Head Chef

Head Chef

Location: North Wall Quay, Dublin
Contract: Full-Time, Permanent
Salary: €53,000 - €63,000 per annum plus Sodexo benefits

We are looking for an experienced Head Chef to lead a high-performing kitchen operation, delivering exceptional food experiences, outstanding hospitality, and operational excellence within a prestigious corporate setting.

This is an exciting opportunity for a talented culinary professional who combines creativity, leadership, and strong financial management skills with a genuine passion for food and customer service.

What You'll Be Doing

Culinary & Operational Leadership

• Lead the day-to-day kitchen operation, ensuring exceptional food quality, presentation, and service delivery.
• Deliver catering and hospitality services in line with agreed service standards, KPIs, and client expectations.
• Develop innovative and seasonal menus that enhance the customer experience.
• Maintain the highest standards of food preparation, production, presentation, and service.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, motivate, and develop a team of chefs and kitchen staff.
• Conduct daily team briefings and foster a positive, collaborative working environment.
• Support training, coaching, and continuous professional development within the team.
• Promote a culture of accountability, engagement, and excellence.

Financial & Commercial Management

• Manage food costs, labour budgets, and kitchen expenditure to achieve financial targets.
• Ensure all dishes and menus are accurately costed to deliver strong gross profit margins.
• Monitor stock levels, purchasing, and supplier performance.
• Identify opportunities to grow revenue and enhance the overall catering offer.

Client & Hospitality Excellence

• Build strong relationships with clients and key stakeholders.
• Deliver outstanding hospitality services for senior leadership meetings, events, and corporate functions.
• Respond proactively to customer feedback and continuously improve service delivery.
• Support business development opportunities and innovative food concepts.

Compliance & Safety

• Ensure full compliance with food safety, hygiene, health & safety, and company policies.
• Maintain all relevant documentation, audits, and compliance records.
• Conduct regular equipment, safety, and operational checks.
• Champion best practices across all aspects of the catering operation.

What We're Looking For

We're seeking a Head Chef who brings:

• Proven experience leading a kitchen team within corporate dining, hospitality, contract catering, or a high-volume foodservice environment.
• Strong culinary skills with a passion for innovation, quality, and customer experience.
• Experience delivering hospitality services for senior clients and corporate events.
• Excellent leadership and people management skills.
• Strong commercial awareness with experience managing food costs, labour budgets, and profitability.
• Knowledge of food safety legislation, HACCP principles, and health & safety compliance.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• A proactive, organised, and solution-focused approach.

Qualifications

• Professional Chef Qualification (City & Guilds 706/1 & 706/2 or equivalent).
• Food Safety/HACCP certification.
• CIEH Training desirable.
• Manual Handling certification desirable.
• Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office.

Why Sodexo?:

Working with Sodexo is more than a job; it’s a chance to be part of something greater.

Belong in a company and team that values you for you.

Act with purpose and have an impact through your everyday actions.

Thrive in your own way.

We also offer a range of perks, rewards and benefits for our colleagues and their families:

• Unlimited access to an online platform offering wellbeing support
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme to help with everyday issues or life's larger problems, including legal and financial advice, support with work or personal issues impacting your wellbeing
• Access to a 24hr virtual GP Service
• Sodexo Discounts Scheme, offering great deals 24/7 across popular high street retailers (also open to friends and family)
• Save for your future by becoming a member of the Pension Plan
• Opportunities to enable colleagues to grow and succeed throughout their career at Sodexo, including a variety of learning and development tools
• Bike to Work Scheme to help colleagues to do their bit for the environment whilst keeping fit
• Sodexo UK and Irelands enhanced benefits and leave policies

A little more about Sodexo:

At Sodexo, our purpose is to create a better every day for everyone to build a better life for all.As the global leader in services that improve the Quality of Life, we operate in 55 countries, serving over 100million consumers each day through our unique combination of On-Site Food and FM Services, Benefits & Rewards Services and Personal & Home Services.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer. We are a forces friendly employer.We welcome and encourage applications from people with a diverse variety of experiences, backgrounds and identities.We encourage our employees to get involved with our Employee Networks such as Pride, Sodexo Parents & Carers, Sodexo Disability, Ability network, SoTogether, Generations and Origins.

We’re a Disability Confident Leader employer.We’re committed to changing attitudes towards disability, and making sure disabled people have the chance to fulfil their aspirations.We run a Disability Confident interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria for the job.

Click here to read more about what we do to promote an inclusive culture.

Sodexo reserves the right to close this advert early if we are in receipt of a high number of applications