Executive Chef

Rippling, Inc.; Shoreline (WA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Vision

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Retirement Plan

Paid Time Off

Holiday Time Off

Associate Discounts

Wellness Programs

Discount Marketplace

Pet Insurance

EAP

FSAs

Personal Leave

Job summary

Upper Crust Food Service seeks a dynamic Operations Executive to lead daily dining and large-scale catering across campus venues. You will craft seasonal menus, drive culinary innovation, and ensure outstanding guest experiences while managing budgets and multi-unit financials.

This leadership role emphasizes mentorship, team development, and a strong safety culture. A strategic partner in campus dining, you will advance local sourcing and sustainability across all service locations.

Qualifications

• Experience leading high-volume dining and events.
• Proven ability to manage multi-unit P&L and budgets.
• Strong leadership, mentoring and succession planning.
• Commitment to local sourcing and sustainability initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Direct daily operations across residential dining and catering.
• Design and implement seasonal menus focusing on local sourcing.
• Lead culinary innovation and campus-wide food strategy.
• Manage multi-unit financial performance and cost controls.
• Oversee quality assurance and guest experience.
• Develop and coach a team of associates and leaders.
• Drive employee engagement and inclusive culture.
• Support regional operational initiatives.

Skills

Leadership

Budgeting

P&L oversight

Menu engineering

Food safety

Culinary innovation

Inventory management

Tools

Google Workspace

Inventory systems

Job description

Key Responsibilities

This role includes a broad range of operational, culinary, and leadership duties:

• Direct daily operations across residential dining and high-volume catering services, including large-scale events (500+ meals daily and events up to 1,200 guests).
• Design and implement seasonal, rotating menus that support local sourcing and "Seattle-Grown" or sustainability-focused initiatives.
• Lead culinary innovation and support campus-wide food strategy, including recipe development and trend integration.
• Manage multi-unit financial performance, including P&L responsibility, food and labor cost control, inventory management, and budget compliance.
• Oversee quality assurance across all units to ensure consistent food quality, presentation, and guest experience.
• Lead and develop a team of associates and kitchen leadership, including mentoring, training, and building leadership pipelines.
• Drive employee engagement, inclusion, and retention through proactive team culture-building and communication.
• Support regional or zone-wide operational initiatives and ensure alignment across multiple service locations.

Health & Safety Compliance

• Ensure full compliance with food safety, workplace safety, and sanitation standards across all units.
• Maintain ServSafe Manager certification standards and uphold HACCP-based food safety systems.
• Oversee allergen management protocols to ensure safe service for all guests.
• Maintain consistently high health inspection scores ("Gold Standard" level expectations).
• Ensure compliance with all local, regional, and institutional food service regulations.
• Promote a strong safety culture through ongoing training, monitoring, and accountability practices.

Technical Expertise

• Strong financial management skills, including budgeting, forecasting, and multi-unit P&L oversight.
• Proficiency with reporting and productivity tools for tracking food cost, labor cost, and operational metrics.
• Working knowledge of Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides) for communication, reporting, and planning.
• Culinary expertise in high-volume food production, catering operations, and menu engineering.
• Experience with inventory systems, cost control systems, and operational analytics platforms.
• Understanding of modern culinary trends, sustainability practices, and large-scale institutional food service operations.

Why Join Upper Crust Food Service?

We offer a competitive compensation package, including comprehensive benefits and the opportunity to lead a flagship account within the Seattle collegiate landscape. Ready to lead the next era of campus dining?

• 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
• Pet Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Personal Leave