Executive Chef - Lead Innovative, Profitable Cuisine

Montage International; Laguna Beach (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Montage International seeks an Executive Chef to lead the culinary program, overseeing strategic vision, profitability, and guest experience at the Hotel. You will supervise sous chefs, develop menus, and ensure top-tier service and quality.

The role requires strong leadership, extensive menu development experience, and the ability to manage food and labor costs while delivering exceptional guest experiences in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum three years’ experience as an Executive Chef in a comparable hotel.
• Expertise in food product, presentation, quality and preparation along with menu concept and menu design required.
• Previous experience with creating schedules, labor costing, payroll administration required.
• Strong interpersonal and problem solving abilities.
• Must be able to work well under pressure in a fast paced environment, and focus attention on guest needs, remaining calm and courteous at all times.
• Requires good communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Must possess basic computational ability.
• Knowledge of computer accounting programs, math skills as well as budgetary analysis capabilities required.
• Extensive knowledge of menu development, insight into marketing, cost and wage control.
• Thorough knowledge of food products, standard recipes and proper preparation.
• Ability to analyze, forecast data, and make judgments to ensure proper payroll and production control.
• Ability to supervise large staff and accomplish goals on a timely basis.
• Ability to conduct meetings, menu briefings and maintain communication lines between line staff and Executive Assistant Manager, Food & Beverage.
• Ability to effectively deal with internal and external customers some of whom will require high levels of patience, tact and diplomacy and collect accurate information to resolve conflicts.
• Ability to create recipes and support material, i.e., recipe cards, descriptions, and pictures, and to read and visualize same.
• Artistic ability to create theme menus, ideas for ice carvings, decorations, etc.

Responsibilities

• Train, supervise, and schedule line cooks; manage menus, storage, and inventory.
• Enhance the quality of food presented to guests.
• Respond to marketplace and guest needs with menu changes.
• Recommend changes to the food products.
• Use market research to develop new products and ensure consistency in food delivery and standards.
• Be a primary media representative for food and beverage offerings at the Hotel.
• Support the Executive Committee, especially the Director of Food & Beverage and Managers.
• Work toward F&B profitability and service performance.
• Hire, train, and develop department staff.
• Control costs and major operating expenses.
• Set margins and manage business against projections.
• Make profit and loss decisions.
• Create custom and sustainable menu options.
• Ensure adherence to BEOs and changes.
• Attend operational meetings.

Skills

Executive chef experience

Menu design

Labor costing

Staff supervision

Communication skills

Problem solving

Budgeting analysis

Menu development

Recipe creation

Forecast data analysis

Meet goals

Meet deadlines (meetings)

Customer diplomacy

Recipe documentation

Theme menu design

Tools

Computer accounting software

Job description

Montage International seeks an Executive Chef to lead the culinary program, overseeing strategic vision, profitability, and guest experience at the Hotel. You will supervise sous chefs, develop menus, and ensure top-tier service and quality.

The role requires strong leadership, extensive menu development experience, and the ability to manage food and labor costs while delivering exceptional guest experiences in a fast-paced environment.