Executive Chef

HDG Workforce Solution; Burr Ridge (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Health Dimensions Group is seeking an Executive Chef in Burr Ridge, IL to lead a diverse, multi‑outlet culinary program within a premier senior living community. You will drive the culinary vision, menus, service standards, and resident experiences across restaurant dining, catering, pub, and in‑house production for residential care areas.

The role requires strong leadership, business acumen, and a passion for delivering memorable dining experiences for residents and guests.

Qualifications

• Progressive culinary or foodservice leadership experience in multi‑outlet environments.
• 7+ years of progressive culinary or foodservice experience.
• Experience leading culinary teams and other people leaders.
• Strong culinary expertise with menu development, recipe standardization, QA, and presentation.
• Experience overseeing high‑volume operations, catering, purchasing, inventory, and labor management.
• Strong financial acumen with budgets, food and labor costs, pricing, P&L performance, and efficiencies.
• Knowledge of food safety, sanitation, allergens, regulatory compliance, and QA practices.
• Experience transforming culinary operations or underperforming venues preferred.
• Senior living or healthcare foodservice experience preferred.
• Strong communication, organizational, problem‑solving, and change‑management skills.
• Executive presence with hands‑on leadership in operations.
• Degree in culinary arts or related field preferred; equivalent experience considered.
• Current food sanitation or food‑protection manager certification (or ability to obtain).

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across all culinary venues while developing a high‑performing team.
• Lead the overall culinary vision and strategy across multiple dining venues and events.
• Develop and oversee menus, recipes, seasonal offerings, and presentation standards.
• Ensure distinct experiences across venues with consistent quality, hospitality, and value.
• Maintain visibility in operations, evaluating food quality, presentation, service, and resident satisfaction.
• Coach and develop culinary managers, chefs, cooks, service staff and other team members.
• Oversee budgeting, labor, food and beverage costs, inventory, pricing, revenue, and waste reduction.
• Collaborate with nursing and dietary professionals for resident diets and accommodations.
• Build vendor relationships and manage purchasing, inventory controls, and equipment needs.
• Ensure compliance with food safety and regulatory requirements.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Budgeting & P&L

Food safety & sanitation

Staff development / mentorship

Strong communication

Strategic/operational leadership

Education

Culinary arts degree

Equivalent experience

Job description

Health Dimensions Group is partnering with a premier senior living community in Burr Ridge, Illinois to identify an experienced and innovative Executive Chef to lead its comprehensive culinary program.

This is a unique opportunity for an accomplished culinary leader to oversee a diverse, multi-outlet dining operation that includes restaurant-style dining, a pub, main kitchen and dining room, bistro and grab-and-go offerings, catering services, and culinary production supporting residential care areas.

The Executive Chef will serve as the senior culinary and operational leader for the community, setting the vision for food quality, hospitality, menus, service standards, team development, financial performance, and the overall dining experience. This role is ideal for a leader who combines strong culinary expertise with business acumen and a passion for creating memorable experiences for residents and guests.

What You’ll Do

As Executive Chef, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across all culinary venues while developing a high-performing team and ensuring exceptional quality and service.

In this role, you will:

• Lead the overall culinary vision and strategy across multiple dining venues, resident dining, catering, and special events

• Develop and oversee menus, recipes, seasonal offerings, specials, presentation standards, and culinary concepts

• Ensure each dining venue offers a distinct experience while maintaining consistent standards for quality, hospitality, and value

• Maintain a visible presence throughout culinary operations, regularly evaluating food quality, presentation, service, and resident satisfaction

• Lead, coach, and develop culinary managers, chefs, cooks, service staff, and other team members

• Establish clear expectations, accountability, training, and performance standards throughout the culinary department

• Oversee restaurant-style dining operations, high-volume production, catering services, retail and grab-and-go offerings, and residential meal service

• Partner with community leadership and other departments to develop special events, dining experiences, promotions, and resident programming

• Own culinary budgeting and financial performance, including labor, food and beverage costs, inventory, pricing, revenue, waste reduction, and overall operating results

• Evaluate menus, staffing models, service hours, promotions, and purchasing strategies to improve efficiency and financial sustainability

• Maintain strong vendor relationships and oversee purchasing, inventory controls, product specifications, and equipment needs

• Ensure exceptional standards for food safety, sanitation, infection control, regulatory compliance, and documentation

• Partner closely with nursing and dietary professionals to ensure accurate execution of resident diets, allergies, modified textures, and other meal accommodations

• Use resident feedback, participation trends, financial results, and operational data to continuously improve the culinary experience

• Serve as a collaborative member of the community’s leadership team and help shape the future of its hospitality and dining programs

What We’re Looking For

• Progressive culinary or foodservice leadership experience, ideally within a multi-outlet senior living, healthcare, hospitality, restaurant, institutional foodservice, catering, or high-volume environment

• Approximately 7+ years of progressively responsible culinary or foodservice experience, with significant management responsibility strongly preferred

• Demonstrated experience leading and developing culinary teams and other people leaders

• Strong culinary expertise with experience in menu development, recipe standardization, quality assurance, and food presentation

• Experience overseeing restaurant operations, high-volume production, catering, purchasing, inventory, and labor management

• Strong financial acumen with experience managing budgets, food and labor costs, pricing, P&L performance, and operational efficiencies

• Knowledge of food safety, sanitation, allergens, regulatory compliance, and quality-assurance practices

• Experience improving or transforming culinary operations, dining concepts, or underperforming venues is strongly preferred

• Senior living or healthcare foodservice experience, including exposure to therapeutic or modified diets, is strongly preferred

• Strong communication, organizational, problem-solving, and change-management skills

• Ability to balance executive-level strategic leadership with a visible, hands-on presence throughout culinary operations

• Degree or formal education in culinary arts, foodservice management, hospitality management, business, dietetics, or a related field preferred; equivalent relevant experience will be considered

• Current food sanitation or food-protection manager certification, or ability to obtain and maintain required certification

Why This Role

This is an opportunity to lead a culinary program that extends far beyond traditional senior living dining.

You'll have the ability to influence the culinary vision, restaurant concepts, menus, resident experiences, special events, team culture, and financial performance of a sophisticated multi-venue operation. You'll work closely with senior leadership while developing a talented culinary team and creating dining experiences that residents and guests genuinely look forward to.

For a culinary leader who enjoys combining hospitality, creativity, operational excellence, and people leadership, this role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful and highly visible impact.