adhere to all restaurant policies. You will mentor and lead junior staff members and uphold restaurant standards and cleanliness.

Our ideal candidate will supervise and coordinate the planning, training, and leadership necessary to achieve stated objectives in sales, costs, employee retention, guest service and satisfaction, food quality, cleanliness and sanitation. You will work with the Chef and HR to develop an atmosphere that embraces diversity, education, and discipline and lead execution of service and staff development using a variety of management tools, including line checks, mentorship, and performance management.

What you bring to the table

• Personal Attributes
  • Exceptional communication and organizational skills
  • Gracious spirit of hospitality
  • Intellectual curiosity and emotional maturity
  • Continually strive to develop staff in all areas of food education
  • Ability to work clean, organized, and lead a team
• Professional Attributes
  • Advanced knowledge of kitchen fundamentals (knife skills, butchery, sauces, fabrication, all kitchen stations)
  • Knowledge of financial reporting and ability to analyze data
  • Have a strong eye towards development both personal and for your team
  • Desire to teach and mentor both your staff and culinary interns

Requested Capabilities

• minimum of 2 years' experience in a fine dining high volume kitchen, with at least 1 years in a leadership role
• Knowledge of safety and hygiene protocols
• Working knowledge of HR practices and labor laws
• Ability to frequently lift up to 40 poundsHave the stamina to work in excess of 50 hours per week
• Spanish language skills a plus

As part of the Makeready collection, we proudly offer a variety of thoughtful benefits and perks for eligible team members including accommodating PTO/PTO exchange, medical/dental/vision benefits, maternity/paternity leave, pet insurance, company-matched dependent care & 401k, student loan repayment program and a wide range of additional ancillary benefits. The health, happiness and well-being of our team is our top priority.

We take pride in our Guiding Principles to help define how we successfully work together. We follow them not out of duty but live by them instinctively.

Makeready LLC and its affiliated entities are proud to encourage and support an environment where everyone can be a successful team member as their true independent self. We are an equal opportunity workplace and employer that does not discriminate based on race, color, disability, gender/sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, veteran status, or any other protected status. We are committed to building a team and a workplace where we are all able to be successful based solely on our individual qualifications, experience, abilities and job performance.