EXECUTIVE CHEF - SEATTLE, WA

Compass Group USA; Bellevue (WA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Vision

Paid Time Off

401(k) Retirement Plan

Job summary

Eurest in Seattle, WA is seeking an Executive Chef to lead culinary excellence in a seven‑day operation. This on‑site role demands hands‑on leadership, menu development, and strict adherence to safety and quality standards across multi-concept dining environments.

You will drive production planning, optimize kitchen throughput, and manage controllable costs while delivering exceptional guest experiences for corporate dining sites.

Qualifications

• 5+ years leading culinary teams in high-volume, multi-concept environments.
• Experience with delivery-focused or ghost-kitchen operations is a plus.
• Strong cost control and profitability mindset.

Responsibilities

• Establish culinary standards, menus, and allergen controls across concepts.
• Lead kitchen operations, staffing, and scheduling seven days per week.
• Manage food cost, labor productivity, and inventory with cross-functional partners.
• Drive safety, quality, and consistent presentation across all service lines.
• Develop and mentor a high-performing culinary team.

Skills

High-volume ops

Financial fluency

Team leadership

Orders management

Evening availability

Education

Culinary degree

Progressive culinary leadership

Tools

Spreadsheets

Order-management software

ServSafe Manager

Job description

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

Position Title:EXECUTIVE CHEF - SEATTLE, WA

Other Forms of Compensation: 15% Annual Bonus Opportunity

As the leader in business and industry dining, Eurest is the company to join if you want a rewarding career packed with limitless opportunities. We feed the employees of the nation's largest and most-prestigious companies -- in every state and across all industries. As a member of Eurest’s leadership and professional support team, you will help our 16,000 chefs, and in‑unit associates excel as they deliver world‑class meals in corporate cafés and executive dining rooms with on‑site catering through vending innovations and more.

Our company is innovative, high performing and fast growing. Our teammates are enthusiastic, committed to quality and thrive on consistently delivering unparalleled results. And did we mention we work with exciting companies and at interesting locations? Come grow your career with Eurest.

Job Summary

The Executive Chef is responsible for culinary excellence, operational execution, team leadership, and controllable financial performance within a seven‑day, multi‑concept operation.

Operating within a compact kitchen footprint, varied menu portfolio, fluctuating demand, and lean staffing model, this leader must establish disciplined systems that deliver consistent quality, efficient production, and reliable execution. The Executive Chef is a highly visible, hands‑on leader who develops the team, maintains culinary and operational standards, and drives continuous improvement across the operation.

Key Responsibilities

Culinary Standards & Multi‑Concept Menu Execution

• Own taste, recipe adherence, portioning, presentation, allergen controls, and food safety across virtual concepts and lunch/dinner service.
• Partner with Culinary leadership on menu architecture and engineering, including delivery suitability, ingredient cross‑utilization, item complexity, customer demand, and contribution margin.
• Validate packaging and product quality at handoff, including temperature, labeling, and suitability for off‑premise consumption.

Production Capacity & Kitchen Throughput

• Plan production and deployment around forecast demand, equipment capacity, cooking methods, prep lead times, and available space.
  
• Optimize station layout, sequencing, and shared equipment utilization to manage simultaneous concepts and order surges without compromising standards.
  
• Use throughput, preparation times, bottlenecks, waste, and rework data to refine processes and manage capacity constraints.

Financial Accountability & Commercial Performance

• Own controllable kitchen results for food cost, labor productivity, purchasing, inventory, packaging consumption, and waste.
• Understand order‑level economics, including menu mix, ingredients, packaging, labor, and contribution margin; recognize that volume growth does not necessarily mean profit growth.
• Partner with Operations Leadership and Finance to review performance, act on variances, and verify improvements without compromising customer experience.

Team Development & Operational Agility

• Recruit, coach, schedule, and develop a versatile team that can shift effectively among prep, cooking, assembly, packaging, and verification.
• Build cross‑training, clear station ownership, handoffs, and leadership coverage for seven‑day lunch and dinner operations, including weekends and evenings.
• Set clear expectations, observe performance, correct gaps promptly, and foster accountability, adaptability, and practical problem‑solving.

Order Integrity, Fulfillment Excellence & Customer Experience

• Own kitchen order execution from receipt through preparation, assembly, packaging, final verification, and timely handoff to the designated delivery partner.
• Enforce precise item, modification , add‑on, allergen, label, and packaging checks; build a culture in which order accuracy is a non‑negotiable customer commitment.
• Monitor kitchen‑attributable defects, ready‑for‑handoff performance, and customer feedback; resolve root causes with Operations Leadership and platform partners while distinguishing external delivery issues from kitchen execution.

Launch Readiness, Improvement & Scalability

• Lead kitchen readiness through recipe and packaging tests, equipment validation, staffing and trainin g, service simulations, and documented procedures.
• Identify unresolved dependencies and risks early, coordinate corrective actions with project partners, and make sound decisions when processes are still evolving.
• Build repeatable production controls and v erify sustained adoption as order demand, concepts, and operational complexity change.

Required Qualifications & Capabilities

• Culinary degree or equivalent progressive training and experience; typically 5+ years of progressive, hands‑on culinary leadership .
• Experience in high‑volume, multi‑concept, delivery‑oriented, or similarly complex restaurant operations; virtual‑brand or ghost‑kitchen experience preferred.
• Strong production planning, equipment utilization, menu engineering, quality control, and food s afety expertise.
• Demonstrated financial fluency in food cost, labor productivity, purchasing, inventory, packaging, waste, and menu profitability.
• Demonstrated ability to build and develop a high‑performing, cross‑trained culinary team capable of adapting to changing operational demands.
• Comfort with order‑management technology, spreadsheets, and operational performance reporting; ServSafe Manager certification or ability to obtain as required.
• Availability to support evening, weekend, and holiday operation s according to business needs.

Accountability & Measures of Success

Success is demonstrated by verified recipe and food safety compliance; accurate, complete orders and low kitchen‑attributable defect rates; reliable kitchen ready‑for‑handoff performance; consistent food quality and packaging; effective peak throughput and equipment utilization; controlled food cost, labor productivity, waste, and contribution margin; and a capable, cross‑trained team. The Executive Chef establishes owners, monitors results, closes execution gaps, and sustains improvements.

Associates at Eurest are offered many fantastic benefits.

• Medical
• Vision
• Life Insurance/ AD
• Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Paid Time Off
• Holiday Time Off (varies by site/state)
• Associate Shopping Program
• Health and Wellness Programs
• Discount Marketplace
• Identity Theft Protection
• Pet Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Personal Leave

Associates may also be eligible for paid and/or unpaid time off benefits in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. For positions in Washington State, Maryland,or to be performed Remotely, click here or copy/paste the link below for paid time off benefits information.

Compass Group is an equal opportunity employer. At Compass, we are committed to treating all Applicants and Associates fairly based on their abilities, achievements, and experience without regard to race, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by law.

Qualified candidates must be able to perform the essential functions of this position satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation. Disclaimer: this job post is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all essential responsibilities, skills, tasks, or requirements associated with this position. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the position posted, the Company reserves the right to modify or change the essential functions of the job based on business necessity. We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with a criminal history (including relevant driving history), in a manner consistent with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York Fair Chance Act.

Eurest maintains a drug‑free workplace.

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.