Test Kitchen Chef Jobs in Arizona (NOW HIRING)

Sous Chef — Villa Peru, FRIDA American Brasserie

Reports to: Executive Chef Department: Kitchen / Back of House Status: Full-time,

salaried, exempt Location: Tucson, Arizona

About FRIDA

FRIDA is an American brasserie in Tucson — relaxed, knowing, and quietly confident. The

kitchen pairs the warmth of a neighborhood bistro with the precision of a chef-driven

house, drawing on classical American technique with a European influence. Our menu

spans steak and lobster, oysters, sushi, and crudo, hand-cut pastas, an elevated lunch

program built around burgers and American classics, and a brunch service paired with

champagne — a wide range that asks the kitchen to deliver the best of the old and the new

with consistency.

We are building this restaurant to be a destination Tucson is proud of. Our ambition is to

serve a sophisticated, elegant palate while remaining welcoming, generous, and grounded

in the community. The Sous Chef we hire will help bring that vision to life.

Tucson offers what most restaurant towns can’t: an affordable cost of living, two national

parks at the city limits, year-round hiking and cycling, and Mt. Lemmon’s four seasons

within an hour of the line. The kitchen closes on time so the desert is still there when you

do.

Position Summary

The Sous Chef is the Executive Chef’s second-in-command and the operational backbone of

the kitchen. The successful candidate is, first and foremost, a disciplined operator —

someone who can run shifts, lead the line, manage prep, hold cooks accountable to recipe

and plating standards, and keep the back of house clean, organized, and on time, every

service, every day.

At the same time, this is not a purely mechanical role. We are looking for a Sous Chef whose

classical training and creative skill enable a constructive working relationship with the

Executive Chef — contributing ideas for seasonal rotations, chef specials, and wine

pairings; helping keep the menu relevant and fresh while remaining true to the established

concept. Execution is the primary mandate; creative collaboration is the multiplier.

This role is built for someone with command of the back of house, formal culinary training

at a top-tier program (the Culinary Institute of America preferred; comparable institutions

considered), and a demonstrated record of carrying that discipline into a sophisticated

fine-dining kitchen.

Core Responsibilities

Service Execution

• Run the line during service. Expedite when needed. Hold every plate to the FRIDA

standard before it leaves the pass.

• Open and close the kitchen on assigned shifts. Conduct line checks. Verify mise en

place before doors open.

• Maintain pacing and ticket times. Communicate cleanly with the dining room.

• Step into any station — sauté, grill, garde manger, raw bar — and execute at full

speed when the line needs a hand.

• Cultivate a first-class kitchen culture and build a team capable of sustaining it.

Menu and Concept Stewardship

• Execute the established menu to specification: composition, portion, technique, and

presentation.

• Collaborate with the Executive Chef on seasonal menu rotations, chef specials, and

wine-pairing offerings. Bring ideas to the table; defer to the Executive Chef’s final

call.

• Help keep the menu relevant and fresh while remaining true to the brasserie

concept and the standards that define it.

• Train, retrain, and re-test cooks on every recipe in the active book. Documented,

repeatable, consistent.

• Own the daily tasting before service. Nothing reaches a guest that has not been

tasted and verified.

Team Leadership

• Direct supervision of line cooks, prep cooks, and dishwashers on assigned shifts.

• Build and post the prep list. Build the daily station assignments. Run pre-shift.

• Identify and develop emerging talent — cooks early in their careers who can grow

into stronger roles under your mentorship.

• Coach in real time. Correct calmly and immediately. Document recurring issues.

• Conduct station evaluations on a defined cadence. Develop cooks toward the next

role.

Operations and Compliance

• Receive deliveries. Inspect for quality, count, and temperature. Reject anything sub-

standard.

• Manage inventory rotation (FIFO). Conduct weekly counts. Flag variance.

• Maintain HACCP, ServSafe, and local health standards without exception. Lead the

kitchen through any inspection.

• Maintain cleanliness and equipment readiness. Schedule and verify deep cleans.

Submit maintenance tickets the same day a fault appears.

