Executive Chef

Abby; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Abby in Houston, TX seeks an Executive Chef – Airline Catering to lead our IAH hot kitchen team. This is a hands-on, full-time executive role reporting to the Corporate Executive Chef, with direct reports including sous chefs, line cooks, and kitchen helpers.

You will drive food safety, labor and food cost controls, mentor staff, and ensure top-tier culinary standards for international airline clients. Proficiency in English/Spanish preferred; EOS/LMA mindset required; be on the floor daily and

Qualifications

• Airline Catering Experience: Mandatory leadership in a high-volume airline catering facility.
• Hands-on operator who thrives on the line and teaches by example.
• Deep familiarity with the EOS/LMA framework or strong alignment with its principles.
• Clear, direct communicator capable of motivating a diverse kitchen workforce.
• Experience with labor cost targets and food cost calculations is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead, manage, and hold the kitchen team accountable (LMA) from the floor during peak production.
• Provide hands-on leadership on the line, coaching cooks and sous chefs.
• Mentor and develop staff into autonomous leaders and manage talent gaps.
• Drive talent recruitment through practical test kitchen auditions and select top talent.
• Oversee menu development, batch recipe execution, and yield management.

Skills

Leadership

Hands-on leadership

EOS/LMA

Staff coaching

Hiring & talent development

Tools

Paylocity

Inventory management tools

Job description

Description

Executive Chef – Airline Catering - BI-LINGUAL Engl./Span.

Location: Houston, TX (IAH Base)

Position Type: Full-Time / Executive Operational Leadership

Reports To: Corporate Executive Chef (CEC)

Direct Reports: Sous Chefs, Line Chefs, Cooks, Kitchen Helpers

About Us

We are a premium boutique airline catering organization dedicated to delivering top-tier, fresh, and exceptionally crafted culinary experiences to world leading international carriers. We pride ourselves on fine-dining craftsmanship scaled to the skies, operating with operational precision, passion, and uncompromising quality standards.

Role Overview

We are seeking a high-energy, battle-tested, and deeply hands-on Executive Chef to lead our Houston - IAH hot kitchen team.

This is NOT a desk job.

You will be on the floor every day, working shoulder-to-shoulder with your team, cooking alongside them, leading by example, and coaching your Sous Chefs into top-tier operational leaders. You are the operational engine of the culinary department, responsible for maintaining strict food safety, driving profitability through food and labor controls, and elevating our culinary standards to exceed international airline expectations.

We operate using the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS®). You must embody and execute LMA (Lead, Manage, and create Accountability) to foster an elite, highly skilled, and accountable culinary culture.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership, Coaching & EOS (LMA)

• Lead, Manage, & Hold Accountable (LMA): Own the leadership of your kitchen staff through clear expectations, open communication, and daily accountability.
• Hands-on Floor Leadership: Lead from the line. Work shoulder-to-shoulder with cooks and Sous Chefs during prep and production peaks.
• Talent Development: Mentor and mold Sous Chefs into fully capable, autonomous leaders. Identify talent gaps and actively train cooks and helpers.
• Recruitment & Hiring: Drive the culinary selection process. Conduct practical test kitchen auditions (including "Mystery Basket" challenges) to hire only the best talent. Manage team performance, up to and including termination when necessary.

Culinary Excellence & Airline Operations

• Meal Presentations & Chef Tables: Lead customer menu presentations, and Chef’s Table evaluations for existing and prospective airline clients.
• Audit & Quality Standards: Enforce strict compliance with MEDINA Quality Standards, customer specifications, and internal/external quality audits.
• Recipe Development: Oversee batch recipe execution, test kitchen work, menu yields, and accurate culinary scaling for production.
• Boutique Quality: Maintain an unwavering commitment to fresh, top-tier ingredients and artisanal presentation across all flight classes.

Food Safety, Quality (FSQ) & Compliance

• Strict HACCP & Safety Control: Maintain absolute compliance with critical control points, specifically CCP 3/4 (cooking/chilling) and CCP 2.2 (thawing protocols).
• Audit Readiness: Ensure the facility is always audit-ready for customer, FDA, local health authority, and international airline carrier inspections.
• Waste & Hygiene: Drive rigorous cleanliness, sanitation, and kitchen waste management processes.

Administrative & Financial Control

• Labor Management: Build efficient shift schedules in Paylocity, actively manage labor cost targets, and maintain strict control over overtime.
• Food Cost & Yield Management: Oversee daily raw material requisitions, perform precise food cost calculations, minimize yield losses, and audit kitchen waste logs.
• Administrative Oversight: Track inventory, manage attendance/timecards, and coordinate seamlessly with supply chain and procurement.

Company Core Values:

You must be willing to embrace our Company Core Values in the way you dedicate yourself to work:

CATCH

• Customer Service
• Accountability
• Teamwork
• Competitiveness
• Honesty

Our Mission:

"To continue to be the leading in-flight and corporate catering company serving the Houston & Dallas Metro market by using locally sourced and sustainable raw ingredients, providing the most memorable and personalized attention to detail all while maintaining a fiscally sound budget and complying with the highest food safety standards.

Requirements

Candidate Qualifications & Requirements

• Airline Catering Experience: Mandatory. Proven leadership experience in a high-volume, high-spec commercial airline catering facility.
• Leadership Style: 100% hands-on operator who thrives on the line, loves teaching, and leads by example.
• Management Methodology: Deep familiarity or working experience with the EOS® framework (or a strong alignment with its core LMA principles).
• FSQ & Regulatory Expertise: Strong technical knowledge of HACCP, MEDINA standards, FDA/USDA regulations, and CCP execution.
• Administrative Proficiency: Tech-savvy with prior experience in Paylocity (or similar HR/scheduling software), inventory management tools, and spreadsheet-based food cost calculations.
• Communication: Clear, direct communicator capable of motivating a diverse, multicultural kitchen workforce.
• BI-LINGUAL Engl./Span. preferred.
• Salary DOE