Executive Chef

Uptown Catering; Town of Texas (WI); On-site; USD 100,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

PTO and holidays

Growth opportunities

Job summary

Uptown Catering Company in Houston, TX is seeking an experienced Executive Chef to lead kitchen operations, drive culinary standards, and scale back‑of‑house efficiency across multiple facilities.

You will oversee menu development, inventory, food safety, labor management, and batch production for high‑touch executive banquets, large‑scale corporate catering, and daily wholesale delivery. Strong leadership and English/Spanish bilingual skills are highly valued.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of Executive Chef or Senior Chef de Cuisine in high-volume catering.
• Proven ability to manage high-volume batch production and complex BEOs.
• Strong understanding of kitchen P&L, food cost optimization, and labor modeling.
• Decisive, professional leader with strong conflict-resolution skills and bilingual English/Spanish preferred.
• CFPM / ServSafe Manager certification active.

Responsibilities

• Direct daily back-of-house operations, schedules, and batch production workflows.
• Design seasonal catering menus, recipe specs, yields, and plate presentations.
• Manage inventory, vendor pricing, waste logs, and labor budgets for target margins.
• Oversee hot/cold prep and live plating for high-profile events and wholesale deliveries.
• Enforce health code compliance, sanitation standards, and FIFO inventory management.

Skills

Executive leadership

Kitchen operations

Menu development

Food cost mgmt

HACCP & sanitation

Bilingual EN/ES

Team development

P&L understanding

Vendor management

Tools

Inventory software

Job description

Job Description

About the Role

Uptown Catering Company is a fast-growing, high-volume commercial catering and culinary manufacturing enterprise in Houston, TX. We are seeking an experienced, operationally minded Executive Chef to lead our kitchen operations, drive culinary standards, and scale back‑of‑house efficiency.

In this leadership role, you will oversee multi‑facility culinary execution, menu development, inventory, food safety compliance, labor management, and kitchen profitability. You will manage batch production for high‑touch executive banquets, large‑scale corporate catering, and daily wholesale distribution routes.

If you bring enterprise catering experience, strong food cost management, and proven leadership in high‑volume food production, we want to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities

• Kitchen Leadership & Operations:Direct daily back‑of‑house operations, team schedules, station prep assignments, and batch production workflows across morning and evening culinary crews.
• Menu Development & Yield Management:Design and refine seasonal catering menus, corporate drop‑off items, and wholesale offerings. Establish exact recipe specifications, yield calculations, portion guides, and plate presentations.
• Food Cost & Inventory Control:Manage daily inventory, raw ingredient ordering, vendor pricing contracts, waste logs, and labor budgets to achieve target COGS and margin thresholds.
• Quality & Banquet Execution:Oversee hot/cold food prep and live plating for high‑profile corporate galas, VIP events, and large‑scale wholesale deliveries, ensuring strict quality control.
• HACCP & Sanitation Compliance:Enforce City of Houston Health Code regulations, sanitation standards, employee safety policies, and FIFO inventory management.
• Team Development:Recruit, train, mentor, and elevate prep cooks, line cooks, and station leads, cultivating a high‑accountability kitchen culture.

What We Are Looking For

• Experience:5+ years of Executive Chef or Senior Chef de Cuisine experience in a high‑volume catering operation, hotel banquet division, commercial commissary, or corporate dining enterprise.
• High‑Volume Production Mastery:Proven record of managing high‑volume batch production, complex Banquet Event Orders (BEOs), and logistics‑heavy food execution.
• Financial Acumen:Deep understanding of kitchen P&L management, food cost optimization, labor modeling, and inventory software.
• Leadership & Communication:Decisive, professional team leader with strong conflict‑resolution skills.Bilingual fluency in English and Spanish is strongly preferred.
• Certifications:Active Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) / ServSafe Manager certification required.

Benefits & Compensation

• Competitive Salary:$100,000 - $115,000 base pay (commensurate with experience) + incentive performance bonuses.
• Paid Time Off (PTO):Generous paid time off and holiday schedules.
• Growth Potential:Executive leadership seat in a rapidly expanding commercial culinary operation.