Executive Chef

Position Overview

The Executive Chef will have overall responsibility for the culinary operation, including food quality, menu execution, kitchen staffing, food cost, purchasing, sanitation, training, and consistency. We are looking for a chef who is equally comfortable leading a kitchen, developing people, controlling costs, and working the line when necessary. The successful candidate will understand that outstanding food and strong financial performance go hand in hand. As part of the restaurant's opening leadership team, the Executive Chef will participate extensively in pre-opening activities, including kitchen organization, vendor relationships, recipe development and costing, operating procedures, hiring, training, and establishing standards for the culinary team.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Lead all day-to-day culinary and back-of-house operations.
• Assist in the development and refinement of a locally inspired menu featuring Pacific Northwest cuisine and barbecue.
• Establish consistent recipes, preparation procedures, presentation standards, and portion controls.
• Recruit, hire, train, schedule, supervise, and develop the culinary team.
• Create a positive, professional kitchen culture built around teamwork, accountability, quality, and respect.
• Maintain exceptional standards for food quality, taste, presentation, and consistency.
• Manage food and labor costs to established budget and profitability expectations.
• Monitor purchasing, receiving, inventory levels, product rotation, waste, and portion control.
• Develop strong relationships with local and regional suppliers and identify opportunities to utilize quality local products.
• Maintain the highest standards of sanitation, cleanliness, food safety, and regulatory compliance.
• Maintain kitchen equipment and coordinate preventative maintenance and repair needs.
• Work closely with restaurant management to drive guest satisfaction, repeat business, and overall restaurant profitability.
• Participate actively in restaurant promotions, seasonal menu development, special events, and community opportunities.
• Lead by example and maintain a visible, hands-on presence in the kitchen.

Experience & Qualifications

Required

• Previous experience as an Executive Chef or Sous Chef in a free-standing restaurant environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading a high-quality, high-volume culinary operation.
• Strong knowledge of food preparation, kitchen operations, purchasing, inventory management, and food cost controls.
• Proven ability to recruit, train, motivate, and retain a strong culinary team.
• Experience managing labor and scheduling within established financial parameters.
• Strong knowledge of sanitation, food safety, and health department requirements.
• Ability and willingness to work a flexible schedule including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Strong organizational, communication, and leadership skills.

Preferred

• Experience with barbecue, smoking, grilling, or live-fire cooking.
• Experience working with locally sourced seafood, meats, produce, and other regional ingredients.
• Previous restaurant opening or significant restaurant repositioning experience.
• Culinary degree or equivalent professional culinary training.
• Knowledge of the Pacific Northwest culinary market and regional cuisine.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a chef first and an administrator second. We are looking for someone who enjoys being in the kitchen, developing food, teaching team members, and interacting with restaurant leadership and guests. This individual should have the creativity to help establish a distinctive local restaurant while also possessing the discipline to manage recipes, portions, purchasing, labor, food costs, cleanliness, and profitability. Most importantly, we are looking for a leader who wants to build something special from the beginning and take ownership of the culinary reputation of the restaurant.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive base salary of $85,000–$95,000 annually, based on experience and qualifications.
• Performance-based bonus opportunity.
• Competitive benefits package.
• Professional growth and advancement opportunities with Hospitality Management Corporation.
• Relocation assistance available for qualified candidates.

Location: Warrenton, Oregon. Position: Executive Chef. Employment: Full-Time. Opening: Q1 2027. Restaurant: New 5,000-square-foot free-standing restaurant. Cuisine: Pacific Northwest / Local Cuisine / Barbecue.