Executive Chef

• 40 hours per week
• Monday to Friday
• £45,000 per annum

Are you an inspirational culinary leader with a passion for exceptional food and outstanding service? Sodexo is looking for an experienced Executive Chef to lead our culinary operation in the heart of Edinburgh.

In this senior role, you’ll take overall responsibility for the kitchen operation, driving menu development, food quality, culinary standards and team performance. You’ll lead and inspire the kitchen team, manage budgets and stock, and ensure the highest standards of food safety and compliance are maintained.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a talented chef to make their mark in a dynamic environment, combining creativity and leadership to deliver an exceptional catering experience across all areas of the business.

If you’re ready to bring your culinary expertise and leadership skills to Sodexo, we’d love to hear from you.

What you’ll do:

• Lead and develop an innovative, customer-focused food offer, including menu development, food quality, presentation, healthy eating and emerging food trends.
• Drive commercial performance by growing sales and patronage, managing budgets, margins, stock and wastage while delivering excellent value and choice.
• Ensure consistently high standards across all food operations, including meal services and functions, while meeting customer, client and Sodexo expectations.
• Maintain full compliance with food safety, Health & Safety, audits, KPIs, risk assessments, documentation and Service Level Agreements.
• Lead, motivate and develop the culinary team through recruitment, training, coaching, performance management and effective people engagement.
• Build strong relationships with customers, clients, suppliers and stakeholders, while driving marketing, social impact, local sourcing and continuous improvement initiatives.

What you bring:

• Proven experience developing innovative food offers that meet client and customer needs.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, organisational and time-management skills.
• Ability to lead by example, work under pressure, use initiative and deliver consistently high standards.
• Self-motivated, flexible and committed to continuous learning and development.
• CIEH Level 3 Food Safety and IOSH Managing Safely qualifications.
• Experience managing budgets, with good financial and commercial awareness.
• Experience delivering training, coaching and developing team members.
• Good computer literacy and confidence using relevant systems.

What we offer:

Working with Sodexo is more than a job — it's an opportunity to use your skills in a role that has a genuine purpose. You'll be part of a supportive team where your contribution is valued, while enjoying the benefits and support of a large organisation. Alongside this, you'll enjoy:

• Mental health & wellbeing support
• Employee Assistance Programme for personal, legal, and financial advice
• 24/6 virtual GP & lifestyle rewards
• Discounts for you & your family
• Financial wellbeing tools & retirement plan
• Cycle to Work scheme & Paid Volunteering Day

If you’re ready to bring your culinary expertise and leadership skills to Sodexo, we’d love to hear from you!