Executive Sous Chef, Culinary Operations Leader

Universal Destinations & Experiences; California (MO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/dental/vision insurance

401(k)

Paid leave

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

NBCUniversal is seeking an Executive Sous Chef, Culinary Operations to lead the culinary programs across Universal Studios Hollywood and CityWalk. This role partners with operations, training, QA, and sourcing to ensure all food offerings meet brand standards, quality, and profitability.

The candidate will develop recipes, SOPs, training programs, and operating docs, while leading new menu rollouts and ongoing improvements.

Qualifications

• Graduate of an accredited culinary school.
• 7+ years of progressive culinary experience including leadership in high-volume environments.
• 3+ years of culinary management experience.
• Knowledge of culinary operations, production systems, menu implementation and operational execution.
• Experience developing recipes, SOPs, culinary standards and operational documentation.
• Experience leading training initiatives and venue-level operational support.
• Strong project management, organizational, and cross-functional leadership skills.
• Understanding of food cost controls, labor efficiency, portion management, and budgeting.
• High level of integrity, accountability, and follow-through.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Responsibilities

• Lead the operational planning, execution, and implementation of culinary initiatives across USH and CityWalk.
• Manage the day-to-day operational and tactical aspects of multiple large-scale culinary projects.
• Partner with Operations, Training, Sourcing, Quality Assurance, Production Kitchen, Production Bakery, and Shared Services to ensure successful implementation of new menu items and operational programs.
• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve standardized recipes, culinary SOPs, preparation procedures, plating guides, and operational standards.
• Validate that recipes, procedures, and training materials are operationally executable while maintaining food quality, consistency, and profitability.
• Conduct venue operational assessments to ensure menu items are executed according to culinary standards and identify opportunities for operational improvement.
• Support field rollouts of new menu items, seasonal offerings, equipment changes, and operational initiatives through onsite coaching and execution support.
• Maintain culinary training materials including recipe cards, job aids, production guides, plating standards, and operational reference materials.
• Train culinary leadership and operators on recipes, production procedures, presentation standards, food safety, and operational best practices.
• Lead product evaluations, yield studies, hold-time validations, and production assessments to improve consistency, portion control, and operational efficiency.
• Provide culinary leadership for tastings, operational validations, food photography, and menu presentation standards.
• Identify operational challenges and implement sustainable solutions that improve efficiency, quality, consistency, and guest satisfaction.
• Ensure compliance with all food safety, sanitation, HACCP, and regulatory requirements while maintaining the highest operational standards.
• Monitor industry trends, culinary innovations, and operational best practices, partnering with Shared Services and Sourcing to implement improvements where appropriate.
• Manage direct reports through coaching, performance management, development planning, and administrative follow-up.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, collaboration, and operational excellence.

Skills

Project management

Organizational skills

Cross-functional leadership

Culinary operations

Food production systems

Menu implementation

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Education

Culinary school graduate

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

NBCUniversal is seeking an Executive Sous Chef, Culinary Operations to lead the culinary programs across Universal Studios Hollywood and CityWalk. This role partners with operations, training, QA, and sourcing to ensure all food offerings meet brand standards, quality, and profitability.

The candidate will develop recipes, SOPs, training programs, and operating docs, while leading new menu rollouts and ongoing improvements.