Executive Chef

Location: [Hikari Miami, Surfside, Florida ]

Reports to: [Owner/GM/Director of Ops]

Role Summary: Leads the culinary vision and execution of an upscale Japanese kitchen (omakase/kaiseki/robata/sushi). Owns menu R&D, sourcing, fish and rice programs, and service standards. Builds and mentors a world-class brigade, protects food safety and consistency, and steers kitchen financial performance.

Key Responsibilities: Culinary Leadership & Menu Design seasonal menus (omakase/à la carte), chef's tastings, and pairing menus that honor Japanese technique and luxury ingredients. Codify recipes, specs, knife cuts, rice prep (wash/soak/steam/season), dashi fundamentals, tare/sauces, pickling/fermentation, aging/curing, tempura, kushiyaki/robata, and sashimi/sushi standards with photos and plating guides. Calibrate taste and presentation daily; lead lineups and pre-service tastings. Sourcing & Product Integrity Manage premium procurement: auction-grade seafood (Tsukiji/Toyosu import partners), wagyu (A5/Prefecture-specific), uni, toro, caviar, seasonal produce, specialty pantry (koji, miso, katsuobushi, kombu). Build vendor SLAs (quality, traceability, delivery windows); implement receiving, temperature logging, and yield tracking for whole-fish butchery. Operations & Financials Own kitchen P&L: COGS, labor, waste, smallwares; maintain target food cost and contribution margins via recipe costing, portion control, and menu engineering. Create prep lists, pars, station maps, and service flows to hit luxury-level ticket times without compromising craft. Oversee inventory cycles, waste logs, and corrective actions. Team & Culture Recruit, train, and performance-manage all BOH roles (CDC, sous, sushi chefs, robata cooks, pastry liaison, prep, stewards). Coach Japanese culinary technique, knife safety/maintenance, and hospitality standards; build bench strength and succession plans. Foster a calm, disciplined, respectful kitchen with continuous improvement. Quality, Safety & Compliance Enforce HACCP and seafood-specific controls: time/temperature, parasite destruction (where applicable), shellfish tags, allergen protocols, labeling, and sanitation. Maintain A-level health inspections; schedule preventive maintenance on specialized equipment (sushi cases, robata grills, binchotan management, blast chiller, rice cookers/warmer cabinets, combi ovens). Service Excellence & Brand Lead expo and be present on sushi/robata lines during peak periods; coach in the moment. Collaborate with Beverage on sake, Japanese whisky, and tea pairings; support Marketing with menu language, photography, and PR moments. Execute chef's tables, seasonal festivals (e.g., matsutake, cherry blossom), and off-site activations.

Qualifications: 5–8+ years progressive culinary leadership; 2–3 years as Executive Chef or CDC in fine dining (Japanese or Michelin-level preferred). Mastery of Japanese technique (knife work, rice, dashi, nigiri, sashimi, tempura, robata); strong plating and flavor discipline. Proven P&L ownership and menu engineering; vendor negotiation experience. Current Food Manager Certification; deep HACCP knowledge.

Competencies: Taste & Technique • Leadership & Coaching • Precision & Discipline • Cross-Team Communication • Financial Acumen • Calm Under Pressure KPI Targets (customize) Food Cost: 24–30% | Kitchen Labor: 18–22% | Weekly Waste: = 1.5% of COGS Health Inspection: A / 95+ | Avg. Ticket Times: Apps = 10 min / Mains = 20 min / Omakase cadence = 8 min/course 90-Day BOH Retention: = 85% | Guest Food Sentiment: = 4.7/5 Schedule & Compensation

Schedule: Full-time; nights/weekends/holidays as needed.

Compensation: $[Range] base + KPI bonus.

Benefits: Medical/Dental/Vision, PTO, dining perks, professional development. Tools & Systems Inventory/recipes: [MarketMan, MarginEdge, xtraCHEF] Scheduling/payroll: [7shifts, Toast, ADP] • POS: [Toast/Square] • Temp & HACCP logs: [Therma/MeazureUp]

Physical Requirements: Stand/walk extended periods; lift/carry up to 50 lbs; work in hot/cold environments; repetitive knife work.

EEO Statement: [Company] is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to an inclusive workplace.