Culinary Director - Corporate Café & Catering Lead

Wolfgang Puck Catering; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 78,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Retirement Plan

Paid Time Off

Parental Leave

Holiday Time Off

Personal Leave

Employee Discounts

Job summary

Wolfgang Puck Catering in Chicago’s Harper Center seeks an Executive Chef to lead a premier corporate dining and catering program. This role blends café service with high-end events, guiding a skilled team in a professional setting with a schedule predominantly Monday–Friday and occasional after-hours events.

You will shape menus, control food costs, mentor about 20 culinary staff, and ensure top-tier quality and guest experience in line with client expectations.

Qualifications

• Associate degree in Culinary Arts, Hospitality, or related field or equivalent experience.
• Experience leading culinary teams in high-volume environments.
• Strong catering planning, production, and event execution.
• Hands-on leadership and willingness to work during service.
• Knowledge of menu planning, food costing, inventory, and kitchen ops.
• Awareness of trends, quality, sustainability, guest experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead all culinary operations for café and catering programs with focus on quality and guest satisfaction.
• Develop and execute regular and specialty menus aligned with client expectations.
• Oversee food production using standardized recipes and portions.
• Coach and mentor ~20 culinary team members to high performance.
• Train on sanitation, safety, and equipment use; ensure health compliance.
• Collaborate with operations, catering, and clients to ensure successful events.
• Monitor food and labor costs; manage purchasing and inventory.
• Maintain records, waste tracking, and operational reporting.

Skills

Executive leadership

Culinary operations

Menu planning

Food costing

Inventory management

Team mentorship

Vendor relations

Quality control

Education

Associate degree in Culinary Arts

Tools

Microsoft Office

Outlook

Web-based systems

Job description

Wolfgang Puck Catering in Chicago’s Harper Center seeks an Executive Chef to lead a premier corporate dining and catering program. This role blends café service with high-end events, guiding a skilled team in a professional setting with a schedule predominantly Monday–Friday and occasional after-hours events.

You will shape menus, control food costs, mentor about 20 culinary staff, and ensure top-tier quality and guest experience in line with client expectations.