Restaurant Head Chef - Rds Dublin

Restaurant Head Chef - RDS - Dublin | Full-Time / Permanent

Up to €55K + Benefits

Levy | RDS

The Role

As Restaurant Head Chef at the RDS, you will lead the culinary vision and day-to-day food operations across all restaurants in the RDS. Working with Levy’s market-leading food philosophy, you’ll be responsible for delivering outstanding restaurant quality dishes across Ireland’s top racecourses.

Key Responsibilities (including but not limited to)

Culinary Leadership & Strategy

• Lead the overall culinary restaurant team in line with Levy standards and brand values.
• Develop menus that are innovative, commercially sound and operationally scalable for large-volume events.
• Drive continuous improvement, creativity and food innovation across all offers.

Operational Excellence

• Oversee all restaurant kitchen operations across RDS.
• Ensure consistent delivery of high-quality food, presentation and service at scale.
• Plan and resource kitchens effectively to meet fluctuating event demands.

People Leadership & Development

• Lead, motivate and develop a growing kitchen team.
• Build a strong talent pipeline through training, mentoring and succession planning.
• Foster a positive, inclusive and high-performance kitchen culture.

Financial & Commercial Control

• Work closely with senior kitchen team to manage food costs, gross profit, labour and stock management.
• Assist in purchasing, supplier relationships and cost control in line with Levy and Compass Group standards.
• Drive waste reduction and sustainable practices across the operation.

Food Safety, Compliance & Standards

• Ensure full compliance with food safety, hygiene, health & safety and HACCP requirements.
• Maintain audit readiness and uphold Levy’s quality and safety standards at all times.
• Ensure all equipment, kitchens and storage areas are maintained to the highest standards.

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Work closely with the restaurant managers to deliver seamless event experiences.
• Support client tastings, menu presentations and bespoke event proposals.
• Represent Levy and RDS with professionalism at all times.

About You

Essential

• Proven experience as a Head Chef or Sous Chef within a large-scale, high-volume environment.
• Strong background in fine dining restaurant or similar venue.
• Exceptional leadership and people-management skills.
• Strong and proven cost and margin control.
• In-depth knowledge of food safety, HACCP and compliance.

Desirable

• Experience working within a premium fine dining restaurant e.g. Michelin standard.
• Track record of menu innovation and culinary development.

What We’re Looking For

• A confident, visible leader who leads from the front.
• Calm under pressure and highly organised.
• Passionate about food, people and delivering excellence at scale.
• Flexible to meet the demands of a busy events calendar

Why Join Levy at RDS?

• Work at one of Ireland’s leading events venues
• Be part of Levy, a global and award-winning hospitality brand.
• Exposure to a diverse and high-profile events calendar.
• Clear opportunities for development and progression within Compass Group.
• Competitive salary and benefits package.

Levy UK & Ireland is part of Compass Group, the world's largest catering company, and a vibrant leader in hospitality.

We believe in celebrating individuality and building inclusive teams where everyone feels they belong. Our diverse team fuels creativity, innovation, and excellence.

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and welcome candidates from all backgrounds to join us in creating a supportive, empowering workplace where everyone can thrive.

Together, we create unforgettable experiences and shape the future of hospitality.

As part of Compass you'll help to feed people, fuel progress and forge connections in around 6,000 venues. Join us to grow your career with the industry leader, and get competitive pay, great perks and unrivalled opportunities for learning and development, at one of the UK's biggest businesses.

Job Reference: com/1206/44784001/52813903/SU #Levy UK

Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!

#Pro