Executive Chef

Compensation: $85,000 Base Salary

We are seeking an experienced, hands-on Executive Chef to lead culinary operations for an established, high-volume catering organization. This opportunity is ideal for a creative, operationally focused culinary leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment, enjoys developing talented teams, and understands how to deliver exceptional food quality while maintaining strong financial performance.

The Executive Chef will oversee all aspects of culinary operations, including menu development, food production, event execution, purchasing, inventory management, and team leadership. Success requires a highly organized, engaged leader who can balance culinary creativity with operational discipline, consistently delivering outstanding food and memorable guest experiences across a diverse range of catered events.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead all daily culinary operations, including food preparation, production, quality control, and execution of catering orders and events.
• Recruit, train, coach, and develop culinary team members while fostering a positive, accountable, and high-performing kitchen culture.
• Oversee culinary planning and execution for catered events, maintaining exceptional standards for food quality, presentation, and consistency.
• Develop innovative, seasonal, and customized menus in collaboration with the General Manager and Sales team.
• Create and standardize recipes, preparation procedures, and production systems to maintain consistency across all events.
• Manage culinary financial performance, including food costs, labor expenses, purchasing, inventory, waste reduction, and departmental budgets.
• Oversee food purchasing, vendor coordination, product quality, and inventory controls to support efficient kitchen operations.
• Plan production schedules, staffing levels, and kitchen workflows to meet daily order volume and event requirements.
• Maintain exceptional standards for food safety, sanitation, kitchen cleanliness, and regulatory compliance.
• Collaborate with Sales and Operations to coordinate event requirements, special menus, dietary restrictions, and client expectations.
• Monitor food preparation and event execution to maintain quality, consistency, presentation, and operational efficiency.
• Identify opportunities to improve culinary processes, increase productivity, control costs, and enhance profitability.
• Stay current with culinary trends, emerging techniques, and menu innovations to continually elevate the catering experience.

Qualifications:

• Significant culinary leadership experience as an Executive Chef, Executive Sous Chef, or senior culinary leader in a high-volume catering, banquet, or large-scale food production environment.
• Proven success managing culinary teams, overseeing complex food production, and executing multiple events or large-volume orders.
• Strong culinary expertise with a passion for menu development, food presentation, quality, and innovation.
• Demonstrated ability to recruit, coach, motivate, and develop high-performing culinary teams.
• Comprehensive understanding of culinary financials, including food costs, labor management, purchasing, inventory, budgeting, and profitability.
• Experience developing standardized recipes, production procedures, and efficient kitchen workflows.
• Strong knowledge of food safety regulations, sanitation standards, and professional kitchen best practices.
• Working knowledge of dietary restrictions, food allergies, and specialized menus, including vegetarian and vegan cuisine.
• Excellent communication, organizational, time-management, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with Sales, Operations, and event teams to deliver exceptional client experiences.
• Proficiency with inventory management, purchasing systems, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Confident, hands-on leadership style with the ability to adapt quickly and remain composed under pressure.
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and extended hours based on event schedules and business demands.
• Demonstrated career progression and consistent professional tenure.

The Ideal Candidate:

You are a creative, disciplined, and people-focused culinary leader who understands that exceptional catering begins with thoughtful planning, consistent execution, and a well-developed team. You lead by example, take pride in your craft, and know how to deliver outstanding food quality across events of varying sizes and complexity.

You combine strong culinary expertise with sound business judgment and a genuine passion for hospitality. You understand food costs, labor management, and production efficiency, but never lose sight of the creativity, presentation, and attention to detail that make an event memorable. You are equally comfortable developing a new menu, mentoring a sous chef, managing a busy production schedule, or stepping onto the line when needed.

If you are an accomplished culinary leader looking for an opportunity to lead a talented team, showcase your creativity, and deliver exceptional catering experiences, we want to hear from you.

Due to the volume of applications, only candidates selected for further consideration will be contacted.