Sous Chef

The President Hotel; Wes-Kaap; On-site; ZAR 700,000 - 1,100,000; Full time

Job summary

The President Hotel in Cape Town seeks an Experienced Executive Chef to lead a luxury kitchen, drive menu planning, maintain presentation standards and mentor a diverse culinary team.

Responsibilities include supervising daily operations, guiding staff, ensuring HACCP compliance, accurate costing, and waste control, while upholding brand standards and delivering exceptional dining experiences.

Qualifications

• Culinary degree or equivalent professional qualification.
• 5+ years in high-end or luxury kitchens.
• 2+ years in supervisory/management role.
• Experience in luxury or fine-dining establishments preferred.
• Strong knowledge of contemporary cooking techniques, sourcing and menu costing.
• Proven leadership, coaching and inspiration of a diverse kitchen team.
• Attention to flavour, presentation, portioning and consistency.
• Sound understanding of food safety, hygiene, HACCP and allergen management.
• Experience with inventory management, stock rotation, food costing and waste control.
• Strong organisational, communication and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to stay calm and decisive during high-pressure service.
• Creativity and innovation while upholding standards.

Responsibilities

• Supporting the Executive Chef with menu planning, recipe development and presentation standards.
• Supervising daily kitchen operations and maintaining consistent flavour, portion sizes and plating.
• Mentoring and training kitchen staff to strengthen skills and professional standards.
• Supporting staff scheduling, task allocation and efficient kitchen workflow.
• Implementing and monitoring standard procedures for recipes, preparation and presentation.
• Conducting regular tastings and quality checks.
• Maintaining HACCP, hygiene, sanitation and allergen-management standards.
• Inspecting kitchen, preparation and storage areas and ensuring ingredients are handled and stored correctly.
• Overseeing inventory, stock rotation and ingredient quality while minimising waste.
• Maintaining accurate stock and food-costing records.
• Taking ownership of kitchen performance and resolving operational issues proactively.
• Leading by example through professionalism, reliability and accountability.

Skills

Leadership

Menu costing

Food safety

HACCP

Allergen management

Inventory management

Food costing

Staff training

Communication

Problem-solving

Creativity

Brand standards

Quality control

Plating presentation

Education

Culinary degree or equivalent qualification

Job description

Minimum Requirements

• Culinary degree or equivalent professional qualification.
• Minimum 5 years' experience in high-end or luxury kitchens.
• At least 2 years' experience in a supervisory or management role.
• Experience within luxury or fine-dining establishments is preferred.
• Strong knowledge of contemporary cooking techniques, ingredient sourcing and menu costing.
• Proven ability to lead, coach and inspire a diverse kitchen team.
• Excellent attention to flavour, presentation, portioning and consistency.
• Sound understanding of food safety, hygiene, HACCP and allergen management.
• Experience with inventory management, stock rotation, food costing and waste control.
• Strong organisational, communication and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to remain calm and make sound decisions during high-pressure service.
• Creativity and innovation while maintaining established culinary and brand standards.

What You'll Be Doing

• Supporting the Executive Chef with menu planning, recipe development and presentation standards.
• Supervising daily kitchen operations and maintaining consistent flavour, portion sizes and plating.
• Mentoring and training kitchen staff to strengthen skills and professional standards.
• Supporting staff scheduling, task allocation and efficient kitchen workflow.
• Implementing and monitoring standard procedures for recipes, preparation and presentation.
• Conducting regular tastings and quality checks.
• Maintaining HACCP, hygiene, sanitation and allergen-management standards.
• Inspecting kitchen, preparation and storage areas and ensuring ingredients are handled and stored correctly.
• Overseeing inventory, stock rotation and ingredient quality while minimising waste.
• Maintaining accurate stock and food-costing records.
• Taking ownership of kitchen performance and resolving operational issues proactively.
• Leading by example through professionalism, reliability and accountability.

Why Join The President Hotel

Join Cape Town's Most Loved Hotel and be part of our journey toward luxury. Develop your culinary leadership alongside experienced chefs while helping shape a kitchen committed to creativity, consistency and exceptional dining experiences.

We offer a competitive salary, company contributions toward benefits, additional company perks and an outstanding team culture where you can contribute, grow and feel part of the team.