Executive Chef

Aparium Hotel Group; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Aparium Hotel Group is seeking an Executive Chef for the Heathman Hotel in Portland. The role involves leading culinary operations, menu planning, and mentoring staff to ensure exceptional guest experiences. The ideal candidate will have a strong culinary background and leadership skills, driving a collaborative and innovative kitchen environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum of five years as an Executive Chef.
• Experience in hotels with event spaces preferred.
• Fine dining experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead menu planning and culinary operations.
• Mentor and teach culinary team members.
• Collaborate with the Director of Food and Beverage.

Skills

Leadership

Culinary Techniques

Communication

Education

Culinary Degree

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Job description

Transforming Hospitality, Together.

We enable every associate to create remarkable moments for each guest. The foundation of our unique service model includes thoughtfulness, sincerity, intuitiveness, knowledge, and above all, graciousness. Our proven approach increases efficiency and dramatically improves our guest’s experience. We meticulously train staff at every level in the art of anticipatory service—we encourage genuine, unscripted interactions with guests and an acute sense of ownership in the success of the company.

At Aparium, we are always in search of individuals with hospitality in their DNA.

We then train our team to be anticipatory, thorough, and thoughtful and have input in their role and the hotel as a whole.

The result: Aparium has crafted something rare and quite special, a place where associates are deeply involved in their work.

Our belief in the power of people, place and character extends to everything we do and we invite those with the following characteristics in our journey to build the best independent hotel company in the world.

BE PASSIONATE

Passion is what drives individuals to invest their time, energy, and dedication wholeheartedly and it fuels a relentless pursuit of excellence, pushing one to continuously learn, grow, and overcome challenges.

BE PROUD OF YOUR CITY

To have pride in one’s city is to hold a deep sense of attachment, loyalty, and admiration for the place you call home.

CELEBRATE UNIQUENESS

We recognize that every individual possesses their own distinct set of talents, perspectives, and experiences, which contribute to the rich tapestry of humanity, and of our team.

We encourage every Aparium Associate to work with an entrepreneurial spirit, actively engaging in their discipline to identify ways to help us move forward and deliver experiences that matter.

Why You Belong At Aparium

DIVERSITY
Diversity is an appreciation and respect for what makes an individual unique in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, education and national origin. We see each employee as unique as each of our hotels with differing roots, history, perspectives and talent. All deserve to be part of an organization in which our differences matter and are valued.

EQUITY
Equity is in our practices and processes to ensure that every person has the same opportunities. It provides people who have marginalized identities to contribute and develop to their own potential. Equity promotes impartiality and fairness within our company procedures, processes and decision making to eliminate practices that may create disparities within our company.

INCLUSION
Inclusion is our ability to ensure people of all backgrounds feel welcomed, are treated equally and are respected. We were founded on purposeful collaboration, encouraging everyone to share their experiences and at times, differing perspectives. Our foundational practice of Inclusion creates a sense of belonging for all associates and stakeholders alike.

Reports to: General Manager, position is exempt

WHO WE ARE

The Heathman is Portland’s magnet for artistic minds. Since 1927, the Heathman’s unique atmosphere of cultured comfort has served as a muse for artists, creators, collaborators, thinkers, dreamers and doers. With its prime placement in Portland’s cultural district, the Heathman is distinguished by reputation as a discerning retreat for the global citizen, and a haven for creative inspiration.

Heathman Hotel is managed by Aparium Hotels. Aparium was founded in 2011 to bring lifestyle service and accommodations to underserved yet distinct and important cities while maintaining and celebrating the unadulterated character of each. Each hotel in our portfolio is an individual, representing the People, Place, and Character of its community. Driven by the belief that the poetics of their surroundings should fuel all hospitality experiences, Aparium was born with an intense focus on unearthing the unforgettable moments unique to every city. Since its founding, Aparium has grown into a new kind of hotel brand, one that ventures off the beaten path, both geographically and philosophically. We are a sophisticated hotel brand known for our ability to combine the business acumen of large hospitality companies with the charm of boutique hotels, bringing the disparate forces together in bustling, growing markets.

WHO YOU ARE

Your past experiences have led you to understand that there is an art + science to the how and what a hospitality operation professional is responsible for. Your balance of creative and organizational skills allows you to be both an artist as well as an air traffic controller. You are an intrinsically motivated individual who finds fulfillment in a full dining room with happy guests. You have the utmost respect for the ingredients and the process, striving to work directly with local farmers and artisans to obtain your ingredients at their height of freshness and peak of flavor. You understand the critical role you play in the hotel’s financial strategy and have a history of achieving cost effective solutions to daily kitchen management without sacrificing quality.

