Corporate Executive Chef

Marcus Hotels & Resorts; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 165,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Employee discounts

Movie theatre discounts

Modern office

Generous PTO

Company-paid benefits

401k match

Job summary

Marcus Hotels & Resorts in Milwaukee seeks a Corporate Executive Chef to lead culinary operations across restaurants, banquets, and catering. This hands-on role reports to the VP of Food & Beverage and travels to properties to elevate standards.

With 10+ years in executive culinary leadership, you will shape menus, oversee budgets, and mentor field teams to sustain brand excellence. The position offers travel, a collaborative culture, and opportunities to influence a growing portfolio of

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years’ prior experience as Executive Chef or similar with demonstrated success in all areas of culinary operations.
• Previous experience in a multi-unit leadership role, with a strong preference for hotel/resort and upscale concepts.
• Effective leadership and management skills with strategic direction and on-site staff supervision.
• Creative culinary skills with ability to craft offerings and menus for satisfaction and profit.
• Ability to analyze situations, solve problems, and present strategic recommendations.
• Financial acumen and understanding of P&L, forecasts, and capital requests.
• Uphold Marcus’s standards, culture, and conduct; strong communication across organization.
• Willingness to travel and overnight stays as needed.

Responsibilities

• Lead culinary teams across restaurants, banquets, and catering to ensure high quality and presentation.
• Develop and implement innovative menus to drive sales and profitability.
• Set operating standards, purchasing, receiving, and line execution SOPs.
• Provide budgeting guidelines and improve cost structures through staffing and process improvements.
• Establish procurement guidelines to meet quality and profit targets.
• Develop health and sanitation standards and conduct regular inspections.
• Recruit, train, and mentor culinary staff; build a talent pipeline and succession plan.
• Collaborate with corporate and property F&B teams on promotions and brand alignment.
• Visit locations as needed to oversee kitchen operations and maintain excellence.
• Create reports on status, financial updates, and project progress.

Skills

Executive leadership

Culinary operations

Vendor negotiations

Financial acumen

Strategic thinking

English proficiency

Job description

We are seeking a Corporate Executive Chef who is a hands‑on, inspirational leader with a proven track record of delivering innovative, high‑quality, and consistently exceptional culinary experiences that drive guest loyalty, personal recommendations, and repeat business. Reporting to the Vice President of Food & Beverage, this individual will lead culinary teams across restaurants, banquets, and catering operations, elevating Marcus Hotels & Resorts’ reputation as a premier food and beverage operator with a loyal and growing customer base and a distinct competitive advantage for hotel owners and investors.
This role is based out of our corporate offices but will require travel to our properties on a regular basis.

Headquartered in Milwaukee, Marcus Hotels & Resorts has built a reputation for exceptional hospitality and operational excellence for more than 60 years. Our portfolio of 18 hotels and resorts, encompassing approximately 5,000 guest rooms across the United States, reflects a unique sense of place, character, and style, while our "People Pleasing People" culture drives our commitment to creating extraordinary experiences for guests and associates alike. Supporting this mission is a robust and growing food and beverage platform featuring more than 40 outlets and three independent restaurant concepts, making culinary excellence a key driver of guest satisfaction, brand differentiation, and business success across our portfolio.

What you will be doing:

• Ensure consistency of food quality and presentation standards according to pre-established menu specifications and established operating procedures. Setting and maintaining standards for food quality and presentation.
• Create standard operating procedures for culinary operations throughout the division from purchasing and receiving to preparation and line execution.
• Collaborate with the corporate and property F&B teams to develop and implement innovative restaurant and catering menus that help to enhance our sales efforts and maximize profit.
• Lead local culinary teams to develop regular menu updates based on market changes and seasonality that align with the Marcus Hotels & Resorts vision and standards.
• Increase customer satisfaction in our outlets as measured by brand & independent quality assurance scoring.
• Provide budgeting guidelines for field operations and improve cost structures by identifying operating inefficiencies to include assessing appropriate staffing matrices, process redesign, etc.
• Establish guidelines to ensure product procurement is appropriate to meet quality standards and profit guidelines.
• Develop and lead company-wide health and sanitation standards.
• Regularly visit locations as needed to conduct routine inspections and assess kitchen operations.
• Partner with Operational and HR leadership to source, select, and train culinary staff. In addition, focus on creating succession planning to develop culinary talent pipeline.
• Develop deployment teams for field task force support to include future acquisitions.
• Act as a working Chef in the field, when needed in emergencies or other exceptional circumstances.
• Establish and manage appropriate vendor relationships, in partnership with the VP of Procurement.
• Assist project management leadership with kitchen layouts, equipment specifications, and concept development.
• Create reports as needed to share information, project status, financial updates, etc.
• Drive research and food ideation in accordance with brands, trends, labor difficulty, and margins.
• Participate in external initiatives as appropriate to support our company, our culture, and our commitment to the communities in which we operate.
• Partner with corporate marketing and sales teams as appropriate for promotional opportunities to drive business and brands.
• Participate in corporate level presentations to the hotel and restaurant owners and investors with whom we work.

What we are looking for:

• Minimum 10 years’ prior experience as Executive Chef or similar with demonstrated success in all areas of culinary operations.
• Previous experience in a multi-unit leadership role, with a strong preference for previous hotel/resort and upscale high volume independent restaurant concept.
• Effective leadership and management skills with the ability to provide strategic direction with dotted line supervisory responsibilities and/or on-site staff leadership and supervision.
• Creative culinary skills with ability to craft new food offerings and design menus to drive customer satisfaction and profit.
• Ability to analyze situations, identify & solve problems, compile, and present strategic recommendations.
• Possess financial acumen and understanding of P&L statements, property financials, forecasts, capital expenditure requests, etc.
• Maintain an elevated level of professional appearance, demeanor, and image of self and corporate office to include upholding Marcus’s standards, our culture, and our code of conduct.
• Ability to collaborate and communicate throughout all levels of the organization.
• Skilled at vendor negotiations.
• Effective interpersonal and communication skills, written and verbal including ability to read, write and speak English at a native level.
• Thrives in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities and demanding deadlines.
• Able to travel for extended periods as needed via air, rail, car, or other means. Includes need for overnight stays.

What’s in it for you?

• Eligible for annual bonus and leadership perks
• Discounts at Marcus Hotels & Resorts properties for hotel rooms and restaurants - not to mention great deals on golf, ski and spa
• Marcus Movie Theatres discounts
• Brand new, modern office space
• Generous paid time off
• Medical, dental, vision company-paid life insurance, employee assistance program offered after one month of employment
• 401k with employer bi-weekly match
• And more!

Salary Estimate: $165,000 - $175,000/year

Marcus Hotels & Resorts is an Equal Opportunity Employer.