Elite Yacht Chef Recruitment

The only agency
run by a working
Yacht Chef.

Recruitment done by yacht chefs — for yacht chefs

We know what it takes because we've lived it. Every position is vetted by an active yacht chef who understands the reality of life at sea — the hours, the pressure, and what makes a placement last.

50+
Successful Placements
100%
Vetted Positions
88m
Largest Vessel Placed
Industry-First Vetting Real Insider Knowledge Chefs Helping Chefs Mediterranean & Caribbean Direct Captain Access
01
👨‍🍳
For Chefs

Find Your
Next Position

Join our database of vetted yacht chefs and get put forward for positions that match your experience, ambitions, and lifestyle. We only recommend roles we'd take ourselves.

Register & Browse Jobs
02
⚓
For Captains & Owners

Find Your
Next Chef

Stop sorting through unqualified CVs. We pre-screen every candidate and only send you chefs we would personally vouch for — a shortlist of vetted chefs within 48 hours, saving you time and protecting your guests' experience.

Find a Chef Now
Live Listings

Current Roles

Open roles are marked and accepting applications now. The rest are recent placements — a snapshot of what comes through us. Register and we'll contact you directly when one matches your experience.

Register for New Roles
#YCJ224 · Marbella, Spain

Sous Chef
Private Residence, Marbella

Land-based role for a sous chef to cook alongside the head chef for a family of five (two adults, three children) and up to 20 staff. Two-year contract, Monday to Friday, live out. Car provided for provisioning. Big budget to source direct from local farmers and fishermen, plus the odd private event. Send your CV quoting YCJ224.

● Open — Apply Now €95,000/year gross 2-Year Contract Mon–Fri · Live Out Car Provided
#YCJ223 · Marbella, Spain

Head Chef
Private Residence, Marbella

Land-based role for a head chef to run the household kitchen for a family of five (two adults, three children) and up to 20 staff, working alongside a sous chef. Two-year contract, Monday to Friday, live out. Car provided for provisioning. Lead the sous chef, source direct from local farmers and fishermen with a big budget, and handle the odd private event. Send your CV quoting YCJ223.

● Open — Apply Now €120,000/year gross 2-Year Contract Mon–Fri · Live Out Leads a Sous Chef
#YCJ222 · Boca Raton, Florida

Private Chef
Kosher Household, Boca Raton

Full-time private chef for a large Orthodox Jewish family near Boca Raton. Strictly kosher and Sabbath observant, so kosher experience is a big plus, though the family are happy to train the right chef. Two adults and eight children, around 15 people day to day including staff, and 25 to 30 for a few special occasions a year. Monday to Friday: breakfast and packed lunches for the kids, lunch for the parents, dinner on the table between 6:30 and 7pm. Big salads, clean healthy cooking, good proteins and baked goods. Weekends off. Must hold a US passport or already have the right to work in the United States.

● Open — Apply Now $150,000/year 6–8 Weeks Paid Holiday Weekends Off US Work Rights Required
#YCJ220 · Athens → Caribbean → Florida

Sole Chef
46m Motor Yacht

Sole chef for a 46m dual-season private motor yacht with around nine crew, joining in Athens. American owner who wants good food done well, no gimmicks. Open to most cuisines: Western, Eastern European, soups and goulash, Greek, Chinese, Indian and wider Asian. Not a heavy seafood boat. Light usage, roughly two months in summer and six weeks in winter, with a few Caribbean trips before heading back to Florida. Male or female. STCW and ENG1 are essential. Apply with your CV and food portfolio only.

● Open — Apply Now STCW & ENG1 Essential Dual Season Approx. 9 Crew Light Usage
#YCJ119 · Private / Charter

Head Chef (Male)
55m Motor Yacht

Full-time, permanent head chef for a 55m private and charter motor yacht. American owner who likes simple food done exceptionally well: no fancy plating, great ingredients, American style. The owner uses the boat three to four weeks a year with around ten weeks of charter, which is your chance to get creative and show what you can do. Young, well-balanced crew with a good mix of nationalities. Start ASAP, flexible for the right candidate.

