Executive Chef: Lead Elite Event Catering

Compass Group UK; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare & wellbeing

23 days’ annual leave + bank holidays

Life Assurance

Meals on duty

Pension scheme

Discounts & perks

Job summary

The Vox is a flagship venue, operated by Levy, part of NEC Group Conventions in Birmingham. We seek an Executive Chef to lead the culinary operation for conferences, meetings, functions and events, delivering exceptional food experiences and leading a high-performing kitchen team.

You will combine culinary creativity with strong commercial and operational thinking, ensuring high standards while managing costs and developing your team for scalable, high-quality catering.

Qualifications

• Relevant professional culinary qualifications or equivalent experience.
• Proven experience as an Executive Chef or in a comparable senior culinary leadership role.
• Strong experience across menu planning, food preparation and kitchen management.
• Experience leading, mentoring and developing a diverse kitchen team.
• Strong commercial awareness with experience managing food costs, budgets and purchasing.
• Excellent knowledge of food safety, hygiene and compliance requirements.
• Experience delivering high-quality food at scale, ideally within events, conferences, hospitality or a similar environment.
• A creative approach to menu development, with the ability to cater for a wide range of tastes and dietary requirements.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build strong relationships with Sales, Events and wider venue teams.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• A flexible and adaptable approach, with the ability to work evenings and weekends as required.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee the culinary operation across conferences, meetings, functions and events at The Vox.
• Oversee and participate in the preparation and cooking of food, ensuring consistently high standards of quality, taste and presentation.
• Plan and execute catering for events, ensuring food and service meet the expectations of guests, clients and wider stakeholders.
• Lead, mentor and develop the kitchen team, creating a positive, cohesive and productive working environment.
• Provide training and support to chefs and kitchen assistants, including culinary techniques relevant to large-scale event catering.
• Manage food costs and the kitchen budget, ensuring commercial targets are achieved without compromising quality.
• Oversee purchasing and sourcing, ensuring ingredients are obtained economically and to the required quality standards.
• Maintain accurate records of expenditure, stock and inventory.
• Oversee ordering, storage and stock management, minimising waste and maximising efficiency.
• Maintain consistently high standards of food quality and presentation through effective quality control.
• Ensure full compliance with food safety, health and safety, hygiene and dietary requirements.
• Conduct regular checks and audits to maintain high standards across the kitchen operation.
• Work closely with the Venue Sales and Event Management teams to understand requirements and deliver outstanding culinary experiences.
• Continuously look for opportunities to improve menus, processes and the overall guest experience.
• Stay up to date with culinary trends, techniques and innovation, bringing fresh ideas and creativity to the operation.
• Champion sustainability, responsible sourcing and the Levy approach to food and hospitality.

Skills

Executive Chef

Menu planning

Budget management

Team leadership

Food safety

Communication

Event catering

Education

Culinary qualifications

Job description

The Vox is a flagship venue, operated by Levy, part of NEC Group Conventions in Birmingham. We seek an Executive Chef to lead the culinary operation for conferences, meetings, functions and events, delivering exceptional food experiences and leading a high-performing kitchen team.

You will combine culinary creativity with strong commercial and operational thinking, ensuring high standards while managing costs and developing your team for scalable, high-quality catering.