Executive Chef | Luxury Dining & Team Leadership

LifeWorks Restaurant Group; New York (NY); On-site; USD 115,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

LifeWorks Restaurant Group, part of Aramark's Workplace Experience Group, seeks an Executive Chef to craft exceptional dining experiences for discerning guests. You will oversee all kitchen operations, inspire a high-performing culinary team, and translate seasonal ingredients into elevated menus and flawless service.

The role demands culinary innovation, strong financial acumen, and a track record of delivering memorable events in upscale settings.

Qualifications

• 5 years experience in a culinary management role.
• Degree in Culinary Arts, preferred.
• Demonstrated expertise in fine dining, upscale hospitality, luxury catering, or private club environments.
• Strong knowledge of modern culinary techniques, menu engineering, wine pairings, and premium ingredient sourcing.
• Proven success managing high-volume special events while maintaining elevated service standards.
• Exceptional leadership, coaching, communication, and organizational skills.
• Strong business acumen with experience managing budgets, P&L performance, labor productivity, and food cost controls.

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

Fine dining

Menu engineering

Wine pairings

Budget & P&L

Staff coaching

Communication

Education

Degree in Culinary Arts

Job description

LifeWorks Restaurant Group, part of Aramark's Workplace Experience Group, seeks an Executive Chef to craft exceptional dining experiences for discerning guests. You will oversee all kitchen operations, inspire a high-performing culinary team, and translate seasonal ingredients into elevated menus and flawless service.

The role demands culinary innovation, strong financial acumen, and a track record of delivering memorable events in upscale settings.