School Dining Executive Chef - Fresh Menus & Leadership

Compass Group USA; Sandy (UT); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Waterford School in Sandy, Utah, seeks an Executive Chef to lead all culinary operations for a K-12 student body of about 1,100. This hands-on role emphasizes food quality, safety, innovation, and service excellence, with close collaboration to school leadership to deliver an outstanding dining program.

The ideal candidate has strong culinary leadership, budget, and menu development skills, plus experience in high-volume or catering environments.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of dynamic culinary management experience.
• Experience in high-volume foodservice or catering environments.
• Proficiency with kitchen operations software and Microsoft Office Suite.
• ServSafe Certification preferred.
• Strong leadership, organizational, and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead all culinary functions including menu planning, food preparation, recipe development, and service execution.
• Manage food and labor costs; maintain budget compliance and implement cost control strategies.
• Purchase food and kitchen supplies; run vendor relationships and maintain inventory.
• Ensure compliance with all food safety, sanitation, and allergy protocols; uphold HACCP standards.
• Recruit, train, and mentor culinary team; collaborate with school leadership on dining program.
• Support special events and catering functions; ensure high-quality food and detailed execution.
• Supervise back‑of‑house operations to ensure cleanliness and regulatory compliance.

Skills

Menu planning

Food safety

Team leadership

Cost control

Vendor relations

Menu innovation

Education

Culinary degree or equivalent

ServSafe Certification preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Kitchen operations software

Job description

Waterford School in Sandy, Utah, seeks an Executive Chef to lead all culinary operations for a K-12 student body of about 1,100. This hands-on role emphasizes food quality, safety, innovation, and service excellence, with close collaboration to school leadership to deliver an outstanding dining program.

The ideal candidate has strong culinary leadership, budget, and menu development skills, plus experience in high-volume or catering environments.