Executive Sous Chef

The Executive Sous Chef is a pivotal culinary leadership role focused on the daily operational success of our public dining rooms, including our 100% scratch-kitchen restaurant and brewery. While the primary focus is on delivering an exceptional daily guest experience, this role also provides essential quality control support for our private events department. The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment, balancing culinary excellence on the line with the administrative precision required to manage labor, inventory, and cost reporting across our expansive estate.

Key Responsibilities

Public Dining Leadership & Culinary Excellence

• Daily Operations: Lead the Back of House (BOH) team during daily lunch and dinner service, ensuring every dish meets our high standards for quality, flavor, and presentation.
  
• Menu Innovation: Collaborate with the Executive Chef to develop seasonal daily specials and menu items that showcase our estate-grown produce and pair with our house-made wines and beers.
  
• Technical Mentorship: Train and mentor line cooks in advanced scratch-cooking techniques including butchering, brining, and baking ensuring the team s skills are constantly evolving.
  
• Catering Support: Provide leadership and execution support for private events (weddings, rehearsals, and corporate groups) and large-scale public festivals as needed, maintaining Newport Vineyards brand standards across all dining platforms.
  

Operations & Administrative Management

• Strategic Scheduling: Create and manage weekly labor schedules for the public dining BOH team, optimizing staff levels to meet guest demand while controlling labor costs.
  
• Inventory & Procurement: Oversight of daily food and dry goods inventory. Conduct weekly counts and place orders to ensure zero shortages, while maintaining accurate digital records for year-over-year cost reporting.
  
• Financial Oversight: Review and process weekly vendor invoices, ensuring all purchases are coded correctly and align with food cost targets and the department budget.
  

Venue Logistics & Quality Control

• Multi-Kitchen Oversight: Manage quality control and operational flow across all four onsite kitchens, ensuring consistency in food prep and execution regardless of the venue.
  
• Food Safety: Maintain a pristine kitchen environment, ensuring all staff strictly adhere to RIDOH regulations and internal safety protocols.
  
• Consistency: Maintain standardized recipe cards and prep lists to ensure continuity of flavor and portion control across the property.
  

Qualifications

• Experience: 3 5 years of culinary leadership experience in a high-volume, scratch-kitchen restaurant environment. Experience with banquets or catering is a plus.
  
• Administrative Skill: Proficiency in kitchen management software, Excel, and POS systems for tracking labor and inventory.
  
• Leadership: Proven ability to manage a diverse team under high-pressure, time-sensitive conditions.
  
• Passion for Farm-to-Table: A deep interest in seasonal New England ingredients and the "grape to glass" philosophy.
  
• Flexibility: Ability to work a schedule dictated by dining and event volume, including weekends, evenings, and holidays.
  

Core Competencies

• Attention to Detail: From the consistency of a sauce to the line items on an invoice.
  
• Problem Solving: The ability to pivot quickly when equipment or logistical challenges arise during service.
  
• Financial Literacy: Understanding how waste, labor, and portioning directly impact the vineyard s bottom line.