Executive Chef

Opti Staffing; Anchorage (AK); On-site; USD 110,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Medical, dental, and vision

401(k) with employer match

Employee discounts and chef meals

Relocation incentives

Leadership development opportunities

Job summary

OPTI STAFFING GROUP is hiring an Executive Chef for a high-volume scratch kitchen in Anchorage, AK. The successful candidate will lead all kitchen operations, drive culinary excellence, control costs, and develop a performance-driven team.

This role requires strategic leadership, financial acumen, and a passion for Alaska-inspired cuisine. The Executive Chef will own menu engineering, safety programs, and labor optimization while partnering with the General Manager to deliver outstanding guest

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive culinary leadership in high-volume kitchens
• Experience managing food cost, kitchen labor, and menu costing
• Legal authorization to work in the United States
• Strong knowledge of food safety and kitchen operations

Responsibilities

• Lead all kitchen functions and culinary staff in a high-volume, scratch kitchen
• Own food cost, labor, waste, and menu contribution with budget planning
• Develop recipes, standards, and seasonal offerings while ensuring safety and quality
• Partner with General Manager on hiring, performance management, and staffing decisions
• Collaborate with FOH to improve service flow and guest experience

Skills

Culinary leadership

Financial management

Education

Culinary degree or apprenticeship

Job description

OPTI STAFFING GROUP IS HIRING! Opening: Executive Chef — High-Volume Scratch Kitchen Location: Anchorage, AK Pay: $110,000–$145,000 + incentives based on performance Executive Chef — High-Volume Scratch Kitchen

Set the culinary standard for a flagship Alaska destination and lead every dimension of kitchen performance. This role provides complete leadership over all kitchen functions — culinary execution, kitchen culture, staffing, food safety, menu performance, production systems, purchasing discipline, cost control, and the guest-facing quality of every plate. The ideal candidate is an accomplished culinary executive who pairs creativity with financial rigor, understanding that culinary excellence and profitability are mutually reinforcing when recipes, purchasing, preparation, labor, training, equipment, and menu architecture are managed as one disciplined system.

The Mandate: Create a high-performance culinary organization that consistently delivers distinctive Alaska-inspired food, strong menu contribution, disciplined prime cost, exceptional sanitation, and a deep pipeline of culinary leadership.

Role Scope & Leadership Expectations

Lead all kitchen functions, culinary leaders, production systems, food safety, menu execution, and back-of-house labor Own culinary financial performance including food cost, kitchen labor, waste, purchasing, inventory, yield, and menu contribution Partner with the General Manager as a co-leader of the business and guest experience Exercise authority over culinary hiring, staffing recommendations, performance management, and terminations per company policy Develop recipes, specifications, presentation standards, seasonal offerings, specials, and execution systems Protect equipment, production capacity, sanitation, and kitchen readiness

Essential Duties

Culinary Vision & Execution

Define and maintain culinary standards for flavor, presentation, temperature, portion, timing, and consistency Lead menu development, seasonal innovation, specials, recipe testing, costing, documentation, and controlled rollout Ensure recipes, yields, prep methods, plate builds, allergen controls, and holding standards are documented and followed Balance regional identity, guest appeal, operational feasibility, sourcing, price architecture, and contribution margin Maintain a visible presence during peak service and lead disciplined recovery when execution deviates

Financial Stewardship & Menu Economics

Own food cost, culinary labor, waste, yield, inventory variance, purchasing, and contribution margin Use menu engineering to evaluate popularity, profitability, price, portion, and operational complexity Review receiving, storage, transfers, production, spoilage, comps, and inventory practices for control weaknesses Build kitchen budgets and forecasts with the General Manager and Finance Evaluate equipment, product, and process decisions through quality, capacity, labor, lifecycle cost, and ROI