Cost and Schedule

• Hit weekly food cost targets set by the Executive Chef. Investigate and report

variance within 48 hours.

• Build the kitchen schedule against forecasted covers. Manage labor cost to budget.

• Conduct end-of-period inventory alongside the Executive Chef.

Safety and Culture

• Set the tone for a quiet, focused, professional kitchen. No yelling. No personal

attacks. No tolerance for harassment or impairment.

• Conduct safety briefings. Maintain the injury and incident log. First responder for

any kitchen incident.

Required Qualifications

• Culinary education. Diploma or degree from the Culinary Institute of America

(CIA). Equivalent top-tier programs considered (Johnson & Wales, ICE, ICC, Le

Cordon Bleu).

• Experience. Minimum two years as a Sous Chef, Chef de Cuisine, or Executive Sous

at an independent restaurant operating at brasserie level or above. Hotels, clubs,

and high-volume catering operations count when the role required full menu

execution and team leadership.

• Tenure. A track record of staying in roles. We will weigh stability heavily.

• Certifications. Current ServSafe Manager. Allergen certification. CPR/AED

preferred.

• Physical. Able to stand for ten-hour shifts, lift fifty pounds, and work in

temperatures ranging from walk-in cold to grill-line heat.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a French, European, or American brasserie / bistro environment.

• Experience opening or re-opening a restaurant.

• Familiarity with raw bar, seafood tower, sushi, or crudo programs.

• Working knowledge of inventory and scheduling software (MarginEdge, BlueCart,

7shifts, or equivalent).

• A demonstrated ability to contribute creatively in a collaborative kitchen —

specials, seasonal changes, pairings — without overstepping the Executive Chef’s

vision.

Who Will Succeed Here

You will thrive in this role if you:

• Believe that consistency is craft, and that executing the vision flawlessly is its own

form of mastery.

• Bring creative skill to the line without needing creative control of the concept.

• Lead by example, not volume. Your line respects you because you out-work them,

not because you out-shout them.

• Run a checklist for everything because checklists save costs and keep cooks safe.

• Hold every plate to the same standard on a slow Tuesday as on a packed Saturday —

the standard does not slide with the calendar.

• Want a kitchen that closes on time, pays on time, and goes home to families.

Compensation and Benefits

• Base salary: Negotiable depending on experience.

• Quarterly performance bonus tied to food cost, labor cost, and guest satisfaction.

• Health insurance options

• Paid time off and paid sick leave.

• Shift meal.

• Relocation assistance available for the right candidate. Tucson’s median home price

and cost of living are materially below Phoenix, Scottsdale, and coastal markets —

compensation stretches further here.

How to Apply

Send the following to fridatucsonaz@gmail.com, or call or text the hiring manager

directly at 520-977-8576:

1. Resume.

2. A short cover letter — no more than 300 words — answering two questions:

– What is the largest kitchen operation you have run, and what was the result?

– Why did you get into the culinary world?

3. Two references from previous chef supervisors will be requested should mutual

interest be established.

Working interviews will be conducted on-site at FRIDA in Tucson.

FRIDA is an equal-opportunity employer.

Villa Peru Restaurant is family-owned & operated since August 2017. The Chef's Walter & Frida are affectionately known as Papa & Mama. Their daughter Frida Hunt married to Charles Hunt make up the owners in a place filled with the Wonder of Peru through excellence in Latin-American Hospitality. It is the family's greatest joy to share the culture of Peru with every dish where we are located in the Jocelyn Plaza at River and Campbell Road, specifically 1745 E River Rd, Suite 165, Tucson, AZ 85718. We specialize in taking the customer on a vicarious adventure to Peru through our authentic Peruvian Cuisine and finely detailed ambience. At Villa Peru you will experience the culture & wonder of Peru by allowing our family to host you!
We host Ceviche, Lobster, & Oyster Festivals monthly as we rotate these expanded special menus that focus on different dishes we have crafted for your experience with Peruvian style. Ranked the #15 Ceviche Restaurant by Yelp in 2024 we will not disappoint with the flavors of Peru!