Executive Sous Chef at Jikoni at the V&A East Museum

Have an Impact at a Purpose-Driven Business
At Jikoni, we are preparing to launch an exciting new all-day café and restaurant in early 2026 a pioneering hospitality and museum project with the new V&A East Museum in East London. We are seeking kind, bright, and empathetic leaders who are passionate about building new kitchen teams from the ground up, while also shaping the next exciting chapter of our purpose-driven business.

Were seeking a talented and passionate Executive Sous Chef to join our team. In this role, youll work closely with our Senior Chef Team and Chef Patron, Ravinder Bhogal, playing a pivotal role in building and leading our new venture (opening 18th April 2026). This is a hands-on leadership role where youll be able to both cook and represent our maternal and immigrant cuisine and also inspire, energise, and mentor a brand-new kitchen team. If our company values Multiculturalism & Pluralism, Integrity, Hospitality & Seva (Selfless Service), Excellence, and Entrepreneurialism then please read on.

Why Join Us?

At our flagship site in Marylebone, Jikoni, we cook without borders. Our food is a joyful celebration of maternal cooking, immigrant cuisine and pluralism. This includes a celebration of the rich culinary heritage of South Asia, the Far East, the Middle East, East Africa and Britain. As we grow, our core principles remain the same.
We are a restorative business committed to our team, our guests, our planet and wider community. As the UK's first independent Carbon Neutral certified restaurant, and with an exclusive partnership with a biodynamic farm, our commitment to social and environmental sustainability is at the heart of everything we do.
Jikoni has consistently been recognised among the UKs best restaurants, appearing in Timeouts Top 100 London Restaurants (2023), SquareMeals Top 100 Restaurants (2022), Hardens Best 100 UK Restaurants (2019), and the National Restaurant Awards (2017). Jikoni is also currently featured in Condé Nast Travellers Best Restaurants in London.

What Were Looking For in an Executive Sous Chef:

We are looking for a natural leader who is excited by the challenge and opportunity of not just working with us on a new opening, but also building a positive culture with our senior team for the long run. You bring an insatiable love of food, excellence in technical ability and a genuine curiosity for global flavours, paired with a natural ability to foster a positive working culture, and deliver truly memorable hospitality.

Emotional Skillset:You embody the qualities that define great hospitality: Kindness and Optimism, Curiosity, Self-Awareness, Empathy, strong Work Ethic and Integrity.
Experience: At least 2 years of technical experience as a Head/Sous Chef, menu planning, overseeing daily kitchen operations, proven leadership in training and developing teams, rotas, health & safety, ordering, costings, food safety compliance, general kitchen systems, food production, stock management, financials and P&Ls and budgeting.
Values Alignment: You share our company values of Excellence, Multiculturalism & Pluralism, Integrity, Hospitality & Seva (Selfless Service) and Entrepreneurialism.
Leadership: A desire to build and nurture a team, lead by example, and contribute to a positive and supportive culture.
Ambition: A drive to build a career, learn from our senior team, and make a tangible impact on a growing business.
Culinary Passion: A passion for cooking global flavours.

Key Responsibilities

To plan, organise and direct the kitchen team to deliver exceptional fresh, seasonal and sustainable food to specification, ensuring that we never compromise on our hospitality, values, taste and quality.
To drive sales and financial success through excellent hospitality, team culture, product quality and managing new revenue streams such as events.
To be responsible and ensure compliance for all aspects of food safety, health and safety and COSHH on site.
To manage rotas and scheduling accordingly to the business needs.
To coach, inspire, train and develop theteam.
?Managing inventory, stock and margin control and food costing with our preferred, sustainable suppliers.

What We Offer in Return:

Career Progression: Opportunities for growth as our company expands, with direct mentorship from senior management and directors on leadership, business and hospitality skills.
Unique Training: Go beyond the kitchen with visits and hands-on training with our biodynamic farm partner and specialist producers.
Competitive Package and Team Benefits: Delicious and wholesome team meals, a 51% team discount at our restaurants upon passing probation, 28 days holiday, a company pension scheme and private health insurance plans for all team members and potential bonus structures for senior team.

Everyone Is Welcome

At Jikoni, one of our core values is Pluralism, the idea that celebrating both our similarities and differences make our community richer and stronger. We warmly encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and lived experiences. If this role speaks to you but you dont meet every requirement, we would still love to hear from you. Please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments or accommodations we can make during the hiring process.