Commissary Executive Chef

Aramark Ireland Holdings Limited; Bentonville (AR); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

LifeWorks Restaurant Group, part of Aramark's Workplace Experience Group, seeks an Executive Chef to lead a central kitchen feeding 16,000+ guests daily. You will drive culinary excellence, safety, and efficiency across a large-scale operation while managing chef managers and hourly staff.

You will oversee production standards, training, and supplier relationships, ensuring food quality and margin targets are met in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience in high-volume operations.
• Extensive knowledge of industrial-grade equipment and large-batch cooking methods.
• Hands-on experience with sous vide, cook-chill systems, and related tech.
• Advanced HACCP, sanitation, allergen controls, and QA programs.
• Experience managing large-scale purchasing, inventory, and procurement.

Responsibilities

• Ensure proper implementation and monitoring of critical control points through receiving, production, and service
• Lead safety audits and corrective action plans for the team
• Ensure culinary production connects to the Executional Framework
• Maintain standards for production, presentation, and service
• Manage a culinary team including chef managers and hourly staff
• Train and manage culinary staff in best practices
• Coach employees by creating a shared understanding about goals and methods
• Plan and run team meetings and daily huddles
• Maintain staff records and performance data
• Develop client and guest rapport for mutually beneficial relationships
• Interact directly with guests daily
• Share regional culinary and ingredient trends
• Deliver food and labor targets
• Focus on margin improvement; monitor performance metrics and trends
• Ensure efficient execution and delivery of all culinary products in line with the daily menu
• Maintain food quality and safety of items
• Comply with Operational Excellence fundamentals: waste, menus, recipes, ingredients
• Understand end-to-end supply chain and procurement processes
• Implement the Food Framework
• Estimate food consumption for requisitions

Skills

Culinary leadership

Operations management

Food safety

Team coaching

Menu planning

Tools

Sous vide

Cook-chill

Blast chillers

Vacuum packaging

High-capacity machinery

Job description

LifeWorks Restaurant Group crafts thoughtful, chef-led dining and hospitality experiences designed around the people and places we serve. From the first conversation, our teams work as true partners with our clients, shaping everything from the design of a space to the way the experience comes to life. We craft thoughtful, elevated experiences that leave people more inspired, more connected, and genuinely cared for. LifeWorks Restaurant Group is part of Aramark's Workplace Experience Group. Learn more at lifeworksrestaurantgroup.com. Imagination Well Served. #LifeWorksRestaurantGroup Home - LifeWorks Restaurant Group

The Commissary Executive Chef is a management position that is responsible for leading high-volume central kitchen production. This premier dining program is feeding more than 16,000 guests (daily) over multiple cafes and food venues. This role is responsible for driving culinary excellence, operational efficiency, food safety, and team engagement across a large-scale commissary operation. The Commissary Executive Chef will lead a scratch-cooking culinary operation while maintaining strict safety and sanitation procedures and consistency.

Job Responsibilities

• Ensure proper implementation and monitoring of critical control points through receiving, production, and service
• Lead safety audits and corrective action plans for the team
• Ensures culinary production appropriately connects to the Executional Framework
• Ensures proper culinary standards and techniques are in place for preparation of food items, including production, presentation, and service standards
• Manages a culinary team, including chef managers and hourly staff, to ensure quality in final presentation of food
• Train and manage culinary and kitchen employees to use best practice food production techniques
• Coach employees by creating a shared understanding about what needs to be achieved and how it is to be achieved
• Reward and recognize employees
• Plan and execute team meetings and daily huddles
• Complete and maintain all staff records including training records, shift opening/closing checklists and performance data
• Develop and maintain effective client and guest rapport for mutually beneficial business relationships
• Interact directly with guests daily
• Aggregate and communicate regional culinary and ingredient trends
• Responsible for delivering food and labor targets
• Consistent focus on margin improvement; understanding performance metrics, data, order, and inventory trends
• Ensure efficient execution and delivery of all culinary products in line with the daily menu
• Maintain integrity of the standard Aramark food offer; responsible for always maintaining food quality and safety of items
• Full compliance with Operational Excellence fundamentals: managing waste, standard menus, recipes and ingredients through managing customer driven menus and labor standards
• Understand end to end supply chain and procurement process and systems, ensuring only authorized suppliers are used
• Full knowledge and implementation of the Food Framework
• Ensure accuracy of estimated food consumption for appropriate requisitions and/or food purchase
• Ensure proper equipment operation and maintenance
• Ensure compliance with Aramark SAFE food and Quality Assurance standards, occupational and environmental safety policies in all culinary and kitchen operations
• Comply with all applicable policies, rules and regulations, including but not limited to those relating to safety, health, wage and hour

At Aramark, developing new skills and doing what it takes to get the job done make a positive impact for our employees and for our customers. In order to meet our commitments, job duties may change or new ones may be assigned without formal notice.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience, including at least 3 years in a high-volume commissary, central production kitchen, manufacturing, or large-scale foodservice environment
• Extensive knowledge of industrial-grade food production equipment and large-batch cooking methods
• Hands-on experience utilizing commercial sous vide equipment, cook-chill systems, blast chillers, vacuum packaging equipment, and high-capacity production machinery
• Advanced knowledge of HACCP principles, food safety regulations, sanitation practices, allergen controls, and quality assurance programs
• Experience managing large-scale purchasing, inventory controls, product forecasting, and bulk ingredient procurement
• Strong understanding of food manufacturing principles, production flow, and commissary distribution models

Education

About Aramark

Our Mission

Rooted in service and united by our purpose, we strive to do great things for each other, our partners, our communities, and our planet.

At Aramark, we believe that every employee should enjoy equal employment opportunity and be free to participate in all aspects of the company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, pregnancy, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military status, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by applicable law.

About Aramark

The people of Aramark proudly serve millions of guests every day through food and facilities in 15 countries around the world. Rooted in service and united by our purpose, we strive to do great things for each other, our partners, our communities, and our planet. We believe a career should develop your talents, fuel your passions, and empower your professional growth. So, no matter what you're pursuing -a new challenge, a sense of belonging, or just a great place to work - our focus is helping you reach your full potential. Learn more about working here at http://www.aramarkcareers.com or connect with us on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter .