Traveling Executive Chef: Culinary Leader on the Move

Work in Iowa; Des Moines, Northern (IA, KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life Insurance/AD

Disability Insurance

Retirement Plan

Paid Time Off

Holiday Time Off

Job summary

Bon Appetit is seeking an Executive Chef, Traveling Support to provide hands-on culinary leadership across multiple accounts. This role reports to the Regional Vice President and involves extensive travel to support leadership transitions, openings, and operational challenges.

You will elevate food quality, mentor teams, ensure HACCP compliance, and drive culinary standards while staying agile in diverse environments.

Qualifications

• Experience leading culinary operations in high-volume foodservice, hospitality, restaurant, catering, or contract dining environments.
• Demonstrated success as an Executive Chef or comparable culinary leader.
• Strong knowledge of food safety, sanitation, HACCP principles, and kitchen operations management.
• Experience supporting operational improvement initiatives, leadership transitions, or multi-unit foodservice environments.

Responsibilities

• Provide executive chef leadership and operational support across multiple accounts during leadership transitions, staffing gaps, new openings, and other business-critical needs.
• Assess kitchen operations and implement practical solutions that improve food quality, consistency, efficiency, and guest satisfaction.
• Champion culinary excellence by maintaining high standards for food quality, presentation, recipe execution, and dining experiences.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, sanitation, HACCP, allergen management, and regulatory requirements while promoting a culture of accountability and safety.
• Support new account openings, including kitchen readiness, menu implementation, team training, operational setup, and launch execution.
• Partner with culinary and operations leaders to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and operational excellence.
• Support food cost management, inventory controls, purchasing practices, and waste reduction initiatives that contribute to financial performance.
• Mentor and develop chefs, managers, and culinary team members through coaching, training, and hands-on leadership.
• Contribute to culinary innovation, recipe development, standard operating procedures, and training resources that support consistency across the portfolio.
• Build strong relationships with clients, operational leaders, and culinary teams while fostering a collaborative and inclusive culture.
• Travel extensively to support locations across the region and portfolio as business needs require.

Skills

Executive Chef leadership

High-volume foodservice

Food safety HACCP

Staff coaching

Operational excellence

Food cost management

Strong communication

Travel readiness

Education

Certified Executive Chef (CEC)

ServSafe Manager Certification

Bachelor's in Culinary Arts

Job description

Bon Appetit is seeking an Executive Chef, Traveling Support to provide hands-on culinary leadership across multiple accounts. This role reports to the Regional Vice President and involves extensive travel to support leadership transitions, openings, and operational challenges.

You will elevate food quality, mentor teams, ensure HACCP compliance, and drive culinary standards while staying agile in diverse environments.