Sous Chef – Polished Casual Scratch Kitchen | Newark, DE JN -102026-182306

Goodwin Recruiting; Newark (DE); On-site; USD 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, &

Life Insurance

401(k) with discretionary companymatch

Job summary

Goodwin Recruiting is seeking a hands-on Sous Chef for a fast-paced scratch kitchen in Newark, DE. You will partner with the Executive Chef to drive daily BOH operations, mentor staff, and uphold top food quality while scaling leadership development within a growing organization.

Ideal candidates have 2+ years of culinary management in high-volume settings, with scratch kitchen experience and hands-on butchering skills. FOH/BOH leadership and a track record of cost control are highly valued.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of culinary management experience in a high-volume, full-service restaurant.
• Scratch kitchen experience required.
• Experience leading FOH and BOH operations.
• Hands-on butchering experience required.
• Experience working in restaurants generating around $4 million+ annual sales preferred.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the Executive Chef to oversee all back-of-house operations.
• Lead daily food production and ensure consistent recipe execution.
• Coach, mentor, and develop hourly culinary team members.
• Maintain exceptional food quality, cleanliness, and sanitation standards.
• Assist with scheduling, inventory management, purchasing, and vendor relationships.
• Help manage food cost, labor cost, and kitchen productivity; participate in hiring, onboarding, training, coaching, and retaining BOH staff.
• Perform and supervise butchering and portion control while maintaining brand quality standards.
• Lead kitchen operations in the Executive Chef's absence.
• Partner with restaurant leadership to deliver an outstanding guest experience.

Skills

Culinary management

FOH/BOH leadership

Butchering experience

High-volume service

Tools

Corporate restaurant systems

Job description

Sous Chef – Award-Winning Scratch Kitchen | Newark, DE
Lead the Kitchen. Develop Great People. Grow Your Career.
We're partnering with an award-winning, polished-casual restaurant group to find an exceptional Sous Chef for one of its high-volume scratch kitchen restaurants. This opportunity is ideal for a hands-on culinary leader who enjoys leading from the front, coaching kitchen teams, and delivering exceptional food quality in a fast-paced scratch kitchen. You'll partner closely with the Executive Chef to oversee daily back-of-house operations while preparing to advance into an Executive Chef role. The client wants a Sous Chef who also has experience leading FOH teams.
This organization has built a reputation for scratch cooking, wood-fired cuisine, outstanding hospitality, and promoting talented leaders from within. If you're looking for more than your next Sous Chef position—and instead want to build a long-term career with a stable, growing company—we'd welcome the opportunity to speak with you.

Compensation & Benefits

• Base salary is based on experience, typically in the range of $55,000 to $65,000
• Uncapped profit-sharing bonus with annual earning potential of approximately $7,000–$12,000+
• Paid every four weeks
• Three weeks of paid time off
• Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, and Life Insurance
• 401(k) with discretionary company match after one year
• Structured 10-week management training program
• Leadership development and advancement opportunities
• Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day
• Early closure on Christmas Eve

What You'll Do

• Partner with the Executive Chef to oversee all back-of-house operations.
• Lead daily food production and ensure consistent recipe execution.
• Coach, mentor, and develop hourly culinary team members.
• Maintain exceptional food quality, cleanliness, and sanitation standards.
• Assist with scheduling, inventory management, purchasing, and vendor relationships.
• Help manage food cost, labor cost, and kitchen productivity.Participate in hiring, onboarding, training, coaching, and retaining high-performing BOH team members.
• Perform and supervise butchering and portion control while maintaining brand quality standards.
• Lead kitchen operations during the Executive Chef's absence.
• Partner with restaurant leadership to deliver an outstanding guest experience.

What We're Looking For

• Two or more years of culinary management experience in a high-volume, full-service restaurant.
• Scratch kitchen experience required.
• Experience with leading FOH operations as well as BOH
• Hands-on butchering experience required.
• Experience working within corporate restaurant systems.
• Experience working in restaurants generating approximately $4 million or more in annual sales is preferred.
• Strong understanding of food cost, labor management, inventory, purchasing, and kitchen operations.
• Proven ability to coach, develop, and retain kitchen team members.
• Stable employment history with demonstrated career progression.
• Polished casual, upscale casual, or high-volume full-service restaurant experience strongly preferred.

Why You'll Love This Opportunity

• Clear career path to Executive Chef.
• Work for a company that promotes from within.
• Join an established, financially stable restaurant group.
• Be part of a people-first culture focused on leadership development.
• Lead alongside a collaborative management team committed to operational excellence and hospitality.