Overview

The Chef de Cuisine at Leo is a “hands on” position that runs daily kitchen operations for both restaurant & café - works directly with leadership to execute and continuously evolve culinary vision. The Chef de Cuisine is involved with all aspects of the a al carte culinary operations encompassing operational duties and financial responsibilities, providing leadership and management of kitchen staff, and growing and developing the product and profitability of restaurant and Cafe. The Chef de Cuisine is an ambassador of the Culinary program and as such plays an integral role in the development of the Brand.

This role pays an annual salary of $80,000-$90,000

Benefits for Full-Time roles: Health, Dental and Vision Insurance, 401(k) Savings Plan, 401(k) matching, and Paid Time Off (vacation days, sick days, and 11 holidays)

This position will remain open until July 3, 2026.

Responsibilities

• Develop seasonal, Mediterranean and globally coastal-inspired menu.
• Ability to expedite daily service of 100+ covers.
• Coordinate prep systems for Leo and Curtain Call Cafe
• Place daily orders and managing vendor relationships throughout the Philadelphia region.
• Oversee inventory, food cost, labor cost, payroll and waste reduction.
• Manage par levels and maintain clean, organized back-of-house.
• Manage prix-fixe services, special Events, and Ensemble Arts programming.
• Oversee hiring, training, and mentoring a small, dedicated kitchen team.
• Maintain consistent quality, timing, and plating standards that reflect Leo's elevated, yet approachable identity.
• Ensure full compliance with Philadelphia Department of Public Health protocols and food safety standards
• Ability to work all stations.
• Plan and manage the procurement, production, preparation, and presentation of food
• Ensure that all BOH operations adhere to proper safety and sanitations standards
• Understand and operate within cost guidelines and targets
• Maintain complete knowledge of and comply with all departmental policies, procedures, and brand standards
• Complete daily, weekly, and monthly management administrative duties including operations reports, financial documentation, standard operating procedures, safety and sanitation checklists, and ordering and inventory documentation
• Control labor and operating expenses through effective planning, recipe management, purchasing decisions, and revenue generation solutions
• Coach and teach the team by working side-by-side with them as needed to teach different techniques, prepare new items, etc.
• Because of the fluctuating demands of the company's operation, it may be necessary that each Employee Partner perform a multitude of different functions; therefore, as an essential part of your position, you will be expected to help others when the occasion arises, just as other Employee Partners are expected to help you. Accordingly, you may be expected to perform other tasks as needed or as directed.
• Adhere to all of the various company, club and department written mandatory standards of operations, policies and procedures, manuals, memos, oral instructions, etc., all of which go to make up the essential functions of the job.
• Responsible for maintaining good conduct and safe working habits while in all areas, including the kitchen, and assuring that others are acting safely.
• Attendance at daily line-up and participating as requested.
  

Qualifications

• Minimum 3-5+ years in a kitchen leadership role (highly preferred).
• Strong knife skills with solid fish and meat butchery fundamentals.
• Deep knowledge of seasonal ingredients.
• Experience with ordering, inventory management, and vendor relationships.
• Comfort with food costing, COGS management, and Google Sheets/Excel.
• Calm, positive presence during high-volume service — especially on performance nights.
• Ability to develop and implement onboarding and training systems for new hires.
• Collaborative attitude and strong communication skills across FOH and BOH teams.
• Philadelphia Food Safety Certificate.
• Be able to multi-task and work at an efficient pace to keep up with business needs.
• Be able to follow instructions well as directed.