Chef de Cuisine

Westgate Resorts; Kissimmee (FL); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Paid time off

Paid holidays

401(k) with company match

Daily pay advancement

Tuition assistance

Employee assistance program

Job summary

Westgate Vacation Villas & Town Center Resort is seeking a Chef de Cuisine for Sid’s American Kitchen in Kissimmee, FL. You will lead a high-volume kitchen, maintain safety standards, and drive quality across all menu items.

The role requires a strong background in culinary management, staff development, and cost control, with flexibility for nights and weekends. A culinary degree is preferred, and Food Handler certification must be obtained within 30 days of hire.

Qualifications

• 10 years of culinary management experience in high-volume settings.
• Proven ability to train and develop culinary teams; multi-outlet experience preferred.
• Culinary degree from an accredited institution preferred.
• Food Handler Certification required within 30 days of hire and kept current.

Responsibilities

• Lead, train, coach, and supervise kitchen team members for daily operations.
• Oversee food prep, cooking, portioning, and presentation for quality and consistency.
• Manage receiving, storage, temperature control, rotation, and HACCP compliance.
• Control labor and food costs via scheduling, inventory, and purchasing.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Team development

Cost control

Food safety

Menu development

Education

Culinary degree

Tools

Commercial kitchen equipment

Job description

Company Description

Westgate Vacation Villas & Town Center Resort offers you an incredible opportunity to meet and share stories with guests from around the world who come to experience Central Florida’s world-famous theme parks and attractions. Enjoy the excitement and surroundings of our world-class resort, featuring award-winning attractions and restaurants. As part of Westgate Resorts, recognized by U.S. News as one of the Best Companies to Work For, you’ll be joining a team committed to excellence and creating unforgettable vacation experiences and supporting your career growth where you are or at 60+ resorts across the company.

Job Description

Sid’s American Kitchen is a casual, high-volume restaurant located at Westgate Vacation Villas Resort in Kissimmee, Florida. The outlet focuses on delivering quality, made-to-order American-style dishes while providing a welcoming and efficient dining experience for guests. Team members work in a fast-paced, service-driven environment, supporting both guest satisfaction and overall operational success.
AsaChef de Cuisine,you will:

• Lead, train, coach, and supervise kitchen team members to ensure efficient daily operations and proper preparation of menu items.
• Oversee food preparation, cooking, portioning, and presentation to maintain quality and consistency.
• Ensure proper receiving, storage, temperature control, and rotation of food products in accordance with food safety standards.
• Monitor and control food and labor costs through scheduling, inventory management, requisitioning, and purchasing.
• Develop and maintain recipes, inventory records, and supply orders as needed.
• Ensure compliance with sanitation, safety, HACCP, and health department regulations.
• Maintain high culinary and guest service standards and respond to guest needs when necessary.
• Coordinate kitchen equipment maintenance needs with the Executive Chef and Engineering team.
• Foster a positive and productive work environment through leadership, coaching, training, and team member development.
• Support hiring, performance management, and resolution of team member concerns.
• Complete other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities
Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organizations policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training back of the house team members; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining team members; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

To excel in this role, you must embody our core values of integrity, passion, and a strong work ethic. These values are essential to our success, and we are looking for candidates who shares our commitment.

Qualifications

What You Will Bring:

• 10 years of culinary management experience, preferably in a high-volume restaurant, hotel, or resort.
• Proven experience leading, training, and developing culinary teams; multi-outlet experience preferred.
• Culinary degree from an accredited institution preferred.
• Food Handler Certification required within 30 days of hire and must remain current.
• Strong knowledge of culinary techniques, food preparation, sanitation, HACCP, and health regulations.
• Experience managing labor costs, staffing, inventory, purchasing, requisitions, and kitchen productivity.
• Ability to maintain food quality, consistency, portion control, and presentation across a variety of cuisines.
• Strong communication, organization, problem-solving, decision-making, math, and time-management skills.
• Experience with commercial kitchen equipment and systems for recipes, inventory, and ordering.
• Commitment to maintaining a clean, organized, and safe kitchen, including "Clean As You Go" standards.
• Ability to stand for extended periods and occasionally lift, push, pull, or move up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced kitchen with heat, steam, cold temperatures, open flames, sharp tools, and cleaning chemicals.
• Must be available for a flexible schedule, including nights, weekends, holidays, and on-call shifts.
• Westgate Resorts is a smoke and tobacco-free workplace. Except where prohibited by law, applicants who smoke or use tobacco products will not be considered for positions at Westgate.
• Required to pass a background check, drug test, and prove eligibility to work in the United States.

Additional Information

Why Westgate?

• Comprehensive Health Benefits - Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage
• Paid Time Off - Vacation, Sick, and Personal Time to Recharge
• Paid Holidays
• 401(k) with Generous Company Match to Support Your Future
• Daily Pay - AccessYour Earnings When You Need Them
• Family-Focused Benefits - Pregnancy, Parental Leave, and Adoption Assistance
• Wellness Programs to Support Your Well-Being
• Flexible Spending Accounts(FSA)
• Tuition Assistance to Help You Grow Your Career
• Military Leave
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) - Support When You Need It Most
• Life, Disability, Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospital Insurance
• Pet Insurance for Your Furry Family Members
• Loyalty Program - Exclusive Discounts on Hotels, Cruises, Resorts, Restaurants, Entertainment, and More
• David A. Siegel Legacy Scholarship - One scholarship of up to $40,000 is awarded each year to one eligible dependent of a current Team Member.
• Career Growth and Advancement Opportunities
• Community Involvement - Give Back and Make an Impact

Westgate Resorts is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other protected status under federal, state or local law. If you have a disability and believe you need a reasonable accommodation in order to complete your application or any part of the recruiting process, please email [e-mail] with the job title and the location of the position for which you are applying. This job posting is intended to provide a general overview of the position and may not include every responsibility, duty, or qualification required. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.