Executive Chef

Role Overview

This is a hands-on culinary leadership position overseeing all kitchen activity across a full-service hotel or resort, from casual dining and in-room dining to large-scale banquet functions and executive lounge service. You are accountable for the daily rhythm of every kitchen—menu execution, food cost control, staffing, and the consistent delivery of a polished guest experience. Your work directly shapes the property’s reputation, guest loyalty, and financial performance across all food and beverage revenue streams.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct the full scope of culinary operations, including à la carte restaurants, bars, banquets, room service, executive lounges, and staff dining, ensuring each outlet runs to brand and service standards.
• Design and refresh menus seasonally, balancing local market trends, ingredient availability, and cost margins while maintaining a cohesive culinary identity across the property.
• Oversee banquet and catering kitchens during conferences, weddings, and large events, coordinating timing, staffing, and plating standards with event operations teams.
• Monitor all food production from prep through plating, enforcing portion control, recipe consistency, and visual presentation standards in every outlet.
• Own the kitchen budget, including monthly forecasts, food cost and labor cost targets, inventory levels, and departmental P&L—adjusting purchasing and staffing strategies to hit financial goals.
• Lead the property’s food safety and HACCP program, conducting regular audits, maintaining hygiene documentation, and embedding safe handling practices across all kitchen teams.
• Build and maintain supplier partnerships to secure high-quality ingredients at competitive prices while supporting responsible sourcing and waste-reduction initiatives.
• Recruit, onboard, coach, and develop a large, diverse culinary team, from line cooks to sous chefs, with clear performance reviews, training pathways, and succession planning for key roles.
• Collaborate with Food & Beverage, sales, and marketing colleagues to align culinary offerings with guest demand, special events, and promotional campaigns—turning feedback into concrete menu or service improvements.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Degree or diploma in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, Hotel Management, or a related field; professional culinary certification and HACCP or food safety certification strongly preferred.
• At least 7–8 years of progressive culinary experience in luxury or upscale hospitality settings, with a minimum of 5 years in a senior leadership role such as Executive Chef or Executive Sous Chef.
• Demonstrated track record of managing multiple dining concepts and high-volume banquet operations simultaneously, including large-scale catering events.
• Proven financial competence, including food cost and labor cost control, menu engineering, inventory management, and the ability to read and react to P&L statements.
• Strong people leadership skills with experience overseeing large, culturally diverse kitchen teams and a clear ability to coach, mentor, and develop future culinary leaders.
• Advanced knowledge of food safety regulations, HACCP standards, and kitchen health inspections, with a meticulous approach to cleanliness and organization.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills—able to work calmly under pressure, resolve guest complaints professionally, and build consensus across F&B, events, and operations departments.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and hotel or hospitality management systems, with enough technical ease to manage budgets, scheduling, and reporting efficiently.