Direct-hire recruiting
The executive sous chef runs the kitchen day to day, leads the line, covers for the executive chef and is often the next executive chef. The role combines service execution with responsibility for the team and the numbers.
We work as sous chef recruiters and culinary recruiters for resorts, boutique hotels, full-service restaurant groups and private clubs. We place executive sous chefs and above, not hourly line or sous chef positions.
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What to look for
They organize service and support the cooks without losing control of the kitchen.
They maintain recipes, standards and timing across shifts.
They track waste, ordering and the cost of the food they serve.
They teach stations, coach performance and develop the team.
They can explain how they would take on executive chef responsibility.
For employers
Define the kitchen's volume, outlets and reporting line before you recruit. Match the executive sous chef to the service they will run and the executive chef responsibility they may grow into.
An executive sous chef leads daily kitchen service, trains cooks and covers for the executive chef.
We recruit employed managers at comparable properties through direct outreach, screen each one against your brief, and send you a short list of vetted candidates. You pay nothing until you hire. Our fee is 18% of first-year base salary, with a $9,000 minimum, and every placement carries a six-month (180-day) replacement guarantee. See how much hospitality recruiters charge to compare. Terms apply.
We place executive sous chefs and above, not hourly line or sous chef positions.
Related reading: Executive chef salary · How much do hospitality recruiters charge? · 2026 hospitality manager salary guide
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Compensation
Payscale's Executive Sous Chef data, updated June 2026, reports average base pay of $70,855 and annual bonuses of $501–$12,000. That average base is about $5,905 a month. See our executive chef salary guide for the next role.
See every role in our salary guide.
Our process
One dedicated recruiter learns your outlets, volume, team and reporting structure. We approach employed executive sous chefs and strong sous chefs ready for the executive sous seat at comparable operations.
Every finalist is screened for operating skill and a real reason to move. We coordinate your interviews and working tasting, and offer confidential searches when the seat is still filled.
Every placement is a permanent, direct hire on your payroll. You pay a contingency fee only if you hire our candidate, and every placement carries our six-month replacement guarantee. Terms apply.
Many of our searches are confidential and never posted. Send your résumé and we'll reach out when a role fits.
Send Your ResumeFAQ
Ready to hire?
Tell us about the role. A recruiter will call you within one business day.
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Hiring Strategy
Define the kitchen they'll lead, pay against real market data, and test both the cooking and the numbers before you make an offer. This is how to hire a chef for your restaurant without separating the food from the operating responsibility.
Market Insights
What executive chefs earn in 2026, how venue and state change pay, and what to offer or ask for.
Hiring Strategy
The labels overlap. The useful distinction is how candidates are found, who employs them and how the engagement is billed.
