Chef

RDV Corporation; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401k with match

Paid time off

Discounted memberships

Job summary

RDV Corporation is seeking a Private Household Chef to provide exceptional daily dining experiences and oversee culinary operations for Principals across multiple private residences. You will manage menu planning, food preparation and personalized service, while upholding the highest standards of quality, sanitation, and safety.

You will travel between residences, including extended stays, and tailor meals to preferences and dietary needs.

Qualifications

• Private household cooking experience preferred.
• Must be flexible with days/hours and travel.
• Willingness to travel between residences, including extended stays.
• Strong knowledge of etiquette and dining service.
• Commitment to confidentiality and top-tier service.

Responsibilities

• Prepares and serves daily dinners; plans meals for non-working days.
• Coordinates meals across residences and anticipates travel and visits.
• Plans intimate gatherings and dinner parties with seamless service.
• Provides attentive, unobtrusive dining and personalized service.
• Sources high-quality ingredients; manages inventory and costs.

Skills

Private household chef

Flexible schedule

Travel readiness

Discretion & professionalism

Excellent etiquette & service

Education

Culinary arts degree

Job description

The Private Household Chef is responsible for providing exceptional daily dining experiences and overseeing culinary operations for the Principals across multiple private residences. This role manages menu planning, food preparation and presentation, personalized meal service, kitchen provisioning, inventory, and maintenance while consistently upholding the highest standards of quality, freshness, sanitation, and safety.

The Chef will develop a strong understanding of the Principals' preferences, routines, dietary needs, and lifestyle to anticipate their needs and deliver thoughtful, highly personalized service. In addition to daily meal preparation, the Chef will play an important role in creating welcoming and memorable dining experiences, with an emphasis on intimate gatherings, and dinner parties.

Success in this role requires culinary creativity, versatility, discretion, strong organizational skills, and a genuine passion for hospitality. The ideal candidate will be highly adaptable, comfortable with a flexible schedule, and willing to travel between residences, including extended stays, to support the Principals' evolving needs. If you want the opportunity to showcase your exceptional cooking skills making delicious meals with high-end ingredients for fascinating guests, this job is for you!

Schedule & Hours:

This position requires a high degree of flexibility to work where the Principals are based. The Chef will work primarily in Michigan during the summer months, travel occasionally to other residences during the spring and fall shoulder seasons, and spend the winter months primarily in Florida.

Specific work schedules will be proactively coordinated in collaboration with the Principals and household team to ensure the family's needs are consistently met. Flexibility in days and hours worked, including evenings, weekends, and holidays. While last-minute adjustments may be necessary, most scheduling is planned well in advance. The Chef must also be comfortable with extended periods of travel and time away from their primary residence.

We are intentional about enriching our employment experiences through a unique blend of benefit offerings that include:

• Robust health insurance options with competitive employer contributions.
• 401k retirement plan with a generous employer match of up to 7.5%.
• Paid time off programs include paid time off, paid holidays, and more.
• Discounted memberships to MVP Sportsplex.

What You'll Do:

• Prepares and serves daily dinner for the Principals, and lunch service as needed; plans and prepares meals in advance for non-working days, and other periods when the chef is not on site.
• Coordinates food and meal readiness across the family’s residences, anticipating visits, travel schedules, and the needs of each home.
• Plans, coordinates, and executes intimate gatherings and dinner parties, providing service ranging from casual to comfortably elegant. Collaborates with the household team and outside caterers as needed to ensure seamless service for larger events.
• Serves personal guests and participants of business meetings conducted within the home.
• Prepares nutritious, flavorful meals tailored to the Principals' preferences, dietary needs, and allergies while demonstrating culinary creativity through new recipes, seasonal menus, and innovative dining experiences.
• Demonstrates excellent knowledge of and experience with household table etiquette and service; demonstrates creativity and artistic presentation in food preparation and table service, whether dining is casual or comfortably elegant.
• Creates a warm, personal dining experience and provides attentive, unobtrusive service that reflects the Principals’ preferences and the occasion.
• Independently sources high-quality, fresh, and seasonal ingredients while incorporating the Principals' preferences and preferred vendors. Manages inventory, purchasing, and food costs to ensure appropriate stock levels and minimize waste.
• Maintains kitchen equipment, food preparation areas, and dining spaces to the highest standards of cleanliness, organization, and safety. Completes end-of-day procedures, including proper food storage, equipment cleaning and shutdown, and preparation of kitchen and dining areas for the next day's service.
• Orders, receives, and stores all food and kitchen related equipment.
• Orders, receives, and stocks guest homes (wherever the Principals and guests are) with beverages, snacks, and breakfast items.
• Follows appropriate operating procedures of all equipment, utensils, and machinery; establishes equipment maintenance schedules in conjunction with manufacturer’s instructions.
• Practices effective communications with the Principals and staff.
• May be asked to take on special projects as requested in order to contribute to the efficiency of daily household operations.

What You'll Bring:

• Personal chef experience in a private household setting is strongly preferred.
• Variety of culinary and/or catering experience required.
• Degree from a post-secondary culinary arts education program preferred but not required.
• Excellent knowledge of household table etiquette, service, and entertaining protocol.
• Responsibilities are conducted in the home(s) of the client of RDV Staffing. While the Principals are the primary relationship responsibility, employee must be genuinely committed to being part of the team of household staff whose shared goal is to offer exemplary personal service and to positively contribute to the home environment.
• Willingness to be flexible in days and hours worked, as well as occasional last-minute scheduling is essential.
• Employee will be required to travel in order to provide services at various residences of client.
• Must demonstrate professionalism, pride, enthusiasm, and graciousness in service; must be self-motivated; display good listening skills; be a responsible, dedicated, and dependable person of highest integrity; neat and tidy in appearance. Attention to detail and organization and follow through in daily routine essential.
• The family’s privacy is highly important; therefore, the highest level of confidentiality in the family’s business and personal matters must be exercised at all times.

Essential Physical Demands:

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods while preparing meals, providing dining service, and maintaining kitchen operations.
• Ability to frequently bend, stoop, reach, twist, and kneel to access ingredients, equipment, storage areas, and supplies.
• Ability to lift and carry up to 25 pounds regularly and up to 50 pounds occasionally, with assistance or appropriate equipment when needed.
• Ability to push, pull, and move kitchen equipment, carts, groceries, and other supplies as needed.
• Ability to work safely in a kitchen environment with exposure to heat, steam, sharp utensils, and varying temperatures.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.