Kitchen Operations & Systems Design

Design production schedules, station deployment, prep systems, pars, ordering, receiving, storage, labeling, cooling, reheating, and service handoffs Ensure every station is prepared, staffed, equipped, and accountable before service Establish preventive maintenance, cleaning, calibration, and escalation standards for culinary equipment Partner with front-of-house leaders to improve ticket pacing, communication, table experience, and service recovery Plan for seasonal demand, events, large parties, supply disruption, and staffing constraints

Talent & Culture Leadership

Recruit, select, onboard, train, coach, evaluate, and develop culinary leaders and employees Create clear station certifications, skills progression, cross-training, and succession plans Hold leaders accountable for standards, attendance, productivity, professionalism, documentation, and training Build a kitchen culture marked by urgency, respect, craftsmanship, safety, and one-team behavior Partner with HR and the General Manager on employee relations, corrective action, retention, and workforce planning

Food Safety, Compliance & Risk

Maintain exemplary food protection, sanitation, allergen management, workplace safety, chemical control, and incident-reporting practices Ensure readiness for health inspections and internal audits at all times Verify required certifications, training, logs, temperature records, corrective actions, and documentation Stop unsafe practices immediately and elevate material risks Maintain compliance with wage-and-hour requirements, company policy, and lawful employment practices

Success Measures

Target Area Indicators of Success

Culinary Profitability

Food cost, kitchen labor, prime cost contribution, menu contribution margin, price-value balance, budget performance

Quality & Consistency

Recipe adherence, presentation, temperature, order accuracy, quality audits, guest feedback, recovery trends

Menu Performance

Item popularity, contribution, seasonal performance, innovation discipline, execution complexity, product availability

Inventory & Waste

Inventory accuracy, variance, yield, spoilage, waste, purchasing compliance, receiving controls, storage discipline

People & Leadership

Culinary turnover, leadership bench strength, training and certification, internal promotion, attendance, culture

Safety & Sanitation

Health inspection performance, food safety compliance, allergen controls, injury trends, documentation, corrective-action closure

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive culinary leadership, including Executive Chef, Chef de Cuisine, or comparable responsibility in a high-volume scratch kitchen
• Demonstrated responsibility for food cost, kitchen labor, menu costing, inventory, purchasing, and culinary budgets
• Documented success developing sous chefs, kitchen managers, and high-performing culinary teams
• Strong knowledge of food safety, sanitation, allergens, production systems, and commercial kitchen operations
• Availability aligned with business demand, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and peak events
• Legal authorization to work in the United States

Preferred Qualifications

• Culinary degree or recognized apprenticeship, or equivalent executive culinary experience
• Experience in destination restaurants, craft breweries, hotels, resorts, or high-volume independent concepts
• Experience with regional sourcing, seasonal menu strategy, banquets, events, or large-party execution
• Certified Executive Chef, Certified Food Protection Manager, or comparable credentials

Leadership Competencies

• Financial Acumen — interprets operating statements, forecasts, margin drivers, and capital decisions
• Enterprise Leadership — balances immediate operations with long‑term brand, talent, and org priorities
• Talent Builder — selects strong leaders, sets expectations, coaches, and develops succession depth
• Operational Discipline — builds repeatable systems and uses data to drive consistency
• Executive Communication — communicates complex issues with clarity and sound judgment
• Integrity & Stewardship — protects resources, confidential information, safety, and trust

Benefits

• Paid time off and paid sick leave per company policy
• Medical, dental, and vision plan options
• 401(k) eligibility (employer match discretionary)
• Employee discounts and complimentary manager meals
• Relocation, travel, or signing incentives may be available depending on candidate location and business need (subject to a written repayment agreement for early departure)
• Ongoing leadership development and career-growth opportunities

Work Environment

This role is based primarily in a commercial kitchen and requires extended standing and walking, frequent bending and reaching, work near heat, steam, refrigeration, sharp tools, and cleaning chemicals, and the ability to lift and move typical kitchen products and equipment. Reasonable accommodations available for qualified individuals.