Executive Chef, Grocery

About the Role

We are seeking a skilled, hands-on Executive Chef to lead culinary operations across multiple store locations, serving a diverse customer base including Latin American, Portuguese, and Cape Verdean communities. This role requires strong experience with Cape Verdean, Portuguese, Caribbean, West African, and Central & South American cuisines, and the ability to standardize recipes, develop new items, train and manage culinary teams, control food costs, and elevate prepared foods and catering programs across all units.

Responsibilities

• Oversee kitchen operations across multiple store locations, ensuring food safety, quality, and consistency at all times.
• Ensure compliance with health, safety, and sanitation regulations across all locations.
• Drive the presentation and sales performance of prepared foods and catering programs across all units.
• Develop and standardize culturally authentic menus reflecting the preferences of Cape Verdean, Portuguese, Caribbean, West African, and Central & South American communities.
• Standardize recipes and develop new menu items to maintain consistency and quality across all store locations.
• Ensure breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffet menu schedules are upheld to company standards.
• Train and manage culinary teams across all locations, overseeing schedules and implementing HR standards to foster a positive and collaborative work environment.
• Conduct ongoing training sessions to enhance team skills, food knowledge, and service standards.
• Drive cultural changes within the team to align with the supermarket’s values and goals.
• Control food cost, manage inventory levels, and oversee ordering practices to stay within budget.
• Build and maintain vendor relationships to ensure availability of fresh, high-quality ingredients.
• Participate in the design, development, and implementation of a new corporate food cost platform to be deployed across all stores.
• Maintain high food quality and presentation standards to ensure an excellent customer experience.
• Collaborate with Store Directors and Marketing to develop merchandising strategies, appealing food displays, and promotional campaigns.
• Address customer feedback promptly and use customer insights to continuously improve the dining experience.

Requirements

• Proven experience as an Executive Chef or senior culinary leader, ideally overseeing multiple locations or high-volume prepared foods operations.
• Deep, hands-on knowledge of Cape Verdean, Portuguese, Caribbean, West African, and Central & South American cuisines.
• Demonstrated ability to standardize recipes, control food cost, and manage inventory and vendor relationships.
• Strong leadership and training skills, with experience managing and developing culinary teams.
• ServSafe or equivalent food safety certification required; strong working knowledge of health and sanitation regulations.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate across Store Directors, Marketing, and corporate teams.
• Bilingual (English/Portuguese, English/Spanish, or English/Cape Verdean Creole) strongly preferred.
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly between store locations.

Working Conditions

• Fast-paced, multi-location kitchen environment with frequent standing, lifting, and multitasking.
• Must be able to work around heat, steam, and commercial kitchen equipment.
• Requires regular travel between store locations to oversee culinary operations and teams.
• Requires flexibility to work during busy breakfast, lunch, dinner, and catering event periods, including some evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Must maintain cleanliness and food safety protocols at all times across all locations.