executive chef; head chef
The top-ranking chef in a professional kitchen, responsible for menu creation, kitchen management, and overall culinary direction.
He was appointed executive chef of a famous hotel.
The head chef devised a new menu.
料理長 is a head chef or chef de cuisine, often in charge of a single kitchen or section, while 総料理長 is the executive chef overseeing multiple kitchens or the entire culinary operation.
Compound of 総 (そう, 'overall, general') + 料理長 (りょうりちょう, 'head chef'). The prefix 総 elevates the role to the highest culinary authority in an establishment.