Executive Chef, Culinary Innovation & Research

University of California; Santa Cruz (CA); On-site; USD 83,000 - 101,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance

UC Retirement Plans

Group Term Life Insurance

Legal Insurance

Pet Insurance

Paid Holidays + accrued vacation and S

Job summary

UC Santa Cruz is seeking an Executive Chef for Culinary Development & Research. You will drive recipe development, new concepts, and program rollout across Residential Dining, Retail, Catering, and more. Lead training and ensure food safety, standardization, and operational excellence campus-wide.

The role supports a large dining operation with 200+ staff and 550 student workers, reporting to Senior Executive Chef. Budgeted salary is $92,000 annually.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related area or equivalent experience.
• Extensive culinary experience in large-scale dining/service operations.
• Ability to initiate and innovate new programs, menu concepts and changes.
• Experience managing multiple implementation projects with competing deadlines.
• Proven leadership to support cross-functional teams through training and rollout.
• Ability to standardize recipes across high-volume environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead culinary development and program rollout across Dining, Retail, Catering, and Commissary.
• Develop recipes, test products, and implement new dining concepts.
• Provide training and mentoring to production staff and culinary teams.
• Ensure food safety, HACCP compliance, and standardization of menus.
• Collaborate with vendors, procurement, and campus partners on initiatives.
• Support implementation from planning to post-launch evaluation.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Menu development

Project management

Training & mentorship

Food safety

Education

Bachelor's degree in related area

Tools

Food Management systems

Job description

UC Santa Cruz is seeking an Executive Chef for Culinary Development & Research. You will drive recipe development, new concepts, and program rollout across Residential Dining, Retail, Catering, and more. Lead training and ensure food safety, standardization, and operational excellence campus-wide.

The role supports a large dining operation with 200+ staff and 550 student workers, reporting to Senior Executive Chef. Budgeted salary is $92,000 annually.