Executive Chef

Food Gallery Catering is looking for a dynamic, hospitality-driven Executive Chef to lead our kitchen and bring our culinary vision to life. This is a hands-on leadership role for a chef who thrives at the intersection of creativity and operational excellence — someone who can develop inspired seasonal menus, run a tight and well-organized kitchen, and deeply understand that every event we deliver is more than a meal. You'll partner closely with our leaders and cross-functional teams to drive quality, mentor a growing culinary team, and uphold the food safety and financial standards that keep our business strong. If you're a chef who leads by example, communicates with clarity, and finds genuine satisfaction in building something exceptional — both on the plate and within a team — we'd love to meet you.

Position Summary:

The Executive Chef is responsible for leading the culinary vision, operations, and execution across all catering functions. This role ensures the kitchen runs smoothly and efficiently, supports cross-departmental collaboration, and upholds the highest standards of food quality, safety, presentation, and hospitality. The Executive Chef drives both daily execution and long-term innovation, overseeing kitchen staff, menu development, ordering, prep, and event delivery.

Reports to: Culinary & Hospitality Director

Performance Metrics:

• Culinary leadership and menu innovation
• Daily operations and event execution
• Team development and scheduling
• Financial management and inventory control
• Systems and communication
• Client experience and hospitality

Responsibilities Include:

Culinary Leadership and Menu Innovation

Your Role:

• Lead all culinary output across catered events, ensuring food is properly seasoned, plated, and held at safe temperatures with creative and visually stunning presentations.
• Develop and maintain seasonal and supplemental menus in collaboration with the Culinary Director, aligned with the annual culinary calendar, sales goals, and margin targets.
• Maintain and continuously update complete, accurate recipe books with tested yields and prep instructions.

Success Looks Like:

• All food is consistently well-seasoned, plated properly, and meets our standards before it leaves the kitchen.
• You collaborate with the culinary director and sales team to create menus that are exciting, feasible, and profitable.
• Recipe books are updated and used regularly - team members can confidently follow them.

Daily Operations & Event Execution

Your Role:

• Lead daily prep and execute meetings; communicate expectations, assign responsibilities, and follow up to ensure nothing falls through the cracks
• Manage kitchen flow, check prep lists, and adapt as needed based on the change log and real-time needs.
• Serve as MOD at events as needed - ensuring coordination between kitchen and FOH, and that food is held, displayed, and served properly.
• Ensure quality control is consistently upheld in the kitchen through daily tastings, visual checks, and real-time coaching.

Success Looks Like:

• Events run smoothly with minimal surprises. Your team feels clear on what’s expected and is supported during execution.
• You maintain food cost at or below 25% by using smart sourcing, accurate prep lists, and waste reduction.
• Ensure all events are executed with zero critical food safety violations and maintain a minimum kitchen inspection score of 95 or higher.
• You’re present and proactive in the kitchen, and the kitchen is a calm, productive environment.
• You notice and act on issues before they become problems.

Team Development and Scheduling

Your Role:

• Set clear expectations and delegate work thoughtfully.
• Create and manage BOH schedules, staff assignments, and event coverage.
• Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous learning through active mentorship and clear communication..

Success Looks Like:

• The right people are in the right place at the right time. BOH schedules are developed and published two weeks in advance, with appropriate staffing for production, tastings, and events.
• Your team knows their roles, meets deadlines, and feels supported.
• Communication is clear and professional across all levels of the kitchen.
• Operational leadership team is collaborative and works together to assign event leads, manage coverage, and evaluate team performance.

Financial Management and Inventory Control

Your Role:

• Maintain food cost below 25% through accurate ordering, yield management, and waste reduction.
• Maintain updated inventory sheets for freezer, dry storage, and walk-in; conduct monthly master inventory and weekly spot-checks.
• Review timecards and payroll and manage hourly labor within budget.
• Partner with the culinary director to monitor and analyze COGS and identify areas for savings and efficiency.

Success Looks Like:

• Inventory is organized and predictable. No over-ordering, last minute scrambles, or surprise shortages.
• You proactively spot trends or issues in labor or food costs and bring solutions.
• Prep lists and ordering are dialed in and waste is kept to a minimum.

Systems and Communication

Your Role:

• Keep all kitchen systems updated - Tripleseat, prep lists, recipe books, inventory sheets - to ensure kitchen operations stay aligned with real-time event needs.
• Act as the central culinary liaison across departments, attending and contributing to weekly BEO, Ops, and Staffing meetings.
• Collaborate with Operations leadership team to align prep, rentals, deliveries, truck/van needs, specialty orders, and volunteer delivery logistics

Success Looks Like:

• Information flows easily and in a timely manner between kitchen, sales, FOH teams.
• The kitchen is never surprised by an event - prep and communication are ahead of schedule.
• You proactively use systems to stay ahead of the game, not just to check a box.

Client Experience and Hospitality

Your Role:

• Represent the kitchen in tastings and at events. Collaborate with sales on custom menu requests to win business for Food Gallery.
• Ensure that hospitality and professionalism are embedded in every food experience, from prep to plating to presentation.
• Ensure a seamless back-of-house experience that supports Food Gallery’s hospitality-first mission and reflects excellence at every touchpoint.
• Collaborate with the Culinary Director and Sales team to create fully or semi-custom menus in response to client requests that are operationally feasible, cost-effective, and tailored to the client’s vision.

Success Looks Like:

• Clients are impressed by the kitchen’s creativity, attention to detail, presentation, and flexibility.
• You’re known for saying “yes” when possible, and for finding smart, creative ways to deliver.
• The kitchen team understands that we’re not just serving food - we’re delivering full, memorable experiences.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $75,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Application Question(s):

• 1. What systems or tools do you currently use to manage prep lists, inventory, and event execution?

2. How do you keep your kitchen team aligned and informed?

License/Certification:

• Food Protection Manager License (Required)
• Driver's License (Required)

Work Location: In person