Executive Chef

Compass Group USA; Kenosha (WI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Vision

Paid Time Off

Retirement Plan

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Bon Appétit Management Company is seeking an Executive Chef to lead the culinary vision and day-to-day operations for Carthage College, delivering exceptional food experiences and fostering culinary excellence, innovation, safety, and team development.

The role requires strong leadership across multiple venues, cost controls, and staff growth, with collaboration with operational leaders to ensure outstanding guest experiences and high-quality execution.

Qualifications

• Progressive culinary leadership experience within hospitality, food service, catering, hotels, resorts, corporate dining, or similar environments.
• Experience overseeing multiple kitchens, outlets, concepts, or service platforms.
• Proven success leading and developing high-performing culinary teams.
• Strong understanding of food cost controls, labor management, inventory management, and purchasing.

Responsibilities

• Lead the culinary vision across multiple dining venues and service platforms.
• Develop innovative menus reflecting seasonality and guest preferences.
• Partner with operational leaders to ensure a consistent and exceptional guest experience.
• Maintain high standards for food quality, presentation, flavor, and execution.
• Drive culinary innovation and best practices; recruit and develop culinary managers.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Multi-unit leadership

Menu engineering

Food cost controls

Labor management

Communication

Problem solving

ServSafe certified

Education

Culinary degree or apprenticeship

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

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Our Passion is Food!

At Bon Appetit Management Company we are committed to two things, great food and outstanding service! At Bon Appetit you won't find our managers referring to a corporate recipe book or our chefs microwaving the lunch special. We do not have standardized recipes or central commissaries, instead, our chefs and managers are expected to stay abreast of current culinary trends and bring cutting edge food into their cafes. We are a restaurant company that operates in contract food service. That means you will have the freedom to be creative, take risks, and truly shine. We are committed to our staff growing, trying new things, and learning all that they can. Our rapid growth and breadth of accounts translates into exciting opportunities for our people!

Job Summary

Relocation Assistance is Available

Bon Appétit is seeking a creative, people-focused Executive Chef to lead the culinary vision and day-to-day kitchen operations at Carthage College. This role is responsible for delivering exceptional food experiences while fostering a culture of culinary excellence, innovation, food safety, and team development.

The ideal candidate brings experience leading complex food service operations across multiple outlets or concepts. Candidates from hotels, resorts, convention centers, corporate dining, premium catering, or other multi-unit hospitality environments are highly encouraged to apply.

As Executive Chef, you will collaborate with operational leaders to create memorable dining experiences, drive culinary innovation, manage food and labor costs, and support the professional growth of a talented culinary team.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the culinary vision across multiple dining venues and service platforms.
• Develop innovative menus that reflect seasonality, guest preferences, nutritional trends, and Bon Appétit's commitment to scratch cooking.
• Partner with operational leaders to ensure a consistent and exceptional guest experience.
• Maintain high standards for food quality, presentation, flavor, and execution.
• Drive continuous improvement through culinary innovation and best practices.
• Recruit, train, mentor, and develop culinary managers and kitchen team members.
• Foster an inclusive and collaborative culture that encourages learning, creativity, and professional growth.
• Conduct performance coaching, talent development, and succession planning activities.
• Promote teamwork, accountability, and a positive work environment.
• Manage food costs, labor costs, productivity, and purchasing to achieve financial goals.
• Analyze operational and financial data to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Oversee inventory management, ordering systems, vendor relationships, and product quality.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning processes.
• Ensure efficient kitchen operations while maintaining quality and consistency.
• Champion food safety, sanitation, and workplace safety standards.
• Ensure compliance with HACCP principles, company policies, and local, state, and federal regulations.
• Maintain readiness for health inspections and internal audits.
• Promote proper food handling, storage, and allergen awareness practices.
• Collaborate with catering and events teams to deliver exceptional special events and VIP experiences.
• Support menu development and execution for catered functions, campus events, and special programs.
• Ensure culinary excellence across all event formats and service styles.

What We're Looking For

• Progressive culinary leadership experience within hospitality, food service, catering, hotels, resorts, corporate dining, or similar environments.
• Experience overseeing multiple kitchens, outlets, concepts, or service platforms.
• Proven success leading and developing high-performing culinary teams.
• Strong understanding of food cost controls, labor management, inventory management, and purchasing.
• Experience creating and executing diverse menus in high-volume environments.
• Knowledge of current culinary trends, sustainability initiatives, and guest preferences.
• Strong communication, coaching, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment while balancing strategic and operational priorities.
• Culinary degree, apprenticeship, or equivalent professional training.
• Multi-unit culinary leadership experience strongly preferred.
• Experience within hotels, resorts, conference centers, destination dining, premium catering, or other complex hospitality operations.
• Experience managing large-scale catering and special event programs.
• ServSafe Manager Certification or equivalent food safety certification.
• Experience with menu engineering, forecasting, and financial reporting.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and food service management systems.

Bon Appetit is a member of Compass Group USA.

Associates at Bon Appetit are offered many fantastic benefits.

• Medical
• Vision
• Life Insurance/ AD
• Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Paid Time Off
• Holiday Time Off (varies by site/state)
• Associate Shopping Program
• Health and Wellness Programs
• Discount Marketplace
• Identity Theft Protection
• Pet Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Personal Leave

Compass Group is an equal opportunity employer. At Compass, we are committed to treating all Applicants and Associates fairly based on their abilities, achievements, and experience without regard to race, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by law.

Qualified candidates must be able to perform the essential functions of this position satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation. Disclaimer: this job post is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all essential responsibilities, skills, tasks, or requirements associated with this position. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the position posted, the Company reserves the right to modify or change the essential functions of the job based on business necessity. We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with a criminal history (including relevant driving history), in a manner consistent with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York Fair Chance Act.

Bon Appetit maintains a drug‑free workplace.