Executive Chef 1

Compass Group USA; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Vision

Life Insurance/ AD

Disability Insurance

Retirement Plan

Paid Time Off

Holiday Time Off

Personal Leave

Associate Shopping Program

Health and Wellness Programs

Discount Marketplace

Job summary

Compass Group USA seeks a Travelling Support Executive Chef to lead culinary operations across our Midwest and nationwide accounts. This role combines hands-on kitchen leadership with strategic program development, ensuring consistent quality, safety, and cost discipline while supporting new openings and transitions.

You will deploy to locations when chefs are transitioning or on leave, travel about 85% of the time, and report to Regional VP.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience in high-quality food service.
• Experience opening and leading multi-unit or flagship programs.
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing food costs and P&L.

Responsibilities

• Provide senior culinary leadership across deployed locations.
• Stabilize operations during transitions or openings.
• Ensure food quality, safety, and menu accuracy.
• Travel ~85% to program locations nationwide.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Operations management

Food safety

Financial acumen

Travel readiness

Job description

As the leading foodservice and support services company, Compass Group USA is known for our great people, great service and our great results. If you’ve been hungry and away from home, chances are you’ve tasted Compass Group’s delicious food and experienced our outstanding service. We have over 284,000 US associates who work in award-winning restaurants, corporate cafes, hospitals, schools, arenas, museums, and more in all 50 states. Our reach is constantly expanding to shape the industry and create new opportunities for innovation. Join the Compass family today!

great people. great services. great results.

Each and every individual plays a key role in the growth and legacy of our company. We know the next big idea can come from anyone. We encourage developing and attracting expertise that differentiates us as a company as we continue to raise the bar.

The Travelling Support Executive Chef is a culinary leader and field operator responsible for advancing food quality, culinary standards, kitchen operations, and culinary culture across the region as needed. Reporting directly to the Regional Vice President, this role serves as bench strength that can be deployed to any location in the portfolio — providing hands‑on culinary leadership, kitchen stabilization, and executive chef‑level coverage when needed.

This is an operator's role as much as it is a culinary role. The Travelling Support Executive Chef is deployed into locations when Executive Chefs are transitioning or on leave, when a kitchen requires immediate senior‑level intervention, or when a new location is being opened and requires culinary leadership.

The ideal candidate is an accomplished chef‑operator who has led kitchens at a high level, opened food & beverage programs from scratch, and has the operational discipline to manage food safety, cost, and consistency across multiple environments. This is a role for a chef who is as comfortable with a P&L as they are behind a line — and who earns respect from a team the moment they walk through the kitchen door.

Key Responsibilities

Field Deployment & Culinary Coverage

• Deploy to locations across the country (mainly the Midwest but supports other accounts as needed) to provide senior culinary leadership when Executive Chefs are transitioning, on leave, or when kitchen support is required
• Stabilize kitchen operations during leadership gaps, service challenges, or food quality issues — maintaining full culinary continuity and standards
• Provide coverage across all culinary formats in the portfolio including full-service dining, education accounts, café programs, and catered event kitchens
• Serve as a credible, calm culinary presence that builds trust with kitchen teams and clients from day one of deployment

Culinary Standards & Food Quality

• Champion food quality, flavor authenticity, presentation standards, and temperature integrity across all supported locations
• Evaluate kitchens against program culinary standards and develop clear, actionable improvement plans
• Ensure menu accuracy at both the station and digital/online level, and maintain cultural and dietary inclusivity across all programs
• Partner with site chefs to strengthen day‑to‑day culinary execution, consistency, and quality output

Food Safety, Sanitation & Compliance

• Ensure strict adherence to HACCP protocols, temperature log accuracy, and BOH sanitation standards across all deployed locations
• Maintain allergen accuracy and food safety escalation documentation in full compliance with client and regulatory requirements
• Drive health inspection readiness, targeting A ratings or equivalent pass results at all supported sites
• Champion a culture of safety, cleanliness, and accountability in every kitchen environment

New Openings & Special Projects

• Bring hands‑on opening expertise to new location launches — developing kitchen systems, building culinary teams, establishing food quality standards, and ensuring culinary readiness prior to go‑live
• Support program‑wide culinary initiatives, menu development, and innovation projects as directed by Regional Vice President
• Contribute to the development of culinary SOPs, recipe standards, training programs, and food quality benchmarks
• Advise on and support purchasing practices, product sourcing, vendor relationships, and cost‑conscious procurement decisions
• Maintain food cost discipline at deployed locations, contributing to budget adherence and financial reporting accuracy
• Identify opportunities to improve culinary efficiencies without compromising food quality or guest experience

Team Leadership & Culinary Development

• Mentor and develop site chefs and kitchen leaders, building culinary confidence, technical skills, and operational discipline
• Support staffing coverage, succession planning, and the development of culinary bench strength at key locations
• Ensure training completion in HACCP, allergen management, food safety, and culinary standards across deployed teams

Requirements

• 5+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience in high‑quality food service environments
• Proven background in restaurant or hotel food & beverage new openings — experience as a pre‑opening Executive Chef, Corporate Chef, or Culinary Director for a multi‑unit or flagship program strongly preferred
• Deep expertise in kitchen operations, food quality standards, food safety compliance, and culinary team development
• Demonstrated ability to walk into a kitchen, quickly assess operations and food quality, and implement practical, immediate improvements
• Experience managing diverse culinary formats
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing food costs, supporting P&L accountability, and driving procurement discipline
• A chef who balances creativity with operational rigor — passionate about food quality and innovation while maintaining consistency and cost discipline
• Ability to build credibility quickly with kitchen teams, site operators, and clients — calm under pressure, decisive in the moment
• Background in corporate dining, higher education, or contract food service is a strong plus
• Must be based near an airport
• Ability to travel approximately 85% of the time to program locations including Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and Texas

Compass Group is an equal opportunity employer. At Compass, we are committed to treating all Applicants and Associates fairly based on their abilities, achievements, and experience without regard to race, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by law.

Qualified candidates must be able to perform the essential functions of this position satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation. Disclaimer: this job post is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all essential responsibilities, skills, tasks, or requirements associated with this position. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the position posted, the Company reserves the right to modify or change the essential functions of the job based on business necessity. We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with a criminal history (including relevant driving history), in a manner consistent with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York Fair Chance Act.

Compass Corporate maintains a drug‑free workplace.

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Associates at Corporate are offered many fantastic benefits.

• Medical
• Vision
• Life Insurance/ AD
• Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Paid Time Off
• Holiday Time Off (varies by site/state)
• Personal Leave
• Associate Shopping Program
• Health and Wellness Programs
• Discount Marketplace
• Identity Theft Protection
• Pet Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

Associates may also be eligible for paid and/or unpaid time off benefits in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. For positions in Washington State, Maryland, or to be performed Remotely, click here or copy/paste the link below for paid time off benefits information.