● Open — Apply Now $8,000/month 120 Days Leave Permanent Start ASAP
#YCJ118 · Private / Charter

Head Chef (Female)
55m Motor Yacht

Full-time, permanent head chef for a 55m private and charter motor yacht. American owner who likes simple food done exceptionally well: no fancy plating, great ingredients, American style. The owner uses the boat three to four weeks a year with around ten weeks of charter, which is your chance to get creative and show what you can do. Young, well-balanced crew with a good mix of nationalities. Start ASAP, flexible for the right candidate.

● Open — Apply Now $8,000/month 120 Days Leave Permanent Start ASAP

Don't see the right role? Register and we'll match you when the perfect position comes in.

Register for Future Roles

New to yachting?

Don't know where to start — or what you actually need?

If you're a chef dreaming of a life at sea but unsure about the certificates, the experience, or how to actually get hired — start here. Dean's free Module 1 breaks the whole path down, step by step. No cost, no experience needed.

Watch Free Module 1 →

7 free video lessons · from a working superyacht chef

For Captains, Owners & Management

Looking to hire a yacht chef?

Most yacht chef recruitment is done by agencies who have never worked a galley. We are the exception. Yacht Chef Jobs is founded and run by Dean Harrison, an active superyacht chef — so every chef on your shortlist has been assessed by someone who knows what the job actually demands at sea.

Send one brief and receive a shortlist of vetted, pre-screened yacht chefs within 48 hours. Choose a fixed €2,500 placement fee or pay nothing until you hire. Every placement is backed by a 60-day replacement guarantee, and under MLC 2006 we never charge chefs a fee.

Hire a Yacht Chef

Head chef, sole chef, sous and temporary charter chefs — vetted and shortlisted in 48 hours.

See how it works →

Yacht Chef Recruitment

How a chef-led agency screens candidates differently, and what that means for your guests.

Our approach →

How to Hire a Yacht Chef

The complete 2026 captain's guide: what to screen for, certifications, process, cost and timeline.

Read the guide →

Yacht Chef Salary Guide

What chefs really earn by role and vessel size — so your package lands the right candidate.

See 2026 salaries →

What to Look For

The qualities that actually predict a placement lasting — and the red flags that predict it won't.

Read the guide →

Interview Questions

The questions that reveal judgement and temperament, and what the answers really tell you.

Read the guide →

Job Description Template

A brief you can copy and adapt, plus the sections most job adverts leave out.

Use the template →

What Recruitment Costs

Agency fee models explained plainly — success fee, fixed fee, and the extras nobody mentions.

See the numbers →

We place yacht chefs across the Mediterranean and Caribbean, including Antibes & the French Riviera, Palma de Mallorca, Monaco and Fort Lauderdale.

Why Yacht Chef Jobs

Recruitment that
actually understands
the galley.

01
Chef-Founded & Led

Founded by Dean Harrison, an active working yacht chef. Every placement decision is made by someone who has lived the lifestyle — no recruiters who've never left dry land.

02
Every Position is Vetted

We only list positions we've personally assessed. Salaries, conditions, crew culture — if it doesn't meet the standard, it doesn't make it onto our board.

03
Direct Captain Relationships

We work directly with captains and management companies — not through layers of agencies. Your CV lands with the right person, fast.

04
Zero Pressure, Full Transparency

We set expectations clearly on both sides. No surprise contracts, no overpromising. Just honest, straightforward placements that last.

"As a fellow chef himself, Dean truly understands the intricacies of our profession — from the high-pressure kitchen environment to the specific needs of clients looking for top culinary talent."

Chef Imre Erdelyi
63m M/Y Suri
50+
Placements
88m
Largest Vessel
4★
Avg. Rating
Success Stories

Chefs we've placed.

Don't take our word for it — hear from the chefs and captains who've worked with us.

★★★★★

"Dean kept my CV on hand and forwarded it directly to the captain when the position became available. Thanks to him, I secured my role on 60m M/Y Come Together and it has been the perfect fit."

Chef Ben Descoteau
60m M/Y Come Together
★★★★★

"Dean moved quickly, finding both a full-time crew chef and securing a temp head for a charter. I highly recommend Dean's services — they are the top in the industry in my experience."

Captain Clinton Roos
63m M/Y SuRi
★★★★★

"The experience was smooth and straightforward from start to finish. He was always approachable, easy to communicate with, and very transparent. His honest, no-pressure approach made all the difference."

