Head Chef

Responsibilities

• Lead kitchen operations for a restaurant with national and international culinary recognition
• Develop seasonal menus using Oaxaca's biodiversity — 200+ varieties of chile, 50+ corn varieties, wild mushrooms, edible insects
• Source directly from indigenous producer cooperatives and local markets
• Manage brigade of 6–14 kitchen professionals
• Engage with press, food writers, and visiting chefs who regularly come to Oaxaca
• Host occasional chef's table experiences and cooking workshops

Requirements

• 6–8 years kitchen experience with mastery of Oaxacan mole preparation
• Ability to prepare all 7 traditional moles from scratch
• Understanding of nixtamalization and handmade tortilla and tlayuda production
• Network within Oaxacan artisan food producer community
• English a plus — restaurant receives significant international food tourism traffic

Benefits

• IMSS, Aguinaldo, vacation + premium
• Staff meals, uniform
• National and international media exposure
• Creative ownership of a celebrated kitchen

Work environment

Acclaimed restaurant in the cultural heart of Oaxaca. International food tourists, local families celebrating, and visiting chefs share the dining room. Serious culinary environment — everything is done from scratch.

About the role

Culinary scholarship meets living tradition. Cooking in Oaxaca's best restaurants is a privilege and a responsibility. Your kitchen preserves and celebrates a food culture that the world is watching.