Executive Chef: Lead High-Volume Culinary Excellence

LifeWorks Restaurant Group; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 100,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

LifeWorks Restaurant Group is seeking an Executive Chef to lead culinary operations at a premier Chicago location. You will serve as the Chef de Cuisine, driving menu development, quality, and team leadership in a fast-paced, high-volume setting.

The role demands hands-on leadership, strong food-safety discipline, and the ability to manage multiple priorities while delivering exceptional customer experiences.

Qualifications

• Requires at least 4 years of culinary experience.
• At least 2 years in a management role preferred.
• Requires a culinary degree or equivalent experience.
• Ability to multi-task.
• Ability to simplify the agenda for the team.
• Requires advanced knowledge of the principles and practices within the food profession.
• This includes experiential knowledge required for management of people and/or problems.
• Requires oral, reading, and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Ensures culinary production appropriately connects to the Executional Framework
• Ensures proper culinary standards and techniques are in place for preparation of food items, including production, presentation, and service standards
• Manages a culinary team, including chef managers and hourly staff, to ensure quality in final presentation of food
• Train and manage culinary and kitchen employees to use best practice food production techniques
• Coach employees by creating a shared understanding about what needs to be achieved and how it is to be achieved
• Reward and recognize employees
• Plan and execute team meetings and daily huddles
• Complete and maintain all staff records including training records, shift opening/closing checklists and performance data
• Develop and maintain effective client and guest rapport for mutually beneficial business relationships
• Interact directly with guests daily
• Aggregate and communicate regional culinary and ingredient trends
• Responsible for delivering food and labor targets
• Consistent focus on margin improvement; understanding performance metrics, data, order, and inventory trends
• Ensure efficient execution and delivery of all culinary products in line with the daily menu
• Maintain integrity of the standard Aramark food offer; responsible for always maintaining food quality and safety of items
• Full compliance with Operational Excellence fundamentals: managing waste, standard menus, recipes and ingredients through managing customer driven menus and labor standards
• Understand end to end supply chain and procurement process and systems, ensuring only authorized suppliers are used
• Full knowledge and implementation of the Food Framework
• Ensure accuracy of estimated food consumption for appropriate requisitions and/or food purchase
• Ensure proper equipment operation and maintenance
• Ensure compliance with Aramark SAFE food and Quality Assurance standards, occupational and environmental safety policies in all culinary and kitchen operations
• Comply with all applicable policies, rules and regulations, including but not limited to those relating to safety, health, wage and hour

Skills

Culinary leadership

Team management

Multi-tasking

Communication skills

Education

Culinary degree or equivalent experience

Job description

LifeWorks Restaurant Group is seeking an Executive Chef to lead culinary operations at a premier Chicago location. You will serve as the Chef de Cuisine, driving menu development, quality, and team leadership in a fast-paced, high-volume setting.

The role demands hands-on leadership, strong food-safety discipline, and the ability to manage multiple priorities while delivering exceptional customer experiences.