Executive Chef, Traveling Support

Work in Iowa; Des Moines, Northern (IA, KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life Insurance/AD

Disability Insurance

Retirement Plan

Paid Time Off

Holiday Time Off

Job summary

Bon Appetit is seeking an Executive Chef, Traveling Support to provide hands-on culinary leadership across multiple accounts. This role reports to the Regional Vice President and involves extensive travel to support leadership transitions, openings, and operational challenges.

You will elevate food quality, mentor teams, ensure HACCP compliance, and drive culinary standards while staying agile in diverse environments.

Qualifications

• Experience leading culinary operations in high-volume foodservice, hospitality, restaurant, catering, or contract dining environments.
• Demonstrated success as an Executive Chef or comparable culinary leader.
• Strong knowledge of food safety, sanitation, HACCP principles, and kitchen operations management.
• Experience supporting operational improvement initiatives, leadership transitions, or multi-unit foodservice environments.

Responsibilities

• Provide executive chef leadership and operational support across multiple accounts during leadership transitions, staffing gaps, new openings, and other business-critical needs.
• Assess kitchen operations and implement practical solutions that improve food quality, consistency, efficiency, and guest satisfaction.
• Champion culinary excellence by maintaining high standards for food quality, presentation, recipe execution, and dining experiences.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, sanitation, HACCP, allergen management, and regulatory requirements while promoting a culture of accountability and safety.
• Support new account openings, including kitchen readiness, menu implementation, team training, operational setup, and launch execution.
• Partner with culinary and operations leaders to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and operational excellence.
• Support food cost management, inventory controls, purchasing practices, and waste reduction initiatives that contribute to financial performance.
• Mentor and develop chefs, managers, and culinary team members through coaching, training, and hands-on leadership.
• Contribute to culinary innovation, recipe development, standard operating procedures, and training resources that support consistency across the portfolio.
• Build strong relationships with clients, operational leaders, and culinary teams while fostering a collaborative and inclusive culture.
• Travel extensively to support locations across the region and portfolio as business needs require.

Skills

Executive Chef leadership

High-volume foodservice

Food safety HACCP

Staff coaching

Operational excellence

Food cost management

Strong communication

Travel readiness

Education

Certified Executive Chef (CEC)

ServSafe Manager Certification

Bachelor's in Culinary Arts

Job description

Bon Appetit

Position Title: Executive Chef, Traveling Support

Salary: $90,000 - $100,000

Other Forms of Compensation: Comprehensive Benefit Package

Our Passion is Food!

At Bon Appetit Management Company we are committed to two things, great food and outstanding service! At Bon Appetit you won't find our managers referring to a corporate recipe book or our chefs microwaving the lunch special. We do not have standardized recipes or central commissaries, instead, our chefs and managers are expected to stay abreast of current culinary trends and bring cutting edge food into their cafes. We are a restaurant company that operates in contract food service. That means you will have the freedom to be creative, take risks, and truly shine. We are committed to our staff growing, trying new things, and learning all that they can. Our rapid growth and breadth of accounts translates into exciting opportunities for our people!

Job Summary

The Traveling Support Executive Chef is a hands-on culinary leader who provides executive chef-level support across a portfolio of accounts. Reporting to the Regional Vice President, this role is deployed to locations experiencing leadership transitions, new openings, operational challenges, business growth, or other situations requiring experienced culinary leadership.

Success in this role comes from the ability to quickly assess operations, build trust with teams, strengthen culinary execution, and create stability in diverse environments. The Traveling Support Executive Chef partners closely with culinary and operations teams to elevate food quality, support team development, reinforce operational standards, and deliver exceptional guest experiences.

This position is ideal for a chef who enjoys variety, thrives in dynamic environments, and is energized by helping teams achieve their full potential.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide executive chef leadership and operational support across multiple accounts during leadership transitions, staffing gaps, new openings, and other business-critical needs.

• Assess kitchen operations and implement practical solutions that improve food quality, consistency, efficiency, and guest satisfaction.

• Champion culinary excellence by maintaining high standards for food quality, presentation, recipe execution, and dining experiences.

• Ensure compliance with food safety, sanitation, HACCP, allergen management, and regulatory requirements while promoting a culture of accountability and safety.

• Support new account openings, including kitchen readiness, menu implementation, team training, operational setup, and launch execution.

• Partner with culinary and operations leaders to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and operational excellence.

• Support food cost management, inventory controls, purchasing practices, and waste reduction initiatives that contribute to financial performance.

• Mentor and develop chefs, managers, and culinary team members through coaching, training, and hands-on leadership.

• Contribute to culinary innovation, recipe development, standard operating procedures, and training resources that support consistency across the portfolio.

• Build strong relationships with clients, operational leaders, and culinary teams while fostering a collaborative and inclusive culture.

• Travel extensively to support locations across the region and portfolio as business needs require.

What We're Looking For

• Experience leading culinary operations in high-volume foodservice, hospitality, restaurant, catering, or contract dining environments.

• Demonstrated success as an Executive Chef or comparable culinary leader.

• Strong knowledge of food safety, sanitation, HACCP principles, and kitchen operations management.

• Experience supporting operational improvement initiatives, leadership transitions, or multi-unit foodservice environments.

• Ability to quickly assess challenges, prioritize effectively, and implement solutions in fast-paced environments.

• Strong communication, relationship-building, and coaching skills.

• Financial acumen with experience managing food cost, purchasing, inventory, and labor considerations.

• Ability to travel extensively, approximately 85% of the time.

• Residence within reasonable commuting distance of a major airport.

• Experience supporting new account openings, renovations, or culinary program launches.

• Background in corporate dining, hospitality, higher education, restaurant, or contract foodservice environments.

• Experience working across multiple culinary concepts and service models.

• ServSafe Manager Certification, Certified Executive Chef (CEC), or similar professional credential.

• Experience developing culinary standards, training programs, recipes, or operational tools.

Bon Appetit is a member of Compass Group USA.

Associates at Bon Appetit are offered many fantastic benefits.

• Medical

• Dental

• 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

• Commuter Benefits

• Employee Assistance Program

• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

• Paid Parental Leave

• Personal Leave

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.

Certain positions may require Florida Level 2 background screening.