Head Chef / Operations Lead: Premium Startup Growth & Daytime Hours

Job Description

Job Description

Chef de Cuisine / Head Chef: Lead Weekly Kitchen Operations with Daytime Hours

Location: El Segundo, CA (South Bay)

Schedule: Five-day work week | Approximately 38–40 hours per week | Predominantly daytime hours

Compensation: $38–$40/hour | Overtime paid when required | Formal compensation review after 90 days

Ready to leave behind the 50–60-hour salaried restaurant grind and late-night closes? Join a premium food startup redefining prepared dining. We are not a typical “box drop” meal service—we produce better-than-restaurant-quality food, comparable to Gjelina or Hatchet Hall, for a dedicated, high-retention clientele.

We are looking for a Chef de Cuisine / Head Chef to own our weekly kitchen operation. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who can take command of production, direct the team, maintain standards, and keep the kitchen organized and ready without waiting for the Founder to make every operational decision.

Why this is a compelling next step:

• Your First True Kitchen Leadership Role: This is an excellent opportunity for a strong, organized Sous Chef who is ready to step into a position with real authority and ownership. You will run the weekly operation and make confident day-to-day decisions while partnering directly with the Founder.
• Leadership Without the Late Nights: The position offers a five-day work week, approximately 38–40 hours, and predominantly daytime scheduling. You can take on meaningful kitchen leadership without the expectation of working 50–60 salaried hours every week.
• Elite Quality & Clean Eating: You will work with a globally inspired menu centered on clean eating and premium ingredients, including grass-fed and grass-finished beef, Lumina Farms lamb, and fresh farmers market produce—never repetitive “harvest bowls.”
• Culture Over Corporate: The kitchen is relaxed, fun, fast-moving, and standards-driven. We value leaders who stay agile, lead by example, communicate clearly, and thrive in a growing premium food business.

What you will own:

• Production Planning: Build and manage the weekly production plan, prep sheets, priorities, and workflow.
• Ordering & Organization: Own ordering, receiving readiness, inventory awareness, station organization, and overall kitchen preparedness.
• Staff Direction: Assign work, set expectations, keep the team moving, and provide confident hands-on leadership throughout production.
• Quality Control & Execution: Protect consistency, taste, technique, cleanliness, timing, and presentation across every production cycle.
• Packing Readiness: Ensure all food is complete, accurate, properly handled, and ready for an efficient packing process.
• Creative Partnership: The Founder will continue to lead creative direction, menus, recipe development, scaling, and major recipe adjustments. Your focus will be translating that direction into an organized, consistently executed weekly operation.
• Operational Authority: You will have the trust and authority to run the kitchen, solve problems, direct the team, and make routine production decisions independently.

What we are looking for:

• Experience: Strong Sous Chef or comparable kitchen leadership experience in a high-quality, high-volume environment such as fine dining, luxury hotels, premium prepared foods, or elite catering. You do not need to be an established Executive Chef.
• Mindset: Hungry to lead, highly organized, low ego, and eager to take genuine ownership. You should be comfortable directing personnel, making decisions, and working collaboratively with the Founder without needing constant oversight.
• Technical Chops: Proficiency in modern and classic techniques, with the ability to execute recipes consistently at volume. Experience with batch cooking, cold-item plating for sealing, and high-volume precision is a strong plus.
• Physicality: You are active, hands-on, and ready to lead from the front. You thrive in the physical demands and pace of a fast-moving production kitchen.

Compensation and growth:

• Competitive Hourly Pay: $38–$40/hour for approximately 38–40 hours per week, with overtime paid when required.
• Predominantly Daytime Schedule: A five-day work week designed to provide meaningful leadership responsibility without the routine late-night restaurant schedule.
• Defined Growth Path: A formal compensation review will take place after 90 days, with responsibilities and hours expected to grow as the company scales.

Ready to take command of a kitchen and step into your first true leadership role? Submit your résumé here or email andrew@haakerecruiting.com.