Executive Sous Chef - FT- Chelsea Hotel - Toronto

As Canada's largest hotel with 1,590 guest rooms, and the friendliest Hotel in Toronto, the Chelsea Hotel, Toronto, is centrally located and just steps from the city's best shopping districts, world-class theatres, vibrant nightlife, and exciting attractions. A full-service urban resort, the Chelsea Hotel has room types to suit everyone, and the hotel offers different dining options, separate adult and family recreation areas and pools – including the "Corkscrew" - downtown Toronto's only indoor waterslide. As a premier family destination, the hotel offers a full range of services including the Family Fun Zone, Kid Centre and Club 33 Teen Lounge. The Chelsea Hotel, Toronto is an independent property as part of the Langham Hospitality Group’s international portfolio of hotels and resorts. The Chelsea is proud to be honoured with the Accessible Tourism Award with the Travel Industry Association of Ontario and the Humanitarian Award with the Hotel Association of Canada.

 

• Lead all culinary operations for the new restaurant concept — from menu development and recipe creation to daily execution and guest experience.
• Collaborate closely with the Executive Chef and senior leadership team to define and deliver the restaurant’s culinary identity and opening strategy.
• Oversee large-scale banquet and event production, ensuring seamless quality and consistency across multiple outlets and service styles.
• Inspire, train, and mentor a diverse culinary team, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and professional growth.
• Manage kitchen operations, including scheduling, purchasing, inventory control, food costing, and labour optimization.
• Uphold the highest standards of food quality, presentation, safety, and sanitation.
• Partner with front-of-house teams to elevate the guest experience and ensure flawless service integration.
• Drive innovation through menu refreshes, seasonal offerings, and trend-forward culinary techniques that reflect a modern Canadian sensibility.
• Support strategic initiatives, cost management, and profitability goals across both restaurant and banquet operations.
• Prepares weekly schedules, assigns and supervises the work of the staff and conducts annual reviews
• Supervises training and cross training of assigned culinary personnel for phases of food preparation.
• Ensures safe working environment.
• Ensures compliance with all departmental policies as well as with Hotel rules, regulations and policies.
• Directs all food preparation, in accordance with Corporate and Hotel food standards of quality, quality control, taste and presentation.
• Ensures compliance with Health, Hygiene and Safety Regulations
• Attends meetings to ensure coordination of activities.
• Ensures that assigned areas are kept clean, stocked and well maintained. Works with maintenance department to ensure that all working equipment is in good, safe working order.
• Complies with Hotel policies and procedures
• Performs other tasks as assigned by Management

Key Result Areas

Business

• Achieve targeted food cost, labour cost, and profitability goals across restaurant and banquet operations.
• Support the successful launch and sustained performance of the new restaurant concept, meeting or exceeding revenue and cover targets.
• Maintain accurate forecasting, purchasing, and inventory systems to ensure efficiency and minimal waste.
• Contribute to the financial planning process through data-driven decisions, menu engineering, and cost control initiatives.
• Build and retain a high-performing culinary team through effective leadership, development, and succession planning.
• Utilizes the “Leading the Langham Way” model/process for effective team management.

Customer Satisfaction

• Deliver a consistent, exceptional culinary experience that reflects the restaurant’s concept and the brand’s standards.
• Maintain top-tier guest satisfaction scores across restaurant and event dining experiences.
• Respond promptly and effectively to guest feedback, using insights to continuously elevate food quality and presentation.
• Collaborate with front-of-house leadership to ensure seamless service, alignment, and memorable guest interactions.
• Champion culinary storytelling — connecting local ingredients, sustainability, and seasonal flavours to the guest experience.
• Ensures satisfaction of guest requests for special foods.
• Directs and participates in Public Relations and Marketing programs and events, when required.

Process Improvement/ Productivity

• Continuously evaluate and refine kitchen workflows to improve efficiency, consistency, and communication.
• Implement and enforce food safety, sanitation, and HACCP best practices across all culinary areas.
• Drive innovation through menu development, new techniques, and trend-forward culinary initiatives.
• Leverage technology and reporting tools to streamline operations, improve accountability, and enhance team performance.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement — encouraging feedback, collaboration, and creative problem-solving across the culinary team.

Academic and Working Qualifications

Working Experience

• Must have a minimum of ten years' experience in a high standard, large-scale operation with least five years in a supervisory capacity.

Knowledge

• Completion of Leadership Training, Train the Trainer or similar supervisory training would be an asset.

Education 

• Post-secondary education or equivalent in experience.
• Valid Food Handlers certification
• Red Seal or equivalent required

Soft Skills

• Must be self-motivated and possess excellent teamwork and communication skills.
• Must be highly resourceful and innovative, detailed oriented, quality conscious and aware of contemporary trends in presentation and preparation.

Language

• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate effectively in English (written & verbal).

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand for up to 8 hours per shift
• Perform such tasks as: bending, storing, kneeling, carrying, moving and pushing goods up to 50lb
• Ability to work with small and sensitive equipment (knives) requiring fine finger dexterity.