Culinary Director: Lead Chef & Menu Strategist

Aramark Corporation; Hickory (NC); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Aramark Corporation seeks an Executive Chef to lead chef managers and hourly staff, developing and executing culinary solutions to meet client tastes and standards. You will oversee culinary operations, ensure quality, safety, and efficient production, and drive margin improvements across food and labor targets.

The role requires strong leadership, a culinary degree or equivalent experience, and the ability to multi-task while coordinating with guests and clients.

Qualifications

• Requires at least 4 years of culinary experience
• At least 2 years in a management role preferred
• Requires a culinary degree or equivalent experience
• Ability to multi-task
• Ability to simplify the agenda for the team
• Requires advanced knowledge of the principles and practices within the food profession.
• This includes experiential knowledge required for management of people and/or problems.
• Requires oral, reading, and written communication skills

Responsibilities

• 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

Skills

Culinary experience

People management

Multi-tasking

Communication skills

Education

Culinary degree or equivalent

Job description

Aramark Corporation seeks an Executive Chef to lead chef managers and hourly staff, developing and executing culinary solutions to meet client tastes and standards. You will oversee culinary operations, ensure quality, safety, and efficient production, and drive margin improvements across food and labor targets.

The role requires strong leadership, a culinary degree or equivalent experience, and the ability to multi-task while coordinating with guests and clients.