Executive Chef – Baltimore, MD
Position Summary:
The Executive Chef serves as the senior culinary leader responsible for all back-of-house operations, culinary excellence, team development, food safety, and financial performance. This position partners closely with the General Manager to drive guest satisfaction, profitability, employee engagement, and operational excellence within a high-volume restaurant. We are seeking an Executive Chef to join our team, leading a $10M+ restaurant in the Baltimore Area.
The Executive Chef leads all culinary team members through a culture of accountability, respect, continuous improvement, and hospitality while ensuring consistent execution of restaurant standards.
Culinary Leadership & Brand Standards
- Lead all culinary operations with a focus on food quality, consistency, innovation, and guest satisfaction.
- Ensure all menu items meet established recipe, preparation, and presentation standards.
- Protect and elevate the culinary brand.
- Collaborate on menu development, seasonal features, and limited-time offerings.
- Monitor food trends and recommend enhancements that align with company objectives.
Financial & Business Performance
- Manage culinary operations to achieve approved food cost, labor cost, and prime cost targets.
- Develop action plans when financial targets are not achieved.
- Analyze weekly and monthly operating reports.
- Manage inventory levels and purchasing practices to maximize profitability.
- Partner with operations leadership to support annual budgeting and forecasting processes.
- Drive productivity initiatives while maintaining guest experience standards.
Talent Development & Culture
- Recruit, train, coach, and develop culinary managers and hourly team members.
- Establish clear performance expectations and accountability standards.
- Conduct regular performance reviews and development discussions.
- Identify and develop future leaders through succession planning.
- Foster a culture of engagement, inclusion, teamwork, and continuous learning.
- Maintain staffing levels appropriate for seasonal business demands.
Food Safety & Risk Management
- Ensure full compliance with company food safety standards and local health regulations.
- Maintain ServSafe certification or equivalent credentials.
- Lead all health department inspections and corrective action planning.
- Oversee HACCP procedures where applicable.
- Ensure proper product handling, storage, labeling, and traceability practices.
Operational Excellence
- Establish systems that support consistency across all shifts.
- Oversee production planning and kitchen workflow.
- Monitor labor productivity and scheduling effectiveness.
- Ensure preventative maintenance programs are executed.
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives to increase efficiency.
- Utilize technology and reporting tools to improve operational performance.
Guest Experience
- Partner with front-of-house leadership to deliver exceptional guest experiences.
- Monitor guest feedback and identify culinary-related improvement opportunities.
- Support guest recovery efforts when food-related issues occur.
- Maintain visibility during peak operating periods.
- Champion a hospitality-first mindset throughout the culinary team.
- Maintain emergency readiness and operational risk mitigation plans.
Preferred Qualification
- 10+ years progressive culinary leadership experience.
- Minimum 3-5 years leading high-volume, full-service restaurant operations exceeding $8M annual sales. Multi-unit experience preferred.
- Demonstrated success managing large culinary teams.
- Strong financial acumen with experience managing food, labor, and operating costs.
- Experience with inventory, purchasing, and culinary technology platforms. New platform rollout experience preferred
- ServSafe Manager Certification required.
- Proven ability to recruit, train, and develop high-performing teams.
- Strong communication, coaching, and conflict-resolution skills.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, guest-focused environment
Physical Demands and Work Environment
- Stand for the majority of work shifts
- Lifts, carries and moves up to 50 pounds
- Bends, reaches, stoops and kneels throughout the shift
- Perform repetitive hand tasks including knife work, plating and equipment handling.
- Fast-paced – open kitchen environment with exposure to heat, steam, open flame and other kitchen elements.
- Wet floors, cleaning solutions, and walk-in cooler and freezer temperatures
- Schedule includes evenings, weekends and holidays based on business needs and event calendar.