Executive Fine Dining Chef

Gila River Resorts & Casinos; Chandler (AZ); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Gila River Resorts & Casinos in Chandler, AZ is seeking an Executive Chef to oversee Prime Restaurant’s culinary operations at Wild Horse Pass. You will lead the Chef de Cuisine, Sous Chefs and cooks, ensuring guest satisfaction and profitability while aligning with Food and Beverage policies and GILA WAY.

You will manage daily activities, mentor staff, ensure quality, safety, and regulatory compliance, and collaborate with Shula’s Corp culinary team on menu development and cost controls.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent; bachelor's degree preferred.
• Executive chef experience in a full-service restaurant or events venue.
• Experience with volume feeding, ala carte, fine dining, catering, baking and pastry, and purchasing/storage/handling.
• Ability to obtain and maintain required compliance trainings and certifications (Arizona Food Safety Course, BBP, etc.).

Responsibilities

• Promotes and provides excellent guest service experience to both internal and external guests.
• Controls labor costs through effective management of culinary leaders and staff development.
• Ensures purchasing and preparation meet quality standards and that recipes are followed.
• Provides accurate costing on menu items to Executive Chef.
• Oversees storage, maintenance and repair of kitchen equipment for operational readiness.
• Leads menu development and works with suppliers to ensure quality products.
• Directly supervises Prime restaurant culinary team including hiring, training and performance reviews.
• Maintains compliance with health, sanitation, safety and employment regulations.

Skills

Guest service

Budget control

Leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree preferred

High School Diploma or equivalent

Job description

Closing Date: August 4th, 2026 at 4:00 PM

Salary: Depending on Experience (DOE)

Position Summary

This position provides management oversight to the Chef de Cuisine, Sous Chefs, and Cooks in the day to day business operation of the Prime Culinary Staff at Wild Horse Pass. This position oversees the direction of the culinary team’s daily activities in accordance with the Food and Beverage policies and objectives to ensure guest satisfaction, profitability and a positive, productive and compliant work environment by performing the following duties, as well as demonstrating the GILA WAY.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Promotes and provides excellent guest service experience to both internal and external guests.
• Ensures budgeted food percentages are achieved through effective control measures including portion controls, kitchen timings, food inventory rotation measures, receiving and food storage procedures, inventory controls, effective purchasing procedures, kitchen security procedures and waste control.
• Controls labor costs through effective managing of culinary leaders, cross‑training and development of team members.
• Ensures that the purchasing and preparation of all food products meet company standards of quality and consistency. This positions primary focus is to ensure the recipes at Prime Restaurant are maintained and executed as directed.
• Monitors production of food preparation ensuring recipe specifications, portion controls and kitchen timings are met. Monitors all food served relative to appearance, temperature, sanitary and quality standards.
• Provides accurate costing on all menu items to Executive Chef.
• Ensures the coordination of the storage, maintenance and repair of all kitchen equipment to ensure operational readiness.
• Works with Shula’s Corp Culinary Team on menu development, consistency, and execution.
• Meets with suppliers regularly to ensure best possible product is being received.
• Conducts subordinate performance review and counseling sessions.
• Provides leadership and support to the entire culinary team; builds morale and encourages empowerment of staff.
• Maintains a positive and compliant employee relations climate. Responsible for the staffing, training, evaluation and counseling of the Prime culinary team.
• Promotes support and communication. Positively interacts with front of house team. Rapidly solves problems.
• Ensures compliance with local, state, and community health, sanitation, safety and employment regulations by clearly communicating and reinforcing standards and procedures to kitchen team.
• Responsible for ensuring all Prime Culinary Team Members are certified in Arizona Food Safety Course.
• Promotes teamwork among staff through effective communication, follow‑through and goal setting. Leads by example and thorough instruction to effectively obtain quality management of product, service and philosophy of concept.
• Responsible for mentoring and developing Pathways Mentorship Program participants to successfully transition to management level positions.
• Maintains a dependable work attendance record with extremely infrequent absences and/or lateness.
• Performs other special projects and duties as assigned.

GILA WAY

• Greet our guest
• Interact positively with guest
• Listen actively to our guest
• Appreciate our guest

Supervisory Responsibilities

Directly supervises the culinary team members at Prime restaurant. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Must possess excellent guest service skills and be a self‑starter with the ability to follow‑up and complete tasks in a timely manner with minimum supervision.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships as well as to gain the cooperation of guests and fellow team members.

Strong interpersonal and communication skills, both written and oral.

This position must have, or an ability to acquire within one year, an in-depth knowledge and thorough understanding of Enterprise Policies and Procedures, governmental regulations, and technical rules relevant to their responsibilities.

Education and/or Experience

1. High School Diploma or equivalent required. Bachelor’s degree with major concentration in food preparation, management, nutrition or related field preferred.
2. Prior experience as an Executive Chef and/or related experience in a full service restaurant or events venue preferred.
3. Must have various experience levels in volume feeding, ala carte, fine dining, catering, baking and pastry, and purchasing storage and handling required.
4. Must be able to acquire and maintain a valid Gila River Environmental Health Food Handlers Card, Blood‑Borne Pathogens (BBP) and other required compliance trainings.
5. Ability to perform the GILA WAY which is as follows; Greet our guest; Interact positively with guest; Listen actively to our guest; Appreciate our guest.