Executive Chef

Legends Global; Oklahoma City (OK); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Legends Global seeks an Executive Chef for Oklahoma City Convention Center. Lead culinary strategy, menus, and operations for banquets, concessions, and events. Responsible for food and labor cost control, inventory, and supervising a culinary team while upholding health codes and safety standards.

You will partner with F&B leadership to elevate the venue's food identity, manage budgets, and deliver exceptional client experiences for high-profile events in a dynamic venue environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum of five years of culinary leadership experience in high-volume banquet, convention, or event-driven environments.
• Proven ability to manage food cost, labor cost, inventory, and culinary budgets.
• Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
• Ability to work extended hours including nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Serve Safe Certification required.

Responsibilities

• Drive culinary strategy and brand excellence in alignment with leadership.
• Develop innovative menus reflecting trends, local sourcing, and seasonality.
• Maintain budgets, cost controls, and inventory tracking for culinary operations.
• Oversee production for banquets, concessions, retail, off-site catering, and events.
• Lead recruitment, training, and development of culinary and stewarding teams.
• Ensure flawless event execution with consistent presentation standards.
• Maintain health codes, HACCP standards, and safety audits.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Budget management

Team leadership

Food safety

Communication

Organizational skills

Flexibility

Microsoft Office proficiency

Education

Serve Safe Certification

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Legends Global, a global leader in privately managed public assembly facilities, has an excellent and immediate opening for an Executive Chef for LEGENDS GLOBAL at Oklahoma City Convention Center. The Executive Chef manages purchasing, receiving, and producing all food items in the facility. Maintaining maintenance of culinary equipment to include china, glass, and silverware. Overseeing the stewarding and concessions department.

Key Responsibilities

Drive Culinary Vision & Brand Excellence

• Lead the culinary strategy in alignment with the Director of Food & Beverage to elevate the venue’s food identity and market competitiveness.
• Develop innovative menus, concepts, and presentations that reflect current trends, local sourcing, and seasonal availability.

Strategic Planning & Financial Performance

• Partner with F&B leadership to support revenue growth, margin improvement, and cost control initiatives.
• Maintain food cost, proficient inventory tracking, labor cost, and overall culinary P&L performance within approved budgets.
• Analyze sales, food usage, and labor data to identify efficiencies and growth opportunities.

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Oversee all culinary production for banquets, concessions, retail operations, off-site caterings, and special events.
• Implement and enforce standardized recipes, production systems, and operating procedures.
• Evaluate kitchen operations for efficiency, quality, and scalability; introduce best-in-class practices and equipment as appropriate.

Team Leadership & Talent Development

• Recruit, train, mentor, and develop a high-performing culinary and stewarding team.
• Foster a culture of accountability, creativity, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Schedule, supervise, and evaluate culinary staff to meet operational and financial objectives.

Event Execution & Client Experience

• Ensure flawless culinary execution for all events, maintaining consistency, creativity, and presentation standards.
• Collaborate with sales and operations teams to customize menus and concepts that meet client needs and exceed expectations.

Quality, Safety & Compliance

• Ensure full compliance with health department regulations, HACCP standards, Legends Safe audits, and company policies.
• Maintain health inspection scores of 90+ and Legends Safe audit scores of 95+ or higher.
• Champion food safety, sanitation, and workplace safety at all times.

Collaboration & Community Engagement

• Work cross-functionally with operations, sales, and facility leadership to deliver a cohesive guest experience.
• Maintain an active presence in the local hospitality and culinary community.
• Participate in promotional, media, and community-related events as a culinary representative of the venue.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Directly supervises all kitchen and stewarding personnel.
• Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with company policies, labor laws, and applicable regulations.

Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with all Legends policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Qualifications And Experience

• Minimum of four (5) years of culinary leadership experience in a high-volume banquet, convention, or event-driven environment
• Proven experience managing food cost, labor cost, inventory tracking, and culinary budgets
• Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills
• Ability to work flexible and extended hours including nights, weekends, and holidays
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Serve Safe Certification required

Skills And Abilities

• Advanced oral and written communication skills.
• Strong orientation to customer service and ability to work with other staff members in the facility.
• Results oriented individual with the ability to meet required budgetary goals.
• Excellent organizational, planning, communication and inter-personal skills.
• Ability to undertake and complete multiple tasks.
• Ability to be creative with food presentations and maintain a quality product.
• Must maintain local Health Codes and sanitation HACCP.

Computer Skills

Computer skills to include Excel programs, Inventory and POS systems.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to move around the facility; to stand for long hours during events; talk and hear. This position may require work inside or outside of the building, as needed by events. This position requires minimal stooping and lifting. Substantial standing, walking and manual dexterity to operate office equipment such as a computer is required.

Note

The essential responsibilities of this position are described under the headings above. They may be subject to change at any time due to reasonable accommodation or other reasons. Also, this document in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position.

Legends Global is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, and encourages Women, Minorities, Individuals with Disabilities, and protected Veterans to apply. VEVRAA Federal Contractor.