Executive Chef

Gage Talent Solutions; Reading (Berks County); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

The Berkshire Country Club in Reading, PA is seeking an Executive Chef who leads the culinary operation across A la Carte Dining, Banquets, the Pool Grill and Halfway House outlets. This highly visible role requires initiative, creativity, and a passion for mentoring staff while delivering outstanding member experiences.

You will collaborate with the Clubhouse Manager and General Manager to plan menus, manage costs, and ensure Sanitation and safety standards.

Qualifications

• Has a degree in Culinary Arts and/or Hospitality Management.
• Has eight years of food production and management experience.
• Has achieved or is pursuing the Certified Executive Chef (CEC) certification.
• Exceptional cooking skills and experience planning cost-effective menus.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop kitchen staff while maintaining high hospitality standards.
• Oversee culinary operations across A la Carte Dining, Banquets, Pool Grill and Halfway House.
• Collaborate with Clubhouse Manager and General Manager on menus and events.
• Monitor financial performance, labor costs, and food costs; control waste.
• Engage with members, guests, and staff to ensure superior service.

Skills

Leadership

Team Management

Training & Development

Communication

Guest Relations

Cost Control

Education

Culinary Arts Degree

Hospitality Management

Certified Executive Chef (CEC)

Tools

Club Essential POS

Microsoft Excel

Job description

The Berkshire Country Club is committed to providing its members and guests exceptional recreational and social activities by providing the best staff, service, and facilities. Our vision is to provide the highest level of member focused hospitality in the Central Pennsylvania Region by providing the best available service and facilities to our members and their guests.

Job Summary: The Executive Chef works collaboratively with the Clubhouse Manager and supervises the Culinary Operation which includes A la Carte Dining, Banquets, The Pool Grill and Halfway House outlets. This individual is responsible for the success of all Culinary Operations. The Executive Chef will be a charismatic leader who leads by example. This position is highly visible and requires a genuine interest in interacting with membership and staff. The ability to exercise considerable initiative, be highly creative, use independent judgment and produce high quality on a consistent basis is required.

Essential Responsibilities:

Leadership

• Be a collaborative team player who is willing to be "hands on" when necessary but understands when to step back and lead the team.
• Be an active and dynamic recruiter of team members and someone who inherently enjoys developing and building his/her team and leading them to significant, positive membership satisfaction outcomes.
• Involve the team in the decision-making process of how ‘work gets done’ and create a work environment people want to come to and participate in every day.
• Have a passion and aptitude for teaching and training for all food service personnel, working, as necessary, with the staff directly responsible for operations.
• Be a focused and consistent evaluator of personnel, ensuring that standards of conduct and delivery are met; this includes oversight of high standards of appearance, hospitality, service, and cleanliness of the kitchen facilities.
• Establish and consistently enhance operating standards for personnel in areas of responsibility and consistently evaluate knowledge, understanding, and execution to these high standards.
• Conduct and/or oversee training programs for food service personnel on various issues including service techniques, knowledge of menu items and daily specials, sanitation, team building, and conflict resolution; regularly test and evaluate knowledge and understanding of these expectations.

Leadership continued

• Work closely with the Clubhouse Manager to ensure a cohesive experience that consistently exceeds the expectations of members and guests.
• Hold daily/weekly staff briefings with direct reports to keep them informed of necessary and relevant activities and expectations at the Club.
• Assist in planning and be responsible for ensuring special club events are well conceived and executed.
• Attend weekly BEO and management meetings.
• Cook or directly supervise the cooking of items that require skillful preparation, such as Wine Dinners and Chef Table Dinners.
• Engage with, observe, learn, and listen to the members and staff.
• Earn members’ trust by instilling confidence through continued enhanced operations, interaction, and visibility.
• Maintain physical presence during times of high business volume.

Operations

• Develop and maintain standard recipes and techniques for food preparation and presentation that help to assure consistent, high quality and minimize food costs; exercises portion control for all items served and assists in establishing menu selling prices.
• Evaluate food products to assure that quality standards are consistently attained.
• Ensure that high standards of sanitation, cleanliness and safety are always maintained throughout all kitchen areas.
• Establishes controls to minimize food and supply waste and theft.
• Safeguard all food-preparation employees by implementing training to increase their knowledge about safety, sanitation, and accident-prevention principles.
• Establish and maintain a regular cleaning and maintenance schedule for all kitchen areas and equipment.
• Maintain safety training programs; manages OSHA-related aspects of kitchen safety and maintains MSDSs in easily accessible location.

Membership

• Have a heart of hospitality, embrace, appreciate, promote and elevate the warmth and culture of The Berkshire Country Club.
• Be highly visible and engaged with Membership throughout the F&B outlets at the Club.
• Welcome, encourage and engage in regular feedback from members.
• Be responsive to members’ requests for menu selections, event planning, etc., and strive to find creative ways to accommodate reasonable requests.
• Consistently innovate, elevate, and build on a core selection of Club favorites and signature dishes.
• Create a menu that the Membership has a hard time choosing from with regular features and specials.

Financial

• Clearly understand the metrics for successful attainment of financial goals and objectives in F&B operations, and consistently review these expectations with his or her direct reports to ensure understanding and ‘buy-in’ from those contributing to their attainment.
• Plan menus with the Clubhouse Manager and General Manager for all food outlets in the club and for special occasions and events.
• Schedule and coordinate the work of chefs, cooks, and other kitchen employees to assure that food preparation is economical and technically correct and within budgeted labor cost goals.
• Consistently monitor payroll and labor resource allocations to ensure they are in line with financial forecasting and goals.
• Ensure effective and efficient staffing and scheduling for all facilities and functions while balancing financial objectives with member satisfaction goals.
• Embrace the use of systems (including regular inventory processes) and technology to assist in the management of the kitchen and the financial performance of the operation.
• Prepare necessary data for applicable parts of the budget; projects annual food, labor and other costs and monitor actual financial results; take corrective action as necessary to help assure that financial goals are met.
• Review and approve product purchase specifications.

Education/Experience:

• Has a degree in Culinary Arts and/or other Hospitality Management focus.
• Has eight years food production and management experience.
• Has achieved or is in the process of achieving the Certified Executive Chef (CEC) certification through the American Culinary Federation (ACF).
• Has exceptional cooking skills.
• Has experience planning and monitoring all food-production-related costs.
• Successful experience developing food purchase specifications and standard recipes.
• Has a proven track record of maintaining food quality and sanitation standards.
• Is a team player, within the kitchen, with the FOH team and with all Club and team members.
• Is experienced with technology including POS systems such as Club essential, and Microsoft Excel.

Licenses and special Requirements:

• ServSafe Certification PA
• Child Abuse Clearance
• Valid Driver License
• Pre employment background check
• Subject to on-call work

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to work under pressure, in a noisy environment, and around a large number of people.
• Ability to walk and stand for long periods.
• Ability to bend, kneel, stoop, lift, carry, push a cart, pull a dolly or hand-truck.
• Ability to learn and retain knowledge of menus (preparation techniques, side items, ingredients, allergens, etc.)
• Ability to listen to member requests and respond in a clear and articulate manner.
• Frequently lift and carry up to 20 pounds: occasionally lift and carry up to 35 pounds.
• Continuous repetitive motions throughout shift.
• Ability to reach with hands and arms in any direction; grasp, hold, carry.
• Ability to articulate with precise directives.
• Vision and manual dexterity are required to prepare food with kitchen tools and equipment.
• Work in a hot, humid environment.

Gage is an equal opportunity employer headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania.