SR. EXECUTIVE CHEF

Compass Group USA; Colonial Heights (SC); On-site; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Vision

Retirement Plan

Flexible Time Off

Holiday Time Off

Personal Leave

Associate Shopping Program

Health and Wellness Programs

Discount Marketplace

Identity Theft Protection

Pet Insurance

Employee Assistance Program

FSAs

Job summary

Morrison Healthcare, a Compass Group company, invites applications for a Senior Executive Chef in Columbia, SC. Lead culinary operations across patient dining, retail, catering, and events, shaping menus and standards to deliver exceptional dining experiences in a healthcare setting.

We value strong leadership, cost control, and menu creativity. Healthcare experience is not required, but experience in high-volume foodservice and team development is essential.

Qualifications

• Three to five years of progressive culinary or kitchen-management experience.
• Healthcare/high-volume foodservice experience preferred.
• Strong leadership skills and ability to develop teams.
• Experience with menu development, purchasing, inventory, production, and food-cost controls.
• Ability to plan and execute catering events.

Responsibilities

• Lead culinary operations across retail, patient dining, catering, and special events.
• Develop creative, on-trend menus with emphasis on quality, seasonality, wellness, and presentation.
• Establish and maintain high culinary and food-safety standards.
• Recruit, train, coach, and inspire the culinary team.
• Build a positive, accountable, hospitality-driven kitchen culture.
• Manage purchasing, inventory, production, food costs, and waste.
• Plan and execute catering events from concept through service.
• Monitor operational performance and lead continuous improvements.
• Partner with leadership and other departments to improve the overall dining experience.
• Engage with customers and ensure the culinary team can explain daily menus and ingredients.
• Support sustainability and responsible sourcing initiatives.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Menu development

Purchasing

Inventory management

Food cost controls

Catering events

Team development

Communication

Microsoft Office

Education

Culinary degree or bachelor’s degree in foodservice management or related field

ServSafe certification

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Other Forms of Compensation: RELOCATION ASSISTANCE

Morrison Healthcare, a Compass Healthcare company, is a leader in healthcare food and nutrition services company, serving more than 1,000 hospitals and healthcare systems across the country. With more than 31,000 associates nationwide, Morrison uses the Power of Food to create personalized dining experiences for patients and in their cafés to advance the healing and healthful missions of its clients. Morrison has been serving some of the nation’s largest health systems for more than 70 years, and it leverages culinary, nutritional, and operational expertise to provide consistency and transform the healthcare experience. Since 2012, Morrison has been recognized as one of Modern Healthcare’s Best Places to Work and Training Magazine has named it a Top 125/APEX Award Training Organization. Morrison has more than 1,600 registered dietitians and 1,200 executive chefs, and serves more than 600M meals annually.

Job Summary

SENIOR EXECUTIVE CHEF – COLUMBIA, SC

Bring your culinary leadership to a role where you can make an impact, develop a talented team, and put your own stamp on a growing operation.

We are seeking a creative and experienced Senior Executive Chef to lead culinary operations in Columbia, SC. This is an exciting opportunity for a chef with a background in healthcare, hotels, resorts, restaurants, corporate dining, higher education, catering, or other high-volume hospitality environments.

Healthcare experience is not required. We’re looking for a strong culinary leader who understands quality, consistency, cost controls, team development, and the guest experience.

JOB SUMMARY

As the Senior Executive Chef, you will lead culinary operations across retail dining, patient and resident meals, catering, and special events. You’ll oversee menu development, food production, purchasing, inventory, food costs, sanitation, and culinary team development.

This is a hands‑on leadership role for someone who enjoys building teams, raising culinary standards, introducing fresh ideas, and creating food that people are excited to experience.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

• Lead culinary operations across retail, patient dining, catering, and special events
• Develop creative, on-trend menus with a focus on quality, seasonality, wellness, and presentation
• Establish and maintain high culinary and food-safety standards
• Recruit, train, coach, and inspire the culinary team
• Build a positive, accountable, and hospitality-driven kitchen culture
• Manage purchasing, inventory, production, food costs, and waste
• Plan and execute catering events from concept through service
• Monitor operational performance and lead continuous improvements
• Partner with leadership and other departments to improve the overall dining experience
• Engage with customers and ensure the culinary team can confidently explain daily menus and ingredients
• Support sustainability and responsible sourcing initiatives

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

• Three to five years of progressive culinary or kitchen-management experience
• Experience in healthcare, hotels, resorts, restaurants, corporate dining, higher education, catering, or another high-volume foodservice environment
• Strong leadership skills with a proven ability to develop and motivate teams
• Experience with menu development, purchasing, inventory, production, and food-cost controls
• Experience planning and executing catering events
• Strong knowledge of culinary trends, sanitation, quality, and presentation
• Ability to communicate effectively with clients, leadership, customers, and associates
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, email, and other business technology
• Culinary degree or bachelor’s degree in foodservice management or a related field is preferred
• ServSafe certification required

WHY JOIN US?

This is more than a kitchen-management position. It’s an opportunity to lead a major culinary operation in Columbia, influence the entire dining experience, and build your career with an industry-leading organization.

Associates at Morrison Healthcare are offered many fantastic benefits.

• Medical
• Vision
• Life Insurance/ AD
• Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Flexible Time Off
• Holiday Time Off (varies by site/state)
• Personal Leave
• Associate Shopping Program
• Health and Wellness Programs
• Discount Marketplace
• Identity Theft Protection
• Pet Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

Associates may also be eligible for paid and/or unpaid time off benefits in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. For positions in Washington State, Maryland, or to be performed Remotely, click here or copy/paste the link below for paid time off benefits information.

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. We encourage applicants with a criminal history (and driving history) to apply.

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Morrison Healthcare maintains a drug-free workplace.

MICHAEL GREMBA