Executive Chef Jobs

The Executive Chef is the head of our Culinary Department at the lodge and a key management position. The Executive Chef is responsible for departmental profitability, management of main kitchen and production kitchen, menu development, restaurant serving periods, catered events, and staff meals.

The Executive Chef supervises all culinary operations and the Culinary Management Team to ensure lodge guests have a fantastic dining experience. Our Chef also oversees the Production Sous Chef, who supervises daily staff meals, general store deli and other food production functions. The staff dining program serves over one hundred staff during peak season.

The Executive Chef works closely with the Lodge General Manager in coordinating and executing Lodge operations and supporting all departments at the Lodge as needed. The Executive Chef is also highly involved in supporting our youth employment program.

The lodge provides full breakfast, sit down and to go lunches and dinner in our main restaurant, tavern and outdoor dining room. The lodge prides itself in serving fresh, health conscious and creative ‘California Lodge Cuisine’ that far exceeds guest expectations given our remote setting. Most of our in-house guests eat with us in our relaxed mountain environment each night along with locals. To learn more about our restaurant and recent menus, please see our website.

The lodge is a coveted wedding venue catering to customized weddings, corporate retreat and specialty group business each year in various venues throughout the lodge property. This wedding and small group focus adds additional creative opportunities to the Executive Chef role, which is supported by our Catering Lead.

Essential Functions/Key Responsibilities

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

Our ideal Executive Chef is creative, experienced, mature, self motivated and excited to develop

a friendly and professional staff environment and embraces working hands on at a high culinary level in a rustic environment.

Key Personality Traits

• Mature, personable leader with a relaxed nature
• Leading a healthy, drug-free lifestyle
• Patience, patience, patience
• High integrity and creativity
• Guest service oriented and staff-focused
• Execution oriented; enjoys hands-on implementation
• Self-motivated (takes initiative) with high standards
• Flexible with a “whatever it takes” attitude
• Dynamic, fun, and likes the outdoors

Competencies/Required Skills and Abilities

• Extensive experience managing a busy, multi-faceted operation, including financial management

• Strong interest in training/coaching and in supporting our youth mission
• Disciplined regarding planning and managing schedules and meal/rest breaks
• Significant menu design experience
• Hospitality or related experience
• Independent thinker with great initiative, but comfortable working within a defined framework
• Strong culinary training (formal and/or informal) and knowledge of fresh California style cuisine
• Create a warm family atmosphere for staff while maintaining high standards
• Wedding or similar high-end catering experience

Culture

• Build an energized, well trained, technique driven team
• Create a fun, friendly culture and a high service standard
• Have warm and friendly guest interaction including table visits, special events appearances, cordial correspondence, etc.

Staff

• Coordinate daily with Tavern and Restaurant managers/staff
• Actively support our youth employment and development program
• Schedule, train and manage kitchen staff
• Communicate effectively and maintain a close working relationship with the General Manager as well as the kitchen management and lodge leadership teams
• Interview, hire and review kitchen staff

Operations

• Order, receive, and manage relationship for vendors/purveyors
• Establish and oversee strong safety standards
• Devise and execute operational enhancements
• Manage storage and inventory training/standards
• Provide ongoing training and oversight in food quality, cleanliness and hygiene standards
• Coordinate and execute catering functions and special events
• Maintain kitchen equipment and supplies
• Work hands-on on a daily basis
• Manage department profitability
• Establish structured processes and enforcing restaurant standards, programs and procedures, including break scheduling and monitoring
• Coordinate all production kitchen functions
• Define, cost,, and price all restaurant and tavern menus

Reporting/Financial

• Monitor actual and theoretical food costs
• Manage and code invoices and prepare food inventories/transfers
• Review and report kitchen staff hours and breaks
• Actively manage day to day labor and overtime
• Improve profitability

Other

• Communicate professionally with FOH and BOH staff, including management, and be a role model of professionalism
• Actively manage day-to-day labor and overtime
• Train and manage kitchen staff, including Sous Chefs and culinary supervisors
• Work safely to avoid injuries and accidents, including ensuring use of proper Personal Protective Equipment for all team members
• Maintain kitchen equipment and supplies
• Complete tasks in a timely manner to ensure efficient service for the kitchen
• Manage inventory and associated storage
• When finding unsafe conditions and maintenance concerns, address them immediately
• Review kitchen staff hours and payroll practices to ensure accuracy and best practices
• Maintain strong safety standards
• Inspire and model friendly, heartfelt hospitality among your team
• Train and oversee food quality, cleanliness and hygiene standards
• Work hands-on in the kitchen on a daily basis
• Support other Lodge departments and managers as needed
• Improve profitability by controlling cost and limiting waste
• Create a staff mentality that is quality driven and guest-oriented
• Enforce structured processes, restaurant standards, programs and procedures
• Order, receive and maintain proper par levels
• Create fair and consistent work environment based on respect and positivity

Work environment and Physical demands

• Scrubbing and mopping floors
• Lifting up to 50 pounds maximum
• Frequent walking, twisting, bending, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, reaching, sitting, climbing stairs
• Shifts of up to 8 hours per day, plus periodic additional overtime hours
• Ability to stand and move continuously
• Working with required chemicals
• The physical environment requires the employee to work both inside and outside in heat/cold, wet/humid, and dry/arid conditions

Details

• Our local community is home to many key managers and their families as well
• Healthcare benefits available after 90 days
• Hours variable, including nights and weekends and all holidays, as well as situational/crisis availability; a regular schedule with specific, set days off will be established
• 401K eligible with 3% company match after 1 year
• Full time salaried position
• Compensation based on experience
• Additional week of paid time off after 3 years
• Drug testing required in support of the healthy work and living environment we strive to create
• The lodge is a remote location and housing options are available both onsite and offsite

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.