Executive Chef, Odessa Country Club

Founded in 1939, Odessa Country Club has long been recognized as a cornerstone of West Texas hospitality and community. Established by visionary leaders, the Club has grown into one of the region’s most respected private clubs, offering two championship golf courses, exceptional dining, tennis, aquatics, fitness, and family programming.

About the Club

Initiation Fee: $35,000 | Annual Dues: $10,500 | Memberships: Approximately 1,100 | Club Revenues: Approximately $17 million | Food and Beverage Revenue: Approximately $4.2 million | À La Carte vs. Banquet Mix: 65% / 35% | Food and Beverage Outlets: Three | Full-Time Food and Beverage Employees: Approximately 60 in season, 50 off season | Club POS and Accounting Systems: Cobalt

About the Role

Odessa Country Club is seeking an experienced, creative, and highly engaged Executive Chef to lead all aspects of the Club’s culinary operation. Reporting to the General Manager/COO, the Executive Chef will oversee culinary quality, menu development, kitchen operations, financial performance, food safety, team leadership, and the delivery of exceptional dining experiences across à la carte outlets, member events, banquets, tournaments, and private functions. The ideal candidate will balance culinary creativity with consistency, approachability, and operational discipline while building a talented culinary team within the Midland-Odessa market.

Responsibilities

• Culinary Leadership & Member Experience
  • Establish and maintain high standards for food quality, flavor, presentation, consistency, and timeliness across all dining venues.
  • Develop innovative, seasonally appropriate menus reflecting member preferences while introducing new culinary experiences.
  • Balance elevated cuisine with familiar, approachable offerings for a family-oriented private club.
  • Maintain a visible presence during dining periods, Club events, and major functions.
  • Build relationships with members and actively seek feedback on menus and dining experiences.
  • Respond professionally to member comments, concerns, and special requests.
  • Create memorable culinary experiences through themed dinners, wine events, holiday celebrations, and chef-driven programming.
  • Accommodate dietary restrictions, allergies, and special nutritional requests with care.
• Kitchen Operations
  • Direct culinary operations across three food and beverage outlets, banquet functions, member events, tournaments, and private events.
  • Establish kitchen systems, production schedules, recipes, plating standards, and quality-control procedures.
  • Ensure coordination between culinary, front-of-house, event professionals, and other departments.
  • Participate in banquet event order and function-planning meetings.
  • Maintain clean, organized, safe, and efficient kitchens, storage areas, and workspaces.
  • Oversee purchasing, receiving, storage, inventory control, production, and waste management.
  • Evaluate equipment needs and recommend repairs, replacements, and capital improvements.
  • Remain actively involved in daily operations while empowering the culinary leadership team.
• Team Development & Retention
  • Recruit, hire, train, schedule, mentor, and evaluate culinary employees.
  • Build a cohesive team capable of supporting à la carte and banquet operations.
  • Develop sous chefs, supervisors, cooks, stewards, and other team members through training and professional development.
  • Establish clear expectations, performance standards, recipes, procedures, and accountability.
  • Foster a respectful, professional, and team-oriented kitchen culture.
  • Create an environment where employees feel supported, valued, and motivated to build careers at Odessa Country Club.
  • Address performance issues promptly and constructively.
  • Develop succession plans and cross-training programs for long-term stability.
  • Maintain staffing levels that balance service expectations with productivity and labor costs.
• Community Engagement & Talent Development
  • Serve as a positive ambassador for Odessa Country Club in the Midland-Odessa community.
  • Develop relationships with local culinary schools, hospitality programs, professional organizations, and vendors.
  • Identify opportunities to recruit culinary talent from West Texas and the surrounding region.
  • Establish internships, apprenticeships, or mentoring programs to develop the local culinary workforce.
  • Build the Club’s reputation as a desirable workplace for culinary professionals.
• Financial Management
  • Develop and manage the culinary department’s annual operating and capital budgets in collaboration with leadership.
  • Monitor food costs, labor costs, inventory, purchasing, waste, and other key performance indicators.
  • Establish standardized recipes, portion controls, costing procedures, and inventory systems.
  • Analyze menu performance and recommend pricing or product changes as needed.
  • Conduct regular inventories and ensure accurate purchasing and receiving practices.
  • Negotiate with vendors while maintaining quality and availability standards.
  • Deliver strong value to members without compromising dining quality.
  • Provide timely reporting and communicate variances, challenges, and corrective-action plans.
• Food Safety & Compliance
  • Ensure compliance with all health, sanitation, safety, and employment regulations.
  • Maintain current food-safety certifications and ensure team training and certification.
  • Establish and enforce procedures for sanitation, temperature control, food storage, allergen awareness, and workplace safety.
  • Maintain accurate records and prepare for inspections.
  • Promote a culture of cleanliness, safety, and responsible food handling.
• Initial Priorities
  • Build trusting relationships with members, employees, and Club leadership.
  • Assess the current culinary operation, staffing, menus, systems, equipment, and service standards.
  • Develop a plan to strengthen culinary consistency and the member dining experience.
  • Recruit, develop, and retain a strong culinary leadership team.
  • Establish a presence in the Midland-Odessa community and develop a local talent network.
  • Evaluate food and labor costs and identify opportunities for improvement.
  • Strengthen communication between culinary, front-of-house, banquet, and event teams.
  • Introduce menu enhancements and culinary programming to generate member excitement.
  • Develop a long-term vision for the OCC culinary program aligned with the Club’s culture and strategic direction.

Requirements

• A minimum of seven years of progressive culinary leadership experience, including roles as Executive Chef, Executive Sous Chef, or senior culinary leader.
• Private-club experience strongly preferred; experience in upscale resorts, luxury hotels, or high-volume restaurants may also be considered.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing both à la carte dining and banquet/event operations.
• Proven success in recruiting, training, developing, and retaining culinary teams.
• Strong knowledge of menu development, recipe standardization, purchasing, inventory management, food costing, and labor management.
• Experience managing multi-outlet culinary operations with seasonal, event, and tournament activity.
• Thorough knowledge of food safety, sanitation, workplace safety, and health regulations.
• Strong communication, organization, planning, and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and food and beverage POS, inventory, and accounting systems.
• Culinary degree or formal apprenticeship preferred; equivalent professional experience considered.
• Certified Executive Chef designation (American Culinary Federation) is a plus.
• Membership in professional culinary or private-club organizations is encouraged.

Skills & Qualities

• A talented and experienced culinary leader with a passion for quality, consistency, and hospitality.
• A hands-on Executive Chef who enjoys being present in the kitchen and engaged with the team.
• A visible, personable, and approachable leader comfortable interacting with members.
• A strong recruiter, trainer, mentor, and team builder.
• Creative and forward-thinking while respecting member traditions and preferences.
• Financially disciplined with experience managing food costs, labor, purchasing, inventory, and budgets.
• Organized and capable of managing multiple dining outlets, banquets, tournaments, and special events.
• Collaborative with the ability to build relationships across departments.
• Calm, professional, and solutions-oriented in a fast-paced environment.
• Willing to listen, receive feedback, and adapt thoughtfully.
• Genuinely interested in becoming part of the Midland-Odessa community and building a long-term career at Odessa Country Club.
• A leader of high integrity who demonstrates accountability, humility, professionalism, and respect.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life and disability insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Performance-based bonus opportunity
• Continuing education and professional-development support
• Relocation assistance, as appropriate
• Additional Club benefits and employment privileges