Junior Sous Chef

Wild Dreams Hospitality; Gqeberha; On-site; ZAR 540,000 - 780,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Live-in position

Meals not included

Rotation cycle of 3 weeks on, 1 week–0

Job summary

Wild Dreams Hospitality seeks a hands-on culinary leader with a strong pastry background to guide a small brigade in a remote, live-in lodge setting. The role demands a five-star standard, mentoring a team and delivering pastry-led desserts to high-guest expectations.

You will manage daily kitchen operations, supervise cooks, enforce HACCP-like standards, and balance budgets while maintaining quality. Proficiency in English is essential, with a second language a plus; long hours and physical

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years in a culinary leadership role.
• Diploma/degree in Culinary Arts or completed apprenticeship.
• Proven ability to lead, train, and motivate a small kitchen team.
• Strong pastry skills and wide culinary range.
• Sound knowledge of food safety and hygiene standards (HACCP advantageous).
• Experience managing kitchen budgets, ordering, and waste.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office and ordering/recipe software.
• Fluent in English; second official language is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Support the Lodge Manager and Head Chef in daily kitchen operations.
• Supervise the kitchen team to produce high-quality dishes to standard recipes.
• Prepare and oversee pastry and dessert production.
• Ensure kitchen readiness before every service.
• Train, coach, and develop chefs; maintain development plans and reviews.
• Roster and coordinate kitchen staff.
• Enforce food safety and hygiene; keep records current.
• Monitor storage, temperatures, and cleanliness of production areas.
• Help manage budgets, procurement, and waste without compromising quality.
• Handle special guest requests and dietary needs.
• Report on kitchen performance and contribute to improvements.
• Maintain and flag maintenance needs for kitchen equipment.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Pastry skills

5+ years experience

Lead, train, motivate team

Budgeting, ordering, waste

Food safety knowledge

Microsoft Office / ordering software

Calm under pressure

Stamina for long hours

English fluency

Education

Diploma/degree in Culinary Arts

Commercial cookery apprenticeship

Tools

MS Office

Electronic ordering

Recipe management software

Job description

The ideal candidate is a hands-on culinary leader with a strong pastry background, able to guide a small brigade and keep standards consistent in a remote, live-in lodge setting.

Core Criteria:

• Minimum 5 years' experience in a culinary leadership role
• Proven experience in a luxury five-star lodge, hotel, or cruise line environment
• Strong pastry skills
• Diploma or degree in Culinary Arts, or a completed commercial cookery apprenticeship
• Proven ability to lead, train, and motivate a small kitchen team
• Wide culinary range, including ethnic dishes and special dietary requirements
• Sound knowledge of food safety and hygiene standards (HACCP or equivalent advantageous)
• Experience managing kitchen budgets, ordering, and waste control
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, electronic ordering, and recipe management software
• Fluent in English, with a second official language an advantage
• Calm, adaptable, and able to deliver under pressure
• Impeccable grooming and a polished, gracious manner
• Physically fit, with the stamina for long hours in a demanding kitchen

Core Responsibilities:

• Support the Lodge Manager and Head Chef in running daily kitchen and stewarding operations
• Supervise and guide the kitchen team to produce consistent, high-quality dishes to standard recipes
• Prepare and oversee pastry and dessert production
• Ensure the kitchen is fully prepared before every service
• Train, coach, and develop chefs de partie and commis chefs, and keep development plans and reviews up to date
• Roster and coordinate kitchen staff
• Enforce food safety, hygiene, health, and safety standards, and keep all kitchen records current
• Monitor food storage, temperatures, and cleanliness of all production areas and equipment
• Help manage kitchen budgets, ordering, and operating costs while reducing waste without compromising quality
• Handle special guest requests and dietary needs with care
• Report on kitchen performance and contribute to ongoing improvements
• Look after kitchen equipment and flag maintenance needs

On Offer:

• Live-in position
• Meals not included
• Rotation cycle of 3 weeks on, 1 week off