Executive Chef (USA Operations)

Canyon Spirit; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 105,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Group benefits plan

Vacation and sick time

Company holidays

Job summary

Canyon Spirit is seeking an Executive Chef to lead onboard culinary operations, ensuring exceptional experiences for guests while overseeing a team of 20+ culinary professionals. The role emphasizes collaboration, safety compliance, and fiscal responsibility within a mobile environment.

Ideal candidates will have 5–8 years of leadership experience in culinary settings, with strengths in team development and change management. The compensation ranges from $105,000 to $115,000 per annum, along with additional benefits.

Qualifications

• 5–8+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience
• Proven experience leading teams of 20+ and developing leaders
• Experience managing budgets and operational performance

Responsibilities

• Lead the onboard culinary program ensuring exceptional guest experiences
• Develop and coach a diverse culinary team
• Ensure safety compliance in a mobile environment

Skills

Leadership presence

Strong communication

Organization

Execution focus

Job description

Armstrong Collective is the parent company of Rocky Mountaineer and Canyon Spirit, creating unforgettable rail journeys through some of the most breathtaking landscapes in Western Canada and the American Southwest. Guided by our values—Create Meaningful Moments, Be One Team, and Achieve Extraordinary Outcomes, we show up every day with pride, ownership, and a shared commitment to excellence. We work hard, support one another, embrace new possibilities, and celebrate growth, all in a respectful and inclusive environment where integrity, collaboration, and passion for the guest experience lead the way.

Purpose

The Executive Chef reports directly to the Director, RTR Guest Experience, with a dotted-line accountability to the Director, Culinary Strategy. This role is accountable for leading and executing all Canyon Spirit onboard culinary operations through others, ensuring that the culinary program delivers exceptional, consistent, and safe guest experiences while supporting business objectives.

The Executive Chef provides clear direction, builds leadership capability, and aligns people, partners, and processes to translate culinary vision into reliable execution within a mobile, safety-critical environment. The role partners closely with Culinary Strategy, Operations, Catering, Procurement, and Guest Experience to ensure seamless delivery from concept to service.

This position is deemed Safety Alert. This position requires the incumbent to periodically access an active railway area where impaired performance could result in a significant incident affecting the health and safety of team members, guests, the public, property, or the environment.

Key Accountabilities

Culinary Program Leadership & Ownership

• Lead and continuously evolve the onboard culinary program, ensuring alignment with brand standards, guest expectations, and operational realities.
• Translate culinary strategy into clear, achievable standards, processes, and expectations for onboard execution.
• Provide direction and oversight for menu development, costing, and seasonal refreshes in partnership with Culinary Strategy and catering partners.
• Hold teams and partners accountable for consistent food quality, presentation, and service delivery across all departures.
• Represent the onboard culinary function as the senior decision-maker for special events, charters, and brand activations.

Team Engagement & People Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of 20+ culinary professionals, including direct leadership of the Chef de Cuisine.
• Create a high-performing, inclusive, and accountable team culture aligned to company values and business priorities.
• Set clear expectations, provide regular feedback, and address performance issues promptly and constructively.
• Build leadership capability within the team to support succession planning, continuity, and operational resilience.
• Partner with Training to design, deliver, and evaluate onboarding and seasonal training that supports consistent standards and safe execution.
• Support recruitment and onboarding of talent to ensure the team is well-equipped to deliver against operational and guest experience goals.
• Lead communication and coordination with Planning & Logistics and onboard leadership to ensure effective schedule and resource management.
• Empower team members to take ownership of outcomes while maintaining appropriate oversight and accountability.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Leadership

• Act as the primary liaison between onboard culinary operations and internal partners including Procurement, Marketing, Sales, Product, Rail Operations, GEC, and Destinations.
• Lead collaboration with catering partners to ensure accurate provisioning, quality standards, and operational readiness.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance efficiency, consistency, and service delivery across onboard culinary operations.
• Lead and communicate change initiatives that impact onboard teams, ensuring understanding, engagement, and effective adoption.
• Champion strong working relationships and effective communication across departments and external partners to support shared outcomes.

Safety, Compliance & Risk Leadership

• Lead and reinforce a strong onboard safety culture, including timely incident reporting and follow-through.
• Provide oversight and accountability for onboard food safety programs, audits, and regulatory compliance.
• Support Workplace Health & Safety Committee activities and onboard safety training participation.
• Ensure adherence to emergency preparedness and response plans, modelling calm, decisive leadership when required.

Guest Programs & Experience Delivery

• Use guest feedback, data insights, and team input to identify opportunities to improve service delivery and elevate guest experiences.
• Balance innovation with operational feasibility to ensure new programs can be executed safely and consistently.
• Oversee all documentation related to onboard culinary programs, service standards, recipes, station guides, and safety procedures.
• Act as key contact and project lead for culinary-related events, activations, and special programs onboard or off the train.

Fiscal Accountability

• Ensure accurate guest and crew information is provided to catering partners to support correct provisioning.
• Guide the Chef de Cuisine in effective ordering, inventory control, and waste reduction practices.
• Oversee onboard inventory, portion control, ratio loading, and cost management to meet or exceed financial targets.
• Identify and act on opportunities for cost savings and operational efficiencies without compromising quality or safety.

Annual Planning & Strategic Contribution

• Lead goal setting and action planning for the onboard culinary team, aligned with broader business objectives.
• Champion the Onboard Environmental Program and responsible sourcing practices.
• Strengthen partnerships with catering providers to support long-term performance, reliability, and mutual accountability.

Experience

• 5–8+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience
• Proven experience leading teams of 20+ and developing people leaders
• Experience managing budgets, costs, and operational performance through others
• Experience in luxury, mobile, or remote culinary environments preferred

Skills

• Strong leadership presence and ability to influence across functions
• Clear communicator capable of leading through change
• Organized, execution‑focused leader with strong follow‑through

Compensation

• The base salary offered for this role is $105,000 - $115,000 per annum and can vary based on job-related expertise, qualifications, experience and internal equity.
• Eligible for Armstrong Collective’s Bonus Program

All team membersregularly working30 hours per week will be eligible for our group benefits plan, which includes:

• Short term disability, long term disability, and Accidental Death & Dismemberment policy
• Business travel accident insurance and business travel emergency medical insurance
• Vacation, Sick-time, Company holidays

*We use E-Verify as part of our hiring practices to comply with having a lawful workforce.

The Armstrong Collective is an equal opportunity employer, driven by our values of creating meaningful moments, being one team, and achieving extraordinary outcomes. Our strong company culture supports our vision of a diverse, open, safe, and respectful workplace. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all team members. If you require any accommodation during the application process or throughout your employment, please let us know. We will work with you to ensure your needs are met and to create a supportive environment.

Please ensure to opt-in for text messages when you apply in order to receive interview updates.

This job description is not exhaustive of all duties and will encompass additional duties assigned. Responsibilities, title, reporting structure and duties may be changed in response to business requirements.

#CanyonSpirit

Equal Opportunity Employer
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