Executive Chef

Legends; Oklahoma City (OK); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Legends Global at Oklahoma City Convention Center is seeking an Executive Chef to manage purchasing, receiving, and producing all food items, while maintaining culinary equipment and supervising the stewarding and concessions department.

You will drive culinary vision, develop innovative menus with local sourcing, and lead end-to-end culinary operations for banquets, concessions, and events. Strong leadership, cost control, and health/safety acumen are essential for success.

Qualifications

• 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.

Responsibilities

• Drive Culinary Vision & Brand Excellence by developing innovative menus reflecting trends, local sourcing, and seasonal availability.
• Lead budgeting, inventory, labor, and P&L performance to meet budgets and drive revenue growth.
• Oversee production for banquets, concessions, retail, and events; enforce standardized recipes and procedures.
• Recruit, train, and develop a high-performing culinary and stewarding team; ensure safety and sanitation standards.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Food cost management

Inventory tracking

Team leadership

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Communication skills

Problem solving

Tools

Excel

Inventory systems

POS systems

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Word

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.

Supervisory Responsibilities

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

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• 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.
• 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 to include Excel programs, Inventory and POS systems.

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.

Our Work Experience is the combination of everything that’s unique about us: our culture, our core values, our company meetings, our commitment to sustainability, our recognition programs, but most importantly, it’s our people.

Our employees are self-disciplined, hard working, curious, trustworthy, humble, and truthful. They make choices according to what is best for the team, they live for opportunities to collaborate and make a difference, and they make us the #1 Top Workplace in the area.