Executive Chef

Ruth's Chris Steak House; Greenwich (CT); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Metz Culinary Management is seeking an experienced Executive Chef to lead culinary operations at The Nathaniel Witherell in Greenwich, CT. You will oversee daily kitchen production, food safety, and resident satisfaction while managing budgets and staff.

The role requires hands-on leadership, expertise in therapeutic diets, and a track record of maintaining high food-quality standards in a healthcare setting.

Qualifications

• Minimum of three years of culinary leadership experience in an executive role.
• Healthcare, skilled nursing, senior living, hospital, or institutional food-service preferred.
• Knowledge of therapeutic diets, food allergies, texture-modified diets, and resident-centered service.
• Strong knowledge of food safety, HACCP, sanitation, and regulatory compliance.
• Experience managing food cost, purchasing, inventory, waste, labor, scheduling, and overtime.
• Ability to train employees, delegate, document performance, and hold staff accountable.
• ServSafe Manager certification required or to be obtained within a set timeframe.
• Culinary degree or equivalent training preferred; experience in union environments is helpful.
• Proficiency with ordering, inventory, scheduling, email, spreadsheets, and food-service mgmt systems.

Responsibilities

• Direct daily kitchen production for resident meals, Café service, events, and functions.
• Ensure meals are prepared safely and delivered within service times.
• Maintain food quality, temperature, presentation, and portions.
• Ensure HACCP, sanitation, labeling, dating, and CMS/regulatory compliance.
• Follow standardized recipes for regular, therapeutic, allergen-sensitive, and textured diets.
• Train cooks and staff on food safety, recipes, portion controls, and diet textures.
• Manage weekly food spending within budget while maintaining quality and satisfaction.
• Develop waste-reduction initiatives and favor scratch cooking where possible.
• Complete monthly inventories and maintain par levels, FIFO, and purchasing records.
• Prepare food orders and ensure contingency plans for vendor issues.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Food safety HACCP

Staff training

Budgeting cost control

Communication

Menu planning

Therapeutic diets knowledge

Therapeutic diets

Texture-modified diets knowledge

Education

Culinary degree or equivalent training

ServSafe Manager certification

Tools

Inventory management systems

Scheduling software

Email & spreadsheets

Job description

Position Title: Executive Chef

Location: The Nathaniel Witherell Senior Living Community

Metz Culinary Management is seeking an experienced, hands-on Executive Chef to lead culinary operations at The Nathaniel Witherell, a skilled nursing and senior care community in Greenwich, Connecticut.

The Executive Chef is responsible for the daily operation of the kitchen, including food quality, resident satisfaction, food safety, therapeutic and texture-modified diets, purchasing, inventory, food-cost control, production planning, staffing, training, and employee accountability.

This position requires a visible, organized leader who can successfully manage a fast-paced healthcare food-service operation while maintaining professional relationships with residents, employees, facility leadership, vendors, and temporary staffing partners.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct daily kitchen production for resident meals, Café service, special events, and catered functions.
• Ensure meals are prepared and delivered accurately, safely, and within established service times.
• Maintain food quality, temperature, presentation, consistency, and portion-control standards.
• Ensure compliance with HACCP, sanitation, labeling, dating, temperature logs, CMS requirements, state regulations, and company policies.
• Ensure standardized recipes are followed for regular, therapeutic, allergen-sensitive, texture-modified, and mechanically altered diets.
• Train cooks, supervisors, and line-service employees on food safety, recipes, portion control, therapeutic diets, and texture standards.
• Manage weekly food spending within the established budget while maintaining quality and resident satisfaction.
• Develop waste-reduction initiatives and identify appropriate opportunities to replace convenience products with cost-effective scratch preparation.
• Complete monthly inventories accurately and maintain appropriate par levels, FIFO rotation, receiving controls, and purchasing records.
• Prepare food orders and maintain reliable contingency plans for vendor shortages or delivery disruptions.
• Develop efficient schedules, control overtime, and use temporary-agency staff only when operationally necessary and properly authorized.
• Provide appropriate coverage plans for vacations, callouts, open positions, and other staffing challenges.
• Coach, mentor, and hold the Sous Chef, cooks, supervisors, and food-service employees accountable for their responsibilities.
• Conduct and document regular coaching, training, and supervisory meetings.
• Develop internal employees through structured culinary training and career-development programs.
• Maintain professional, respectful, and solution-oriented communication with employees, management, residents, clients, vendors, and temporary staff.
• Communicate operational risks promptly and follow through on assignments, corrective actions, and reporting requirements.

Qualifications

• Minimum of three years of culinary leadership experience as an Executive Chef, Chef Manager, Sous Chef, or comparable role.
• Healthcare, skilled nursing, senior living, hospital, or institutional food-service experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of therapeutic diets, food allergies, texture-modified diets, and resident-centered meal service.
• Strong knowledge of food safety, HACCP, sanitation, and regulatory compliance.
• Experience managing food cost, purchasing, inventory, waste, labor, scheduling, and overtime.
• Proven ability to train employees, delegate effectively, document performance, and hold staff accountable.
• Ability to remain composed and professional during staffing challenges and other operational pressures.
• ServSafe Manager certification required or must be obtained within the timeframe established by Metz Culinary Management.
• Culinary degree or equivalent culinary training preferred.
• Experience working in a union environment is helpful.
• Proficiency with ordering, inventory, scheduling, email, spreadsheets, and food-service management systems.

Schedule Requirements

This is a full-time leadership position. The Executive Chef must be available based on operational needs, including early mornings, occasional evenings, weekends, holidays, emergencies, and special events.

The successful candidate will be a hands-on culinary leader who combines strong cooking and operational skills with accountability, professionalism, financial stewardship, and a genuine commitment to resident care.

Metz Culinary Management is growing and we have an opening for Rock Star Executive Chef who shares our passion for Food and Service and Leadership. We are seeking a Culinary Leader, with a passion for Food, Service and AMAZING Presentations.

Our Executive Chef must have a mentoring management style creating a culture of fun, creativity and growth. If you have the CULINARY CHOPS and passion for current, trending and diverse menus, and are ready to hit the ground running in a fast paced, high volume setting, we would like to hear from you! Must have Executive and/or Sous Chef experience in preferably an institution style, multi-outlet setting such as Hospital, School, College, Senior Living or Corporate Dining setting.

Requirements

• 3-5+Plus Years in a Supervisory Experience as Sous Chef or Executive Chef
• High Volume background
• Institutional facility or multi-outlet experience preferred
• Impeccable communication Skills
• Strong Restaurant Management knowledge
• Thorough knowledge of Menu implementation with STUNNING presentation ideas
• Strong Catering Experience
• Culinary Degree strongly preferred

Metz Culinary Management Values are what separates us from the competition. Our Leaders share our Values, Attributes, and Strategic Focus reinforcing our culture and values every day to our Team Members creating an environment for personal growth, enrichment and career success.

As one of the fastest growing companies in the industry, we continually seek talented and dedicated individuals who share our commitment to excellence. Join our team of over 7,000 team members who share a passion for Onsite Dining and Support Services, working together toward one common goal, excellence, in quality and service. We are committed to providing the atmosphere, opportunity, and benefits that enable us to be an employer of choice in the industry.

We are a family-driven company that delivers restaurant-inspired hospitality to everyone we serve.