Regional Executive Chef

Job Introduction

Regional Executive Chef 

Location: Scotland-Wide Role – Sodexo Independent Schools Portfolio

Salary: £44,000 - £47,000 DOE – Travel Expenses and Sodexo Benefits

Hours: 40 hours per week - Day shifts (occasional evenings/weekends)

Are you a highly accomplished and innovative chef, with a track record in fine dining and large-scale food service, who thrives on leading teams and shaping extraordinary culinary experiences? Are you passionate about fresh, seasonal produce, menu innovation, and mentoring kitchen talent?

If so, we invite you to join our elite culinary team as our Regional Executive Chef, working across Scotland’s most prestigious Independent Schools.

In this role you will act as a brand ambassador for our food offering: travelling between schools, supporting and leading kitchen teams, launching new concepts, and ensuring culinary excellence at every service.

What the Role Involves

• Acting as the mobile lead chef across a portfolio of independent school sites: stepping into kitchens to cover when needed, drive performance, and deliver excellence.
• Leading the design and roll-out of seasonal, fresh-produce-driven menus, ensuring alignment with our overarching food strategy (nutrition, sustainability, presentation).
• Inspiring, training, coaching and mentoring kitchen brigades: raising standards of cooking technique, plating, food presentation, kitchen discipline, brigade culture and continuous improvement.
• Collaborating with on-site teams and stakeholders (catering managers, school leadership, hospitality/event teams) to deliver high-profile events such as summer balls, galas and conferences, and to launch new openings or food initiatives.
• Driving operational kitchen performance: food cost control, menu costing & pricing, stock control, labour utilisation, waste minimisation and P&L awareness.
• Maintaining and exceeding standards in food safety, hygiene, allergen management, HACCP, COSHH and overall kitchen compliance in an education setting.
• Acting as a subject-matter expert within the education catering sector: bringing best-in-class culinary practices, adapting fine-dining techniques to large-volume environments, and sharing that knowledge across sites.

We’re Looking For

Proven Experience & Leadership

A chef with significant experience in fine dining or upscale hospitality (restaurants, luxury hotels, events) and demonstrable experience of high-volume catering or multi-site operations.

• A track record of leading, managing and developing kitchen teams, fostering a positive, high-performance culture.
• Proven menu-planning capability: designing innovative, seasonal, produce-led menus with excellent presentation, flavour combinations, and technical execution.
• Strong operational and commercial acumen: food costing, vendor relationships, stock control, budget monitoring, labour efficiency and waste management.
• Exceptional knowledge of food safety, hygiene, allergen control and kitchen compliance systems (HACCP, COSHH, EHO, etc.).
• Flexible and mobile mindset: able to travel across Scotland, proactively engage with varied sites (boarding houses, dining halls, events suites), and adapt to different teams, contexts and volumes.

Skills, Behaviours & Attributes

• Inspirational communicator and motivator: able to engage with kitchen teams, school staff and stakeholders, articulate a culinary vision, and inspire others to deliver.
• Creative, curious and forward-thinking: stays abreast of current and emerging culinary trends, embraces seasonal produce, sustainability, flavour innovation and plating technique.
• Resilient, adaptable and highly organised: able to manage competing demands, multi-site travel and variable service patterns, delivering excellence under pressure.
• High standards mindset: committed to culinary excellence, presentation, consistency and service quality.
• Team-first, mentoring mindset: sees themselves as a coach and mentor, prioritising development of those around them.
• Professional, polished and client-centric: understands the importance of food as part of broader hospitality and school life, representing the brand with pride.
• Commercial awareness: balances creativity with cost-effectiveness, understands large-scale catering dynamics and the educational/residential context.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Formal culinary qualification (NVQ Level 2/3, City & Guilds 706/1+2, HNC/HND, or equivalent) strongly preferred.
• Food Safety qualification (Level 3 or equivalent) plus HACCP and allergen-management certification.
• Significant chef experience (typically 5–10 years+) with several years in a senior role (Head Chef, Executive Chef or Development Chef) in a fine-dining or high-volume catering environment.
• Experience of large-scale catering, banquets, events or multi-site operations is strongly advantageous.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel regularly across Scotland (travel expenses paid).
• Strong IT literacy: experience using recipe/menu costing software, kitchen management systems and inventory tools.
• A flexible approach to working patterns, including occasional evenings and weekends to support events or special services.

What We Offer

• A unique opportunity to work across some of Scotland’s most prestigious historic Independent Schools, bringing chef-led creativity and high standards into the educational catering sector.
• A dynamic, varied mobile role with travel across beautiful venues and a portfolio approach rather than a fixed single site.
• A leadership position with real influence: set standards, shape menus, mentor teams and drive innovation.
• Competitive salary (to be discussed) plus travel expenses and access to continuous professional development opportunities.
• Predominantly day shifts with a good work-life balance compared to traditional hospitality environments.
• The chance to leave a legacy: build programmes, develop talent, introduce innovation and make a true difference.

Why Join Us?

This is a career-defining opportunity to work with some of the best in the industry, in settings that shape future leaders. You’ll help craft exceptional food experiences, influence culinary direction, and mentor rising stars – all while working in Scotland’s most beautiful and inspiring educational environments. 

Additional Perks & Benefits

• Unlimited access to an online mental health and wellbeing support platform.
• An Employee Assistance Programme for legal, financial, and personal support.
• 24/7 access to a virtual GP service.
• Exclusive discounts for you, your family, and friends through the Sodexo Discounts Scheme.
• Membership in Pension Plan to help you save for your future.
• Learning and development opportunities to enhance your career growth

If you’re an ambitious, highly motivated chef seeking the next step up – a role where you lead, innovate, travel and make a real impact – we’d love to hear from you.

Please note: Sodexo reserves the right to close this advert early if we receive a high number of applications.

Sodexo are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children within schools. All successful candidates will undergo appropriate background, PVG (disclosure) and vetting checks.