Executive Chef, Production

Founded in 2013, Home Chef is the leading meal solutions company with both a retail and online presence. Available online at homechef.com and in retail at more than 2,100 Kroger grocery stores, Home Chef is committed to inspiring and enabling more people to cook simple, delicious meals, no matter how busy they are. In 2023, Home Chef introduced a new brand, Tempo! Tempo features a rotating selection of ready-to-heat meals delivered directly to your door. These meals are better-for-you versions of familiar favorites, designed to save you time and reduce stress while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Our Tempo menu includes options that are protein-packed, fiber-rich, calorie and carb conscious, keto-friendly, and dietitian-approved. Similar to our recipes, we recognize that variety is the spice of life, and therefore, our employees also bring their uniqueness and color to our fantastic team. We’re eager to work with humble team players and pragmatic next-level thinkers to innovate on Home Chef’s offerings. This is a temporary position, expected to last approximately 6 months with possibility to covert to a permanent role. We are seeking a culinary production expert to lead kitchen operations for Home Chef’s Ready to Heat brand, Tempo. The ideal candidate will have strong attention to detail, an obsession with providing customers the highest-possible quality meals, and the ability to train and lead a team of associates to be able to consistently execute the culinary vision. Detailed Responsibilities Oversee product quality in a mass production kitchen Validate consistent, premium taste, appearance, and performance of every meal leaving our high-volume kitchenImplement and adhere to gold standards of food quality and food safetyPrepare weekly cook schedules and review/approve payroll in collaboration with HRConsistently maintain standards of quality, cost, eye appeal, and flavor of foodsCheck all processes before production time and inspect the presentation of food items to ensure quality standards are metCoordinate with RTH production manager to ensure all ingredients are available when needed Train and lead team members through the prep, cooking, and cooling processes Train, coach, and develop sous chef staff, including weekly 1:1 sessions for their growth and developmentSupervise, evaluate, and train employees, ensure sanitation and safety, menu planning, and related production activitiesDevelop training programs and provide professional development opportunities for all kitchen staff Work with Corporate R&D chefs on ingredient and menu continuous improvement opportunities Ensure the execution of new recipes, training and oversight of kitchen staff to implement new recipes, and collaborate with the R&D team to improve existing recipesAttend weekly meetings with R&D chefs in order to give feedback on recipes or ingredient specificationsReview meal ratings weekly and assess areas for performance improvement Documentation and Progress Tracking Ensure proper documentation and record keeping of lot information, CCP’s, sensory results, and yieldsSign off on Assembly Production Sheets, ensuring that meal plating is visually appealingEnsure batches are properly recorded in Progress Tracker This position requires 5% travel. Qualifications The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, ability and/or other characteristics needed for this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities. 6+ years’ experience in a commissary kitchen and high-volume food preparationHigh School Diploma or GED or related work experienceAmerican Culinary Federation chef certification preferredFluent in Microsoft Office and Google Suite applicationsFamiliarity with USDA/FDA guidelinesSkills in planning, organizing, prioritizing, and executing projects and activitiesPassion for helping people achieve their goals and improve themselvesKnowledge of HACCP, FSMA, SQF, and USDA regulations More About Us Perks and Benefits Candidates can experience Home Chef as a customer - enter promo code PEOPLE30 for $30 off your first order!Medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance availablePaid holidays, sick time and vacation time401k programFlexible spending accounts for qualified medical, dependent care, parking, or transit expenses How We Work Together We are humble team players. We are warm and gracious with team members and customers. We seek feedback to improve ourselves - and respectfully listen to and accept input. We are pragmatic next-level thinkers. We come up with novel and unique ideas. We explore new strategies to avoid being constrained by conventional thinking. We take ownership. We approach ambiguous problems, prepared to dive in, get curious, and learn more. We are results-driven, always challenging ourselves to exceed goals. Be at Home at Home Chef We all show up authentically at Home Chef. Our team includes individuals with a variety of identities, backgrounds, and perspectives. You can trust that you’ll be able to bring your whole self to an inclusive and enjoyable workplace. We welcome people of all races, colors, religions, national origin or ancestry, sex (including sexual identity), age, physical or mental disabilities, pregnancy, veteran or military status, unfavorable discharge from military service, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, order of protection status, citizenship status, arrest record or expunged/sealed convictions, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state, or local law. Home Chef is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Home Chef will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact our People team at hr@homechef.com. To view the California Applicant Notice click here