Chef Manoel Crisanto
88m M/Y Project X
Get Placed Like Them →
Join the Database

Ready to find your
next position?

Register below and we'll add you to our vetted database. When the right role comes in, we'll be in touch — directly and discreetly.

I'm a Chef
Register for open positions

I'm Hiring
Find a chef for your vessel

Send your brief and receive a shortlist of vetted chefs within 48 hours. Choose how you pay: a fixed €2,500 placement fee (€500 deposit, credited in full) — or nothing upfront and one month's salary when you hire. Every search includes 7 days of dedicated, exclusive attention.

📄 By submitting this enquiry, you agree to our Terms of Business. Please review them before proceeding — they outline the two fee options (fixed €2,500 or success-only), 7-day exclusivity, the 60-day replacement guarantee, confidentiality obligations, and governing law.
TERMS OF BUSINESS
Overview

Yacht Chef Jobs Crew Placement specialises in the recruitment and placement of chefs for the yachting industry, private households, and travelling positions. These terms govern all Services provided to the Client.

These terms are considered accepted once Yacht Chef Jobs Crew Placement receives instructions to provide the Services.

Our Fees
Placement Type Fee
Option 1 — Fixed Fee
Permanent placements · €500 deposit on instruction
€2,500 flat, all-in — the €500 deposit is credited, balance due on placement
Option 2 — Success Fee
Permanent placements · nothing upfront
1 month of the chef's salary + VAT, payable only when you hire
Multiple Placements
2 or more chefs under one engagement (Option 2)
100% of highest salary + 75% per additional chef
Short-Term / Charter
90 days or fewer (incl. travel days)
33.3% of total salary paid — minimum €500

You choose how you pay, per position. Under the Fixed Fee option, the €500 deposit is credited in full against the €2,500 fee — and if no hire results, it stays valid as a credit toward any recruitment with us for 12 months. Under the Success Fee option there's nothing to pay until you hire.

Invoices are issued when your chosen chef accepts the offer, and are payable within 14 days — and before the chef's start date. The 60-day replacement guarantee applies when payment is made on time.

Bank details are provided on invoice. We will never notify a change of bank details by email alone — always verify by phone before paying.

7-Day Exclusivity & Introduction Protection

Under both fee options, you appoint Yacht Chef Jobs as your exclusive agency for the role for 7 days — no other agencies or self-sourcing for that position during the window. You'll have a vetted shortlist well within it. After 7 days you're free to use other channels.

If you engage any chef we introduced — directly or through a third party, for any position — within 12 months of the introduction, the full placement fee becomes payable.

60-Day Replacement Guarantee

If a placed chef voluntarily resigns within 60 days of starting, and the fee was paid in accordance with our payment terms, we will source a replacement at no additional cost.

This guarantee applies to voluntary resignations only. If you dismiss the chef, no replacement is owed unless we determine at our sole discretion that the dismissal was justified.

If we cannot find a replacement, a proportional credit note is issued: 10% of the fee per full week not worked (applicable for placements of 1–60 days). After 60 days, the full fee stands.

Confidentiality of Applicant Profiles

All CVs and applicant profiles shared by Yacht Chef Jobs are strictly confidential and for your internal use only. You may not forward or share them with any third party — including other captains, yachts, or agencies — without the applicant's prior written consent.

If a profile is shared and results in a hire elsewhere, the full placement fee becomes payable as if you had hired the chef yourself.

Client Responsibilities

We vet every candidate with reasonable care — including reference checks and verification of qualifications, STCW and medical certificates. You remain responsible for satisfying yourself as to suitability, and for securing all necessary work permits, visas, flag state endorsements, and bearing all employment costs (travel, accommodation, insurance, etc.).

MLC 2006 Compliance

Yacht Chef Jobs Crew Placement operates as a private seafarer recruitment and placement service in accordance with Regulation 1.4 and Standard A1.4 of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006. We never charge chefs any fee for placement, maintain an up-to-date register of all seafarers placed, and ensure every chef sees and understands their employment agreement before signing.

Governing Law

These Terms of Business are governed by the laws of France. Any disputes fall under the jurisdiction of the Commercial Court of Nice.

This is a summary only — the full signed Terms of Business govern every engagement.

📄 Download Full Terms (PDF) 📧 Request via Email