Job overview
Division/Department: Kitchen / Culinary Operations
Location: Lagos
Working hours: 8 am-5 pm
Reports to: Executive Chef / Head Chef
Type of position: Full-time
Job purpose
The Sous Chef is the second-in-command of the kitchen and supports the Executive Chef in leading daily culinary operations. The role organises food production, supervises kitchen employees, protects recipe and presentation standards, controls food cost and waste, and ensures that every dish is prepared safely, consistently and on time. The Sous Chef assumes operational leadership of the kitchen when the Executive Chef is absent.
Responsibilities
- Ensure consistent food quality, taste, portioning, presentation and service timing across all outlets and events.
- Coordinate daily mise en place and production so the kitchen is prepared for forecast business levels.
- Maintain rigorous food safety, hygiene, allergen and workplace-safety standards.
- Develop kitchen employees through structured instruction, coaching and performance feedback.
- Control food cost, stock usage, yields, waste and labour productivity.
- Support menu development and continuous improvement while protecting operational practicality and profitability.
Culinary production and service
- Plan and coordinate daily preparation and production using forecasts, reservations, banquet event orders and outlet requirements.
- Inspect ingredients, mise en place, cooking, seasoning, portioning and plating before and during service.
- Lead pass operations or assigned sections, coordinate ticket flow and ensure dishes leave the kitchen at the correct temperature and presentation standard.
- Prepare or supervise complex menu items and provide hands-on support during peak periods.
- Ensure approved recipes, specifications, portion sizes and presentation guides are followed consistently.
Kitchen leadership and workforce deployment
- Conduct pre-shift briefings, allocate stations and communicate menus, expected covers, VIPs, allergens and special requests.
- Prepare or support fair rosters that match skills and staffing levels to forecast demand.
- Supervise attendance, grooming, conduct, productivity and teamwork; address performance concerns promptly.
- Train culinary employees in cooking methods, knife skills, equipment use, recipes, hygiene and safe working practices.
- Assume full operational responsibility for the kitchen in the Executive Chef's absence and provide an accurate handover.
Food safety, hygiene and compliance
- Apply HACCP or the organisation's food-safety system, including receiving, storage, thawing, preparation, cooking, cooling, reheating and holding controls.
- Verify temperature logs, cleaning schedules, date labels, stock rotation and segregation of raw, cooked and allergen-sensitive items.
- Prevent cross-contamination and ensure allergen requests are verified, communicated and handled through approved procedures.
- Inspect kitchen cleanliness, personal hygiene, pest risks, waste handling and equipment safety throughout the shift.
- Report incidents, unsafe conditions, suspected foodborne illness and equipment defects immediately and support corrective action.
Cost, stock and waste control
- Check the quality, quantity and specification of food received and report shortages or non-conforming items.
- Apply FIFO/FEFO stock rotation, secure high-value items and participate in inventory counts.
- Monitor yields, trimming, portioning, spoilage, overproduction, staff meals and returned dishes; document and reduce avoidable waste.
- Support recipe costing, menu engineering, purchasing specifications and food-cost analysis.
- Control overtime and deploy employees efficiently without compromising safety or service quality.
Menu and quality development
- Support menu planning, tastings, seasonal changes, specials and banquet menus.
- Test recipes for flavour, consistency, yield, production time, equipment needs, allergen content and commercial viability.
- Maintain recipe cards, plating guides and production procedures.
- Review guest feedback, returned meals and quality issues; identify root causes and implement improvements.
- Stay informed about culinary techniques, ingredients, dietary trends and sustainable kitchen practices relevant to the operation.
Requirements
- Diploma, Higher National Diploma or degree in Culinary Arts, Professional Cookery, Hospitality Management or a related discipline. A recognised culinary apprenticeship may be accepted where supported by substantial relevant experience.
- Formal training in food hygiene, allergen management, HACCP, occupational health and safety, and supervisory management is preferred.
- Typically 4-7 years' progressive professional kitchen experience, including at least 2 years as Chef de Partie, Junior Sous Chef or Sous Chef. Experience in hotels, restaurants, clubs, catering operations or high-volume banqueting is preferred.
- Demonstrated competence in multiple sections, menu production, modern and classical cooking methods, portion control, presentation and kitchen organisation.
- Ability to use Microsoft Office and kitchen-related purchasing, recipe-costing, inventory, point-of-sale or scheduling systems.