Executive Chef

About the role

The Executive Chef provides strategic oversight and daily execution of culinary operations across all casino outlets, including a full-service casual restaurant, a high-energy sports grill, and two quick-serve venues. This position is accountable for food quality, safety, consistency, and cost control while building a positive, performance-driven kitchen culture.

Responsibilities

• Promote and support a culture of excellence by modeling values, delivering exceptional guest service, and upholding the highest standards of professionalism and ethics.
• Provide exceptional guest service throughout all interactions.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable gaming regulations, internal controls, and departmental policies.
• Provide culinary leadership and operational oversight across all kitchen outlets and food production areas.
• Design and implement seasonal and event-based menus in collaboration with outlet leadership.
• Ensure compliance with tribal, local, state, and federal food safety and sanitation standards.
• Manage labor scheduling, team deployment, and workload distribution to meet business volumes while remaining within labor cost targets.
• Monitor inventory, purchasing, food waste, and kitchen equipment maintenance.
• Partner with the Director of Food & Beverage and Purchasing to maintain vendor relationships, control food costs, and ensure timely delivery of high-quality ingredients.
• Interpret and manage departmental financial performance, including food and labor cost analysis, budget adherence, P&L review, menu engineering, and forecasting.
• Hire, train, coach, evaluate, and retain culinary talent; build internal succession planning and a strong bench of future leaders.
• Serve as the on-site culinary ambassador during events, high-volume periods, and key service windows.
• Demonstrate dependability and reliability by maintaining regular, punctual attendance and consistently fulfilling assigned shifts and responsibilities.
• Create, maintain, and facilitate a positive and safe work environment; promote healthy team member relations and report concerns to appropriate personnel.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have a minimum of eight (8) years of progressive culinary management experience in high-volume food service, including at least three (3) years as an Executive Chef, Head Chef, or equivalent in a multi-outlet or casino resort environment. A degree from an accredited culinary school is preferred, but a combination of education and extensive, successful executive-level culinary experience may be considered in lieu of the degree requirement.

Current Washington State Food Worker Card and MAST permit, or the ability to obtain both upon hire, are required. ServSafe Manager certification is preferred.

Skills

• Advanced understanding of financial reporting, cost controls, P&L analysis, menu engineering, and vendor negotiations.
• Proficiency across all culinary disciplines, including hot and cold production, butchery, baking, international cuisines, and large-scale banquet execution.
• Working knowledge of food safety and sanitation regulations, HACCP principles, and health department standards.
• Proficiency with kitchen and restaurant technology, including inventory management software, labor scheduling platforms, POS reporting, and food safety compliance tools.
• Ability to lead, motivate, and hold accountable a large, multi-outlet culinary team in a high-pressure operating environment.
• Effective communication skills, with the ability to read, write, and speak English fluently.
• High level of integrity, discretion, and commitment to confidentiality.