Executive Chef

Penelope Pizza + Her Friend Sunnie | Downtown Tucson, AZ

About the Concept

Penelope Pizza is growing, and we’re looking for an experienced, hands-on Executive Chef to lead the culinary program at our newest concept, Penelope Pizza + Her Friend Sunnie, opening in Downtown Tucson.

This new location brings together the personality and quality Penelope Pizza is known for with a fresh new concept and an opportunity to build something special from the ground up. We’re looking for a chef who is equally excited about great food, strong kitchen operations, developing people, and creating an experience guests want to come back to again and again.

The Role

The Executive Chef will be the culinary leader of Penelope Pizza + Her Friend Sunnie, responsible for bringing the food vision to life while building a kitchen operation that is organized, efficient, consistent, and financially sound.

Because this is a new opening, this role will be heavily involved in pre-opening, menu development and testing, kitchen setup, hiring and training, systems development, and launch execution. Following opening, the Executive Chef will take full ownership of day-to-day BOH operations, food quality, team development, food costs, sanitation, and overall culinary performance.

This is a highly hands-on position. We’re looking for a chef who is comfortable moving between leading the team, working the line, coaching employees, reviewing food costs, improving prep systems, and solving problems in real time.

What You’ll Own

Pre-Opening & Concept Development

• Partner with ownership and leadership to bring the culinary vision for Penelope Pizza + Her Friend Sunnie to life.
• Support final menu development, recipe testing, costing, and refinement.
• Establish recipes, specifications, prep procedures, pars, station setups, and kitchen systems.
• Assist with kitchen organization, smallwares, equipment, and opening readiness.
• Recruit, hire, onboard, and train the opening BOH team.
• Build training plans and standards that set the team up for a successful opening.
• Lead culinary execution through soft opening, opening, and the transition into normal operations.

Culinary Leadership

• Own food quality, consistency, presentation, and execution across every service.
• Maintain clear recipes and standards so guests receive the same great experience every time.
• Continuously evaluate the menu and identify opportunities to improve quality, execution, efficiency, and profitability.
• Set the culinary standard for the restaurant and hold the team accountable to it.

Kitchen Operations

• Lead all BOH operations, including prep, production, service, receiving, storage, sanitation, and closing procedures.
• Build efficient prep and production systems that support strong ticket times and smooth service.
• Establish and maintain pars, ordering systems, inventory practices, and waste controls.
• Ensure equipment and kitchen spaces are properly maintained, organized, and cared for.
• Partner closely with FOH leadership to create seamless communication between the kitchen and dining room.

Financial Performance

• Own food cost and BOH labor performance.
• Manage purchasing, inventory, portion control, waste, and product utilization.
• Review food costs regularly and take action when results fall outside expectations.
• Schedule the BOH appropriately based on sales, business needs, and labor targets.
• Balance culinary creativity with operational simplicity and financial responsibility.

People & Culture

• Recruit, train, coach, and develop a strong BOH team.
• Create a kitchen culture built around respect, accountability, teamwork, urgency, and pride in the food.
• Set clear expectations and provide consistent feedback and coaching.
• Develop strong kitchen leaders and future talent.
• Lead by example and be willing to jump into any position when the team needs support.

Food Safety & Cleanliness

• Ensure the restaurant consistently meets or exceeds all food safety and sanitation requirements.
• Maintain strong standards for cleanliness, organization, labeling, storage, temperature controls, and food handling.
• Ensure all team members are properly trained on food safety expectations and procedures.

What We’re Looking For

Our ideal Executive Chef is a builder and an operator. You love food, but you also understand that a great restaurant requires strong systems, disciplined execution, healthy financials, and a great team.

You’ll likely bring:

• 5+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience, ideally including Executive Chef, Chef de Cuisine, or senior kitchen leadership experience.
• Experience opening a new restaurant or helping build a culinary operation from the ground up strongly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of kitchen operations, food costing, inventory, purchasing, labor management, and food safety.
• Experience hiring, training, and developing kitchen teams.
• Strong communication and leadership skills.
• A calm, solutions-focused approach in a fast-paced environment.
• High standards paired with the ability to teach and develop others.
• Genuine enthusiasm for hospitality, great food, and building something new.

Experience with pizza, dough, wood-fired cooking, Italian-inspired cuisine, or high-volume independent restaurants is a plus, but strong leadership, culinary fundamentals, and operational ability matter most.

Compensation & Benefits

• $75,000–$80,000 annual salary, based on experience
• 2 weeks paid time off

Schedule & Expectations

This is a full-time, salaried leadership position. The Executive Chef must have flexibility to work days, evenings, weekends, and holidays based on the needs of the restaurant, particularly during the pre-opening and opening periods.

If you’re excited by the opportunity to help shape a new restaurant, build a great kitchen team, and put your fingerprints on a concept from day one, we’d love to meet you.

The Beginning of Penelope
As the pandemic swept through in February 2020, opportunities arose. With a gifted dough mixer from a friend, we started selling DIY pizza kits. By June 2020, we found ourselves in Tucson, cruising its quiet streets in a converted GMC pickup turned food truck. The idea of Penelope Pizza took shape, and with a chance meeting at Cartel Coffee, we transformed their wood-fired oven into a pizza-making beast. Cement, rebar, and loads of passion later, Penelope Pizza was born, rolling through Tucson and winning hearts.
Our Mission
We're really into making killer pizzas that capture the local flavors, pay homage to timeless traditions, and support other local businesses. We'd love for you to dig into the goodness of our woodfired cooking, appreciate the excellence of our dough, and feel like part of our pizzeria family.

Salary

$75000.00 - $80000.00 per year

Benefits

Paid time off

Job Type

Full time

Schedule

8 hour shift, 10 hour shift, Weekend availability