Executive Chef - Dining Services

The Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy; Somerville, Northern (MA, KY); Ibrido; USD 74.000 - 111.000; Tempo pieno

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Restaurant d'entreprise

Descrizione del lavoro

Tufts Dining in Somerville, MA is seeking an Executive Chef to lead a high-volume residential dining program on campus. This role requires hands-on leadership, strong nutrition and safety standards, and collaboration with unionized staff to deliver student-centered menus.

Responsibilities include managing food production, inventory, budgeting, and staff development, with a focus on allergy-aware practices and sustainability. This position is on-site with weekend/evening shifts expected.

Competenze

• Associate's Degree in culinary arts or equivalent.
• 7–10 years in culinary operations; 5+ in management of large-scale operations.
• Demonstrated supervisory and people-management experience.
• Strong culinary skills with menu development and large-scale production.
• Proficiency with food management systems and MS Office.
• Excellent communication, organizational, time-management, and multi-tasking skills.

Mansioni

• Oversee all food production and culinary operations in a high-volume residential dining setting.
• Plan and supervise daily meal production and service; ensure allergen labeling and safe handling.
• Develop seasonal menus with student engagement; incorporate allergy-safe practices.
• Manage inventory, food cost control, forecasting, and waste reduction.
• Budget and labor management; supervise unionized staff; lead training.
• Ensure health, safety, and regulatory compliance; HACCP adherence.

Conoscenze

Culinary leadership

Staff management

Menu development

Food safety & HACCP

FoodPro/Kronos familiarity

MS Office (Word/Excel)

Communication skills

Formazione

Associate's degree in culinary arts

Bachelor's degree in culinary arts (preferred)

Strumenti

FoodPro

Kronos / Time Clocks Plus

Descrizione del lavoro

Overview

Tufts Dining is a self-operated, mission-driven food service organization serving the Medford/Somerville and SMFA/Fenway campuses of Tufts University. We deliver high-quality, contemporary, and innovative dining and hospitality services, supported by a central kitchen, to a diverse community of 6500 undergraduates, 2100 graduate students, 2300 staff, 1,038 faculty, administrators and guests.

As a leader in campus dining we offer a progressive residential dining program focused on culinary excellence, nutrition, and sustainability, an innovative retail dining concepts that reflect global food trends and student preferences and a distinctive university catering program known for its creativity, service, and execution.

Tufts Dining is committed to culinary diversity, sustainability, and fiscal responsibility. Our menus are thoughtfully crafted to reflect the cultural traditions, lived experiences, and dietary needs of our community.

Joining Tufts Dining means becoming part of a collaborative, mission-driven team that values innovation, inclusivity, and service excellence.

What You'll Do

The Executive Chef is the senior culinary leader responsible for managing all aspects of food production, culinary operations, and special event preparation within a high-volume residential dining program at Tufts University. This role executes the vision, mission, and standards of Tufts Dining through hands‑on leadership, staff development, fiscal responsibility, and strict adherence to food safety, sanitation, and regulatory requirements. The Executive Chef leads a unionized culinary team to deliver a high-quality, innovative, and student-centered food program while achieving operational, financial, and sustainability goals that support the residential campus experience.

• Residential Culinary & Operational Leadership
  • Aligned with the department’s strategic initiatives, the Executive Chef will oversee all food production and culinary operations within a high-volume residential dining facility, ensuring consistently high standards in food quality, presentation, sanitation, safety, equipment use, and facility maintenance in accordance with Tufts Dining and University policies. Provide visible leadership in allergy awareness and cross-contact prevention, ensuring that all culinary practices support safe service for students with food allergies and medically necessary dietary restrictions.
• Daily Meal Service Execution
  • Plan, coordinate, and supervise daily meal production and service to meet the needs of a diverse residential student population, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and timely execution across multiple meal periods. Ensure proper allergen labeling, safe handling of special diet meals, and staff adherence to allergy-safe protocols during all meal periods.
• Menu Development & Student Engagement
  • In collaboration with the Corporate Executive Chef and Unit Manager, develop seasonal, cycle, and special menus that reflect student preferences, cultural inclusivity, nutrition standards, and current food trends while supporting Tufts Dining’s residential dining model. Incorporating best practices for allergy-aware menu planning, sourcing products that meet dietary criteria, and developing creative menu concepts that accommodate special diets without compromising quality or the guest experience.
• Inventory, Systems & Food Cost Control
  • Implement and monitor the FoodPro menu and inventory management system to ensure food cost control, loss prevention, accurate forecasting, weekly inventory audits, appropriate inventory levels, and proactive food waste reduction in a residential setting. Maintain accurate allergen information within systems and ensure that specialty products required for medically necessary diets are sourced responsibly and within budget.
• Budget & Labor Management
  • Assist in developing and managing the residential dining operating budget, including food and labor cost targets. Monitor productivity, staffing patterns, and overtime to ensure alignment with operational and financial goals, including labor needs associated with allergy-safe production and special diet support.
• People Leadership & Union Environment
  • Provide leadership and direction to a diverse, unionized culinary workforce. Foster a positive, inclusive, and collaborative work environment that emphasizes accountability, consistency, fairness, training, and professional development. Reinforce expectations for allergy awareness, safe food handling, and consistent execution of special diet protocols.
• Staffing, Training & Performance Management
  • Participate in recruiting, hiring, onboarding, training, coaching, and evaluating staff. Complete probationary and annual performance evaluations, communicate performance expectations clearly, and administer corrective action in consultation with Human Resources and in compliance with collective bargaining agreements. Lead ongoing training in allergy awareness, cross-contact prevention, and proper preparation of meals for students with medically necessary dietary restrictions.
• Health, Safety & Regulatory Compliance
  • Ensure full compliance with city, state, and University regulations including HACCP, Environmental Health & Safety standards, Food Employee Illness Policies, and sanitation requirements. Maintain accurate logs, audits, and records, including documentation related to allergen management, labeling accuracy, and safe handling of special diet meals.
• Sustainability & Continuous Improvement
  • Implement and manage unit-specific sustainability initiatives aligned with Tufts Dining goals, including waste reduction, responsible sourcing, and continuous operational improvement. Integrate allergy-safe and special diet considerations into sustainability efforts, including responsible selection and reduction of waste associated with specialty ingredients.

What We're Looking For

Basic Requirements

Knowledge and experience typically acquired by:

• Associate's Degree in culinary arts or an equivalent combination of education and related work experience
• 7-10 years minimum, and 5 plus in management of large-scale operation
• Demonstrated supervisory and people-management experience
• Strong culinary skills with experience in menu development and large-scale food production
• Proficiency with food management/production systems and Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook
• Excellent communication, organizational, time-management, and multi-tasking skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in culinary arts, Food Service Management, Business, or a related field
• Experience working in a unionized environment
• Knowledge of FoodPro menu management and Kronos or Time Clocks Plus (or similar food production management and timekeeping systems)
• ACF Certification
• Demonstrated business acumen in financial and human resource management
• ACF - Chef Certification

Work Schedule Requirements

• This is an on-site position
• Dining Centers and Catering are open 7 days a week. Working weekends, evenings, and holidays will be expected
• A 50 hour work week is anticipated. This schedule is typically completed in five days with two days off
• We require flexibility in scheduling, which may change based on business needs
• Some travel may be required for training and seminars to advance professional development

Pay Range

• Minimum $74,000.00
• Midpoint $92,500.00
• Maximum $111,000.00

Salary is based on related experience, expertise, and internal equity; generally, new hires can expect pay between the minimum and midpoint of the range.