Executive Chef — Lead High-Volume Arts Kitchen

Oak View Group; Hartford (CT); On-site; USD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Dental, Vision Insurance

401(k) Savings Plan

401(k) matching

Paid Time Off (vacation, sick days, 11

holidays

Job summary

Oak View Group in Hartford, CT seeks an Executive Chef to lead the culinary team and oversee daily kitchen operations for high-volume venues and events. You will manage staff, plan menus, control food costs, and ensure quality and safety standards are met while supporting guest satisfaction and profitability.

This on-site role requires evenings and weekends, strong leadership, and hands-on supervision of all food outlets and catering services.

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of kitchen management experience in a high-volume hotel, catering, or convention center highly preferred.
• Demonstrated and verifiable track record of meeting projected costs.
• Professional appearance and presentation required.
• Knowledge of and skill in using computer software, including MS Word/Excel/Outlook.
• Maintains a current food handler's card and alcohol service permit if required by state or local government.
• Working knowledge of employee scheduling in a hospitality environment.
• Ability to obtain and maintain certification in a nationally recognized sanitation program.
• Technical proficiency and experience demonstrating verifiable knowledge of food preparation methods.
• Ability to positively interact with diverse personalities, including co-workers, subordinates, guests, and purveyors in a variety of work situations.
• Able to delegate responsibilities effectively to achieve objectives and drive desired results.

Responsibilities

• Managing, developing, and mentoring all culinary staff.
• Ensures event staff are aware of workplace expectations and provides ongoing assistance, training, and mentoring to event staff.
• Promote a positive, enthusiastic, and cooperative workplace environment by working side-by-side with staff.
• Reinforce procedures and practices through repetition; lead by example and provide ongoing constructive feedback.
• Responsible for ensuring that budgeted food percentages are achieved through effective control measures, including portion controls, kitchen timings, food inventory rotation measures, receiving and food storage procedures, inventory controls, effective purchasing procedures, kitchen security procedures, and waste control.
• Controls labor costs through effective scheduling of kitchen staff, cross-training, and development of employees.
• Responsible for monitoring breaks and break documentation for kitchen staff and the daily approval of break documentation.
• Ensures that the purchasing and preparation of all food products meet Oak View Group’s standards of quality and consistency.
• Responsible for the development of menus, ensuring quality, consistency, and style of concept are maintained.
• Monitors production of food preparation, ensuring recipe specifications, portion controls, and kitchen timings are met.
• Monitors all food served relative to appearance, temperature, sanitary, and quality standards.
• Supervises all line setup, prep, and breakdown activities. Responsible for in-service delegation of tasks to line personnel.
• Coordinates the storage, maintenance, and repair of all kitchen equipment to ensure operational readiness.
• Coordinates the delivery and set-up of catered services and food service areas as needed.
• Arranges and manages kitchen staff skills training and development, including departmental orientation of new employees.
• Provides leadership and support to the entire kitchen staff and builds morale to encourage empowerment of staff.
• Maintains a positive and compliant employee relations climate.
• Responsible for staffing, training, evaluation, and counseling of kitchen staff.
• Promotes support and communication with the entire staff and positively interacts with front-of-house staff.
• Rapidly solves problems.
• Ensures compliance with health, sanitation, safety, and employment regulations by clearly communicating and reinforcing standards and procedures to kitchen staff.
• Ensures proper kitchen record keeping and administrative requirements, including food inventories and invoicing of food products.
• Responsible for organizing employee work schedules, ensuring appropriate coverage for all kitchen areas, and staff compliance with the venue uniform policy.
• Promotes teamwork among staff through effective communication, follow-through, and goal setting.
• Leads by example and thorough instruction to effectively obtain quality management of product, service, and philosophy of concept.
• Responsible for overseeing the production of staff meals, ensuring that they are on time, healthy, and substantial per meal calendar.

Skills

Kitchen management

Budget control

Staff training

Leadership

Food safety

Tools

MS Word/Excel/Outlook

Job description

Oak View Group in Hartford, CT seeks an Executive Chef to lead the culinary team and oversee daily kitchen operations for high-volume venues and events. You will manage staff, plan menus, control food costs, and ensure quality and safety standards are met while supporting guest satisfaction and profitability.

This on-site role requires evenings and weekends, strong leadership, and hands-on supervision of all food outlets and catering services.