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About the Role

Seeking an accomplished Sous Chef to lead the culinary vision within a luxury private residence, blending hands-on excellence with strategic leadership. This role involves overseeing a small team, delivering refined dining experiences for the Principal, family, and guests, and collaborating with the Executive Chef to establish standards and drive innovation. The position requires a balance of culinary mastery, emotional intelligence, operational discipline, and leadership in an intimate, high-expectation environment.

Responsibilities

• Maintain strict confidentiality regarding employer, family, guests, operations, and assets.
• Respect employer, Principal, family, and guest privacy at all times.
• Provide exemplary service and exercise good judgment professionally and courteously.
• Demonstrate flexibility and a hands-on approach, stepping in operationally as needed.
• Triage issues and service requests in real time with composure and a solution-oriented mindset.
• Collaborate with the family office, estate teams, and external providers on logistics, protocols, and operational requirements.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable regulations, food safety standards, and relevant requirements.
• Uphold the highest standards of professionalism, decorum, and etiquette.
• Assist, mentor, and develop a team of Private Chefs across multiple residences.
• Establish culinary standards, systems, and expectations with the Executive Chef for consistency and excellence.
• Provide coaching, performance feedback, and hands-on training to support skill development.
• Coordinate scheduling and coverage across properties and travel requirements.
• Foster a collaborative, respectful, and high-performing kitchen culture.
• Support hiring, onboarding, scheduling, and workforce planning for culinary roles.
• Act as the primary escalation point for culinary operations and service matters.
• Build and maintain strong professional relationships with residential and family office teams.
• Provide functional leadership and culinary direction to the culinary team.
• Develop and steward the culinary vision, including menu design, programming, and special dining experiences.
• Prepare and oversee daily meals, snacks, and special dining experiences to an uncompromising standard.
• Lead the planning and execution of private events, from intimate dinners to large-scale gatherings.
• Design and execute menus for business meetings, gatherings, and other professional entertaining activities.
• Maintain an evolving household recipe archive and detailed menu history.
• Stay current with culinary trends, techniques, and ingredients, introducing innovation.
• Support off-site culinary needs, including private aviation, marine, and travel meal preparation.
• Identify, vet, and manage relationships with catering companies, private chefs, and hospitality vendors.
• Serve as the culinary lead when working alongside external teams, ensuring standards and confidentiality are maintained.
• Negotiate vendor contracts and oversee culinary elements of event production.
• Build and maintain a trusted network of specialty food purveyors, sommeliers, and hospitality professionals.
• Establish beverage standards and documentation for consistency across properties.
• Oversee the wine and beverage program, including cellar management, inventory, procurement, and pairing recommendations.
• Develop thoughtful beverage programs suited to varying contexts.
• Collaborate with external sommeliers or consultants as needed.
• Oversee all food procurement across properties, building and maintaining relationships with providers.
• Oversee kitchen inventory across all locations, ensuring spaces are stocked, organized, and maintained.
• Develop and manage culinary budgets across properties; track spending and ensure compliance.
• Ensure all culinary equipment is properly operated, maintained, and serviced.
• Implement and uphold rigorous food safety, allergen management, and sanitation standards.
• Develop a deep understanding of the Principal’s and family’s culinary preferences, dietary needs, and rhythms.
• Anticipate needs proactively, preparing thoughtful options and accommodating last-minute changes.
• Deliver hospitality that is warm, consistent, intuitive, and discreet.
• Engage professionally with guests, demonstrating impeccable etiquette and situational awareness.
• Maintain appropriate boundaries while building a relationship grounded in trust, reliability, and genuine care.

Requirements

• Proven progressive culinary experience, including formal training and tenure at fine-dining establishments.
• Demonstrated experience in a private household, estate, or UHNW environment with direct management of culinary staff across multiple locations.
• Proven ability to execute across a wide range of dining contexts, from family meals to large-scale private events.
• Experience working with and managing external catering vendors and event hospitality teams.
• A well-rounded and diverse culinary repertoire spanning multiple cuisines, dietary philosophies, and service formats.
• Deep expertise in wine, spirits, and beverage programs, including pairing, cellar management, and business entertaining contexts.
• Proven leadership ability – a calm, confident, and inspiring presence.
• Strong financial acumen; experience managing culinary budgets, vendor contracts, and multi-property procurement.
• Exceptional organizational and time management skills with the ability to manage competing priorities.
• Sophisticated interpersonal skills and professional polish suited to engagement with executives and high-profile guests.
• Tech-savvy; comfortable with mobile platforms, inventory management tools, and smart-home interfaces.
• Absolute discretion and professionalism; understand and deeply respects the unique responsibilities of working within a private home.
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally, both between properties and with the Principal as required.
• Valid driver’s license and clean driving record.
• Legal authorization to work within country of employment.
• Ability to successfully complete a comprehensive background investigation.

Skills

• Culinary Excellence
• Strategic Leadership
• Team Management
• Menu Development
• Event Planning
• Food Safety Standards
• Beverage Program Management
• Procurement
• Budget Management
• Interpersonal Skills
• Discretion
• Problem-Solving
• Adaptability
• Communication

Location

• Toronto, Ontario
• Additional residences as required

Work Type

• Full-time
• Leadership role
• Requires flexibility, travel, and availability for evenings, weekends, holidays, and special events.

Experience Level

• Accomplished Sous Chef
• Proven progressive culinary experience
• Demonstrated experience in a private household, estate, or UHNW environment
• Direct management of culinary staff across multiple locations

Education Level

• Formal training

About the Company

• Supporting a portfolio of luxury private residences.