Executive Chef, Athletics Performance

About the role

Reporting to the Assistant Director for Catering, Athletics Dining, and Strategic Partnerships, the Athletics Performance Executive Chef, Don James Center Training Table is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of dining services for UW Intercollegiate Athletics (ICA). The role focuses on providing nutrition to power performance by ensuring menus and programming meet the needs of UW athletes and teams through creating nutritionally optimal meals for athletes and coaches. This is achieved through effective leadership of the dining facility team and planning in coordination with ICA dietitians.

Responsibilities

• Leadership (25%)
  • Build and maintain positive relationships with student athletes, staff, stakeholders, and guests through effective communication and collaboration.
  • Lead and support culinary and service teams through coaching, training, feedback, and daily operational leadership.
  • Ensure high standards for customer service, food safety, workplace safety, and accommodation of specialty dietary needs.
• Operations and Customer Service (20%)
  • Oversee daily dining operations, staffing, inventory, and resource management to ensure efficient service and minimize waste, while maintaining clean, safe, and health-compliant facilities.
  • Promptly address operational and safety concerns.
  • Communicate effectively with athletic teams, ICA stakeholders, and Dining leadership regarding operational needs and service expectations.
• Fiscal Management (10%)
  • Monitor financial, labor, production, and inventory performance data to support operational goals.
  • Implement appropriate cost controls and adjustments.
• Culinary Focus and Results (30%)
  • Develop and execute high-quality, performance-focused menus and recipes that support athlete nutrition, wellness, and recovery goals.
  • Collaborate with culinary leadership and ICA dietitians to create innovative menu concepts, products, and dining experiences.
  • Train staff in food preparation, presentation, quality standards, and food safety practices to ensure consistent operational excellence.
• Supervision (5%)
  • Recruit, onboard, supervise, and evaluate staff to ensure productivity, service quality, and compliance with university and departmental standards.
  • Oversee and coordinate staffing operations and the work of direct and indirect reports within the dining operation.
• CBORD (10%)
  • Utilize CBORD FSS system data and reports to support menu planning, pricing, purchasing, inventory management, recipe compliance, and support of nutrition information, operational reporting, and customer-facing communication needs.

Requirements

• Minimum Qualifications
  • Bachelor’s degree in hospitality plus four years of executive chef-level management experience in culinary operations.
  • Comprehensive understanding of menu item specifics, including but not limited to dietary restrictions, food allergies and tolerances, ingredients, preparation processes, holding and serving temperatures, and HAACP guidelines.
  • Leadership experience working within a high-volume seated restaurant, hotel, contract food services, university dining venue, or athletic dining facility.
  • Effective execution of cook-to-order menu items in a restaurant setting.
  • Effective expediting on the kitchen and service sides of a restaurant.
  • Depth and breadth in concept development, kitchen management, food and labor cost controls, and plating and presentation.
  • Effective training and leadership of staff.
  • Effective interpersonal, organizational, analytical, communication and problem-solving skills.
  • Effective supervision of staff, including training, giving constructive feedback and addressing performance through progressive, corrective action.
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office, such as Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Project.
• Preferred Qualifications
  • Certification by a recognized culinary institution or related.
  • Success working in a contemporary college/university dining environment.
  • Experience in a culinary management role within an athletic nutrition setting (e.g., professional sports team, collegiate athletic department, or Olympic team setting).

Working Conditions

This position is expected to maintain regular hours (8 am–5 pm, Monday–Friday) during the work week to maximize availability for HFS meetings and to conduct daily business. Additional hours are required to provide a presence and coverage for meal services and HFS special events that may occur in the evenings and weekends.