JOB DESCRIPTION: EXECUTIVE SOUS CHEF FOR ISLA RESTAURANT (WE SHALL HOSPITALITY)
POSITION SUMMARY:
Are you passionate about culinary mastery and eager to lead in a new, upscale dining environment? Isla, opening soon in Washington, D.C., is seeking a highly skilled and technically proficient Executive Sous Chef to join our culinary leadership team.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Assist the Chef De Cuisine in overseeing all kitchen operations
- Lead, mentor, and develop all culinary staff with technical training
- Ensure excellence in food quality, consistency, and presentation
- Manage inventory, ordering, and cost controls through Margin Edge
- Assist in refining and innovating menus based on culinary trends and seasonality
- Maintain high standards of sanitation, safety, and HACCP compliance
- Implement and uphold kitchen procedures, techniques, and standards
QUALIFICATIONS AND TECHNICAL SKILLS:
- Extensive experience as a Sous Chef or Executive Sous Chef in high-end, fine dining, or luxury culinary settings
- Deep knowledge in classical and modern cooking techniques, including but not limited to:
- Sous vide cooking with precise temperature control
- Fermentation for vegetables, dairy, and beverages (kimchi, yogurt, kombucha)
- Confit, poaching, and slow-roasting methods
- Smoking techniques with wood, pellet, or liquid smoke
- Molecular gastronomy techniques
- Plating and presentation techniques, such as transfer techniques, to achieve fine dining aesthetics
- Pastry arts, including pâte à choux, tempering, sugar work, chocolate handling, and laminated doughs
- Butchering of all types of meat, poultry, and seafood, including primal fabrication and portioning
- Vegetable fabrication skills, including tourne, brunoise, and julienne cuts
- Refined knowledge of flavor development, seasoning, and ingredient sourcing for optimal taste profiles
- Proficiency with advanced culinary equipment: immersion circulators, rotary evaporators, centrifuges, blow torches, immersion blenders, dehydrators, and rotary slicers
- Experience with modern kitchen management tools and POS systems (preferred experience can include Toast, Margin Edge, etc., but will take experience with comparable platforms)
- Knowledge of advanced sanitation practices and HACCP standards, ensuring compliance and safety
- Skilled in cost analysis, portion control, waste reduction, and inventory management software
- Ability to create and execute complex seasonal and special menus, balancing innovation with feasibility
- Expertise in developing training modules for technical skills, sanitation, and safety procedures
- Mastery of hot and cold kitchen execution, including garde manger and pastry stations
- Familiarity with sustainable, local sourcing practices, and ingredient procurement strategies
- Strong organizational, leadership, and multitasking skills to thrive under pressure
WHY JOIN US?
- Be part of an innovative restaurant launch with room for creative influence
- Collaborate with a top-tier culinary team
- Competitive salary, benefits, and opportunities for professional growth
- Play a key role in shaping Washington’s culinary landscape
If you are a culinary technical expert eager to lead with precision, creativity, and passion, we want to hear from you!
We are an Equal Employment Opportunity (“EEO”) Employer. We Shall Hospitality does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender, gender identity, pregnancy, marital status, partnership status, domestic violence victim status, sexual orientation, age, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, veteran or military status, disability, medical condition, genetic information, caregiver status, unemployment status or any other characteristic prohibited by federal, state and/or local laws.
This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including hiring, promotion, demotion, compensation, training, working conditions, transfer, job assignments, benefits, layoff, and termination.
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