THE ROLE

The Executive Chef reports to the General Manager and leads menu planning and development, while overseeing the culinary operation. It is critical that you possess a strong background and knowledge of culinary technique related to the F+B concept(s) for the hotel, and your presence on the floor is as regular as it is in the kitchen. Creating efficiencies and ensuring consistency in the kitchen operation is key, as you are the last line of defense for the menu items you create. You will develop strategies to heighten productivity and control menu costs, adjusting production to meet business levels. You inspire the team through your creative, innovative, and collaborative approach—you understand that the ability to act as a soldier is as critical as being a general. Having the skills to mentor and teach your team of culinarians is a must for this position, as is demonstrating humility and genuine care for the items you create and the individuals who execute upon them. At Aparium, our culinary teams are expected to hold themselves, the guests, and each other in high regard. You will actively develop trusting and transparent relationships with your peers on the Executive Committee and all associates throughout the hotel. You will have the opportunity to work with a phenomenal group of individuals with whom collaboration, humbleness, and open minds are the norm—no egos are allowed. The ability to work with controlled measure and respect for your leadership team and peers is imperative; we have a no-tolerance policy for the “old school way”.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Uphold and role model the company’s principles of People, Place, and Character, while encouraging your direct reports to embody our values that drive collaboration, intuitive service, and translocal hospitality Be a key partner with the Director of Food and Beverage, engaging in constant communication. Work together to identify opportunities and hold one another accountable, demonstrating a united front committed to providing the best possible guest experience. 7/25/22, 9:57 AM 2/2 Collaborate with and counsel your team of Sous Chefs, Cooks, and Stewards to uphold the integrity of the food, guest experience, cleanliness, and maintenance of the culinary spaces Demonstrate your passion and aptitude for all aspects of a guest’s amazing culinary experience, including balancing flavor combinations, considerations for temperature and texture, guest satisfaction, and menu flow Fluent in operational metrics (KPI’s and P&L’s), demonstrating critical thinking skills by connecting those with operational observations, making adjustments as needed Coach and mentor your team on development of their skill set, technique, and menu execution, fostering an environment of continuous growth; effectively use corrective action to address root causes of issues, course-correcting any missed opportunities Foster open lines of communication within the department by facilitating daily line ups, weekly culinary leadership meetings, and quarterly culinary all staff meetings to create a transparent dialogue amongst the team to voice ideas and concerns, while addressing the department’s key priorities Demonstrate your commitment to the success of the entire hotel by participating in all Executive Committee meetings, providing thoughtful, insightful suggestions to support the culinary operation at the highest leadership level Actively drive recruitment, training, scheduling, supervising, coaching, and motivation of all culinary associates in order to create an environment that nurtures ideas and develops future talent for succession planning in the culinary program Observe conditions of all physical facilities and equipment in the culinary operation, working in collaboration with the engineering department and any third-party vendors to make corrections and improvements as needed Communicate regularly with the General Manager to provide updates, discuss plans, communicate needs, and align on priorities, understanding that flexibility with your responsibilities is paramount to support a successful operation Aparium Hotel Group does not discriminate based on disability, veteran status or on any other basis protected under federal, state or local laws. The hotel and company are a smoke-free, drug-free facility, and equal opportunity employer.

HOW YOU WILL LEAD

Offer direct support for your team through coaching, counseling, gentle correction, and constructive feedback Collaborate effectively with all hotel departments including Sales, Banquets & Catering, Food & Beverage, and Hotel Operations to provide an exemplary guest experience Be respectful in your daily interactions with your managers, direct reports, and peers, exemplifying the utmost level of professionalism and being a pillar within your community Be a subject matter expert in food and culinary techniques as well as understanding the history of the cuisine most closely related to the hotel food and beverage concept(s), effectively guiding others in their personal search with a gentle hand, never admonishing their lack of knowledge Demonstrate business acumen and practice sound financial decisions by ensuring that initiatives align with operational goals and budgets

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum of five (5) years as an Executive Chef
  • experience in hotels with event spaces that make up at least 50% revenue (preferred)
  • restaurant or hotel opening experience (preferred)
  • multiple outlet experience (preferred)
  • fine dining experience (preferred)
• Intermediate skills in Microsoft Excel and Word to create spreadsheets and proposals
• Adaptable interpersonal communication skills to address all employee levels of the hotel
• Professional proficiency of the English language in reading, writing and verbal communication Ability to calculate basic math principles to meet proper menu ingredients and perform inventory
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment for extended periods of time to meet high volume business Ability to lift, balance and carry up to 25lbs to transport dry goods inventory, equipment, etc.
• Ability to lift, balance and carry (with assistance) up to 100lbs to transport dry goods inventory, equipment, etc.
• Ability to stand or walk for prolonged periods to cook required menu items Ability to withstand warm to hot environments for prolonged periods while utilizing ovens, stoves, or fryers

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Aparium Hospitality Services celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an equitable and inclusive environment, and sense of belonging for all employees. We do not discriminate and believe every individual should be proud of who they are, where they come from and take pride in who we serve. Aparium is an E-Verify employer.