Executive Chef

CCC; Illinois; On-site; USD 63,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

City Colleges of Chicago in Chicago, IL seeks an Executive Chef to lead daily culinary operations for the Washburne Culinary & Hospitality Institute Restaurant, Café/Bakery, and catering events. You will recruit, train, and supervise staff, develop menus, and ensure quality and safety across services.

The successful candidate has an Associate degree in Culinary Arts with 5+ years of relevant experience, strong leadership and communication skills, and the ability to manage budgets and inventory,

Qualifications

• Associates Degree in Culinary Arts with at least 5 years of relevant experience.
• State of Illinois Food Handler's Certificate (where applicable).
• Certificate of Completion from an Approved Culinary Institute.
• Advanced understanding of culinary principles.
• Proficiency in human resources management, including staff development and supervision.
• Experience in training and supervising employees, organizing work assignments and schedules.
• Excellent knowledge of back-of-house systems, ordering and inventory management.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Ability to meet deadlines effectively.
• Flexibility to work on-call, shifts, after hours, weekends and holidays.

Responsibilities

• Oversees kitchen operations and maintains a safe, sanitary work environment.
• Provides comprehensive training to kitchen staff on food preparation techniques and safety procedures.
• Manages food supply deliveries, creates dishes, and ensures timely service and quality.
• Ensures compliance with SOPs and updates them as needed.
• Maintains hygiene policies across kitchen and dining areas and inspects equipment.
• Designs recipes, plans menus, and selects plate presentations.
• Assesses staffing needs and assists in hiring and training kitchen personnel.
• Manages inventories and purchasing; tracks budgeted costs.
• Develops performance standards and measures for kitchen staff.
• Gathers customer feedback and addresses concerns promptly.
• Instructs CCC students on kitchen operations and promotes culinary education.
• Represents the program at events and promotes school missions.

Skills

Staff management

Communication

Time management

Menu planning

Food safety

Training

Budgeting

Scheduling

Education

Associate degree in Culinary Arts

Tools

Back-of-house systems

Job description

EXECUTIVE CHEF — FULL TIME

WASHBURNE CULINARY & HOSPITALITY INSTITUTE

KENNEDY-KING COLLEGE

City Colleges of Chicago’s vision is to be recognized as the city’s most accessible higher education engine of socioeconomic mobility and racial equity — empowering all Chicagoans to take part in building a stronger and more just city. The community college system’s more than 3,500 faculty and staff serve more than 60,000 students annually at seven colleges and five satellite sites.
Founded in 1936, Washburne Culinary & Hospitality Institute (WCHI) is one of the oldest culinary schools in the nation and provides students with the latest culinary and baking techniques, along with essential hands‑on experience to ensure they are equipped to work in Chicago’s most successful restaurants, hotels, private clubs and other culinary establishments.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:
Reporting to the Executive Dean-Washburne, the Executive Chef is responsible for leading and managing the daily culinary operations of the Restaurant, Café/Bakery, and catering related functions for the WCHI Enterprise. This role is pivotal in enhancing guest and employee/student satisfaction while maximizing the financial performance across all operational areas.
The Executive Chef plays a crucial role in recruiting and retaining talented staff, fostering a collaborative work environment, optimizing team productivity, and seamlessly stepping in to fill any staffing gaps when team members are absent. Performs related duties as required.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Oversees kitchen operations while maintaining a safe and sanitary work environment for staff and students.
• Provides comprehensive training to kitchen staff on food preparation techniques, safe handling procedures, equipment operation, and adherence to food safety and sanitation regulations, in alignment with CCC guidelines and regulatory standards. Addresses any issues or concerns promptly and effectively, fostering a culture of proactive problem‑solving and continuous improvement within the kitchen team.
• Manages food supply deliveries, creates distinctive dishes, and maintains a focus on timely service, freshness, and dish quality.
• Oversees and ensures compliance with standard operating procedures (SOPs). Reviews and enhances existing SOPs as required to ensure relevance and effectiveness.
• Ensures strict adherence to hygiene policies and standards throughout all areas of the kitchen and dining facility. Conducts regular inspections of kitchen equipment, surfaces, and utensils to verify cleanliness and sanitation levels.
• Designs new recipes, plans menus, and selects plate presentations.
• Assesses staffing needs to achieve service, operational, and financial objectives. Assists in hiring and training kitchen personnel, including cooks, food preparers, and dishwashers.
• Conducts various administrative duties, including inventory management of food and equipment supplies within established guideline, as well as completing purchase orders for necessary items.
• Develops performance standards and metrics for all kitchen staff, outlining expectations and benchmarks for quality, efficiency, professionalism, and teamwork.
• Gathers feedback on food and service quality and addresses any customer concerns or complaints promptly and effectively.
• Instructs WCHI students about kitchen operations within the restaurant industry and other food preparation domains
• Represents WCHI at community events, conferences, and other relevant forums to promote the school’s restaurant, catering and educational missions. Performs other marketing and promotional duties as needed.
• Develops and tests recipes and techniques for food preparation and presentation, to ensure consistent high quality while controlling food costs, exercising portion control across menu items served. Assists in establishing menu selling prices.
• Compiles essential data for the budget within the designated area of responsibility. Projects annual expenses for food, labor, and waste costs, and closely monitors actual financial outcomes. Implements corrective measures as needed to ensure alignment with financial objectives.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Associates Degree from an accredited college or university in Culinary Arts with at least 5 years of relevant experience.
• Ability to obtain State of Illinois Food Handler’s Certificate, where applicable.
• Certificate of Completion from an Approved Culinary Institute.
• Advanced understanding of culinary principles and practices.
• Proficiency in human resources management, including staff development and supervision.
• Experience in training and supervising employees, organizing work assignments and schedules, and prioritizing tasks.
• Excellent knowledge of back‑of‑house (BOH) systems, ordering and inventory management.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Ability to meet deadlines effectively.
• Flexibility to work on‑call, shifts, after hours, weekends, and holidays as needed.
• Knowledge of planning and scheduling techniques.
• Knowledge of supplies, equipment, and/or services ordering and inventory control.
• Knowledge and enforcement of safety procedures.
• Expertise in planning a variety of menus.
• Ability to coordinate quality assurance programs in area of specialty.
• Ability to develop and test recipes and/or techniques for food preparation/presentation.
• Proficiency in ala carte and function set‑up procedures.
• Strong cooking and food preparation skills.

Salary Range: $63,394-$80,000

Offered salary will be determined by the applicant’s education, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as other factors such as internal equity.

Benefits information is found at https://www.ccc.edu/departments/Benefits/

Chicago residency is required for all full‑time employees within six months of hire.

We are an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

Thank you for your interest in City Colleges of Chicago!
Additional Information