Executive Chef - Resort Culinary

Cheeca Lodge & Spa; Islamorada (FL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with employer matching

Dental, health, and vision insurance

Flexible spending accounts

Health savings accounts

Life insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

Cheeca Lodge & Spa in Islamorada, FL seeks an Executive Chef to lead the culinary team in a luxury resort setting. You will design menus, manage costs, and elevate guest dining experiences with an emphasis on quality, presentation, and seasonality.

Responsibilities include staff leadership, kitchen operations, and collaboration with sales for events. Strong leadership, communication, and business acumen are essential to drive culinary excellence.

Qualifications

• High school diploma and culinary degree required; college degree preferred.
• Proven experience in a 5-star/5-diamond establishment.
• Strong leadership experience.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and decision-making skills.
• In-depth knowledge of culinary trends, techniques, and business management.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with leadership to design menus, control costs and maximize profits.
• Establish and defend the resort restaurant's market position.
• Analyze monthly performance and implement corrective actions.
• Lead, coach, and develop kitchen staff and coordinate with HR.
• Supervise food production, mise en place, and inventory control.
• Coordinate with sales for events and ensure quality, presentation, and sanitation.
• Manage labor costs through scheduling and budgeting.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Organizational skills

Decision making

Culinary trends

Techniques

Business management

Education

High school diploma + culinary degree

College degree preferred

Job description

Executive Chef at Cheeca Lodge & Spa: Lead Our Culinary Excellence

Join Our Culinary Leadership Team: Cheeca Lodge & Spa, a premier luxury resort in Islamorada, FL, seeks an innovative and organized Executive Chef to lead our kitchen team. This role requires a strong leader with a passion for culinary excellence, team empowerment, and guest satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities

Vision and Strategy

• Collaborate with the Director of F&B to design menus to control costs, maximize profits, and provide unique culinary experiences.
• Establish the resort restaurant's competitive market position.
• Analyze monthly performance, identify issues, and implement corrective actions.
• Act as an ambassador for Cheeca, participating in special events and maintaining a high profile.
• Stay current with industry trends and implement beneficial suggestions.
• Attend meetings and training courses to continually improve professional skills.
• Enforce the highest standards of safety, sanitation, hygiene, and food preparation according to State Board of Health.

Guest Management

• Ensure guest satisfaction with high-quality and beautifully presented menu items.
• Regularly engage with dining patrons and review guest feedback.

Staff Management

• Recruit, hire, train, evaluate, and manage kitchen staff following resort policies.
• Conduct disciplinary actions and team briefings.
• Coach staff to reinforce positive behavior and improve performance.
• Conduct performance evaluations and develop staff improvement plans.
• Maintain a productive relationship with Human Resources.

Culinary Management/Production

• Supervise food production to meet cultural and core standards.
• Coordinate with the sales department for upcoming events.
• Ensure proper preparation, presentation, and sanitation of all food items.
• Manage kitchen mise en place and effective purchasing of quality produce.
• Ensure accurate delivery and storage of fresh food, dry goods, and cleaning materials.
• Control labor and operating expenses through effective scheduling, budgeting, and inventory control.
• Maintain quality and portion consistency; monitor food shipments to meet purchasing specifications.
• Train staff on the economic impact of portion controls and proper food preparation.

Other Duties

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• High school diploma and culinary degree required; college degree preferred.
• Proven experience in a 5-star/5-diamond establishment.
• Strong leadership experience.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and decision-making skills.
• In-depth knowledge of culinary trends, techniques, and business management.

Benefits Include

• 401(k) with employer matching.
• Dental, health, and vision insurance.
• Flexible spending and health savings accounts.
• Life insurance.
• Paid time off.

Why Join Cheeca Lodge & Spa:

As an Executive Chef at Cheeca Lodge & Spa, you will lead a talented team in a renowned luxury setting. This role offers the opportunity to innovate and elevate our culinary offerings while fostering a collaborative and high-performance kitchen environment. Join us to create exceptional dining experiences and drive culinary excellence.

Salary Range

NA

undefined

Cheeca Lodge & Spa recognizes the value and importance of a diverse workforce and will continue to identify and attract a workforce of the best available talent at every organizational level. As the Company grows and expands, we remain committed to maintaining our workplace diversity, allowing us to maintain our leadership in the industry.