Executive Chef: Lead Culinary Teams & Elevate Dining

The Press Hotel; Portland (ME); On-site; USD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Dedicated employee parking

Company healthcare plan

Life insurance

401k with match

Discounted hotel rates

Paid time off

Tuition reimbursement

Wellness programs

Job summary

The Press Hotel in Portland, ME seeks a dynamic Culinary Director to lead the culinary department, oversee two Sous Chefs and a hospitality team, and drive exceptional dining experiences aligned with our restaurant concept.

You will manage staffing, scheduling, coaching, and retention while ensuring compliance with health regulations, financial targets, and brand standards. Strong leadership and culinary expertise are essential.

Qualifications

• Culinary degree preferred but not required for the right candidate.
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in a leadership role in a restaurant, hotel, and/or food and beverage unit with a similar style of dining, capacity, and volume preferred.
• Must have strong managerial experience with operations, logistics, guest service and all other aspects of the F&B operation.
• Strong knowledge of financials, including budgeting, forecasting, labor controls.
• Strong understanding of culinary preparations and advanced knife skills.
• Successful completion of satisfactory background check.
• Available and willing to work flexible hours based on business needs including weekdays and weekends.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for the overall success of culinary department.
• Directly oversee two Sous Chefs and team of hospitality workers, including hiring, scheduling, coaching, and retention.
• Establish a positive, encouraging, professional work environment based on learning and a genuine passion for food.
• Craft culinary experiences that reflect the restaurant concept and elevate guest dining experiences.
• Manage, develop and train staff while ensuring health regulations, safety standards, and policies are followed.
• Plan and supervise food preparation and cooking activities.
• Develop recipes, portion specs, and standard procedures for all dishes.
• Maintain knowledge of trends, demographics and market focus.
• Oversee purchasing specifications and budgetary allotments.
• Inspect units for quality, cleanliness, and appearance.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Problem solving

Multi-tasking

Decision making

Relationship building

Education

Culinary degree preferred

3+ years leadership in F&B

Tools

Word

Excel

Outlook

Budgeting software

Job description

The Press Hotel in Portland, ME seeks a dynamic Culinary Director to lead the culinary department, oversee two Sous Chefs and a hospitality team, and drive exceptional dining experiences aligned with our restaurant concept.

You will manage staffing, scheduling, coaching, and retention while ensuring compliance with health regulations, financial targets, and brand standards. Strong leadership and culinary expertise are essential.