Traveling Culinary Excellence & Development Chef

About the role

We are seeking an experienced Regional Culinary Excellence & Development Chef to support Higher Education accounts, primarily throughout the East Coast. This field-based position will provide hands-on support to accounts requiring culinary stabilization, leadership development, operational improvement, new-account opening support, or additional training. The Traveling Chef will assess performance, train teams, implement sustainable processes, and help build a strong, consistent culinary culture across the portfolio.

Responsibilities

• Account Support and Culinary Improvement
  • Conduct culinary and operational assessments at assigned accounts.
  • Identify risks related to food quality, staffing capabilities, production, sanitation, food cost, and execution.
  • Develop prioritized action plans and work alongside onsite teams to implement improvements.
  • Provide hands-on support during account transitions, semester openings, special events, and periods of operational concern.
  • Establish clear ownership and follow-up processes to ensure improvements continue after the assignment.
• Training and Team Development
  • Train and coach executive chefs, sous chefs, managers, supervisors, cooks, and frontline associates.
  • Assess skill gaps and develop focused training and development plans.
  • Train teams on recipes, culinary techniques, batch production, portioning, presentation, equipment use, allergens, and food safety.
  • Develop train-the-trainer programs that enable onsite leaders to sustain expectations.
  • Coach culinary leaders on communication, delegation, accountability, and team development.
  • Create practical training guides, checklists, and job aids.
• Culinary and Operational Systems
  • Implement consistent processes for forecasting, production planning, station pars, backups, inventory, ordering, receiving, waste, and kitchen organization.
  • Train leaders and associates on CBORD, E2E processes, Dayforce, and other company operational platforms.
  • Connect system requirements to daily culinary execution, labor management, food cost, inventory, and financial performance.
  • Verify that recipes, production records, schedules, inventories, and other required information are completed accurately and on time.
  • Identify system-knowledge gaps and provide hands-on retraining and follow-up.
  • Partner with Operations, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, and corporate culinary teams to resolve process or system concerns.
• Recipe, Menu, and Financial Controls
  • Ensure standardized recipes, approved ingredients, portions, yields, and presentation standards are followed.
  • Identify recipe inaccuracies, ingredient concerns, and execution risks.
  • Support recipe validation, menu rollouts, and production mapping.
  • Train leaders on forecasting, purchasing, inventory, product utilization, food-cost management, and waste reduction.
  • Help accounts reduce overproduction, shortages, unapproved substitutions, and unnecessary purchases.
• Food Safety and Compliance
  • Reinforce company, client, and regulatory standards for food safety, sanitation, allergens, and workplace safety.
  • Conduct operational observations and provide immediate corrective coaching.
  • Support readiness for health inspections, internal audits, and client reviews.
  • Ensure kitchens, storage areas, dish rooms, equipment, and serving stations are properly maintained.
• Leadership and Communication
  • Partner with regional, corporate, and account leadership to improve culinary performance.
  • Provide clear updates outlining accomplishments, risks, responsible owners, and next steps.
  • Build productive relationships while maintaining standards and accountability.
  • Share successful practices and tools across the Higher Education portfolio.
  • Develop transition plans so onsite leaders can sustain improvements after support concludes.

Requirements

• At least seven years of progressive culinary experience in high-volume food service.
• At least three years of culinary leadership, training, multi-unit support, or account-opening experience.
• Demonstrated success improving underperforming culinary operations.
• Strong knowledge of food production, recipes, purchasing, inventory, food cost, waste, sanitation, and allergen controls.
• Experience using or training teams on CBORD, Dayforce, E2E processes, or comparable operational systems.
• Ability to assess an operation, establish priorities, implement solutions, and measure follow-through.
• Strong leadership, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Current ServSafe Manager certification and allergen training, or the ability to obtain both.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to meet company travel requirements.

Travel Requirements

• Ability and willingness to travel approximately 75%–90% of the time.
• Travel will primarily support Higher Education accounts along the East Coast, with additional travel based on business needs.
• Assignments may range from several days to multiple weeks.
• Flexibility to work early mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, semester openings, and special events.
• Residence within reasonable access to a major airport is preferred.

Nice-to-Haves

• Higher Education or contract food-service experience.
• Regional, corporate, or multi-account culinary support experience.
• Experience with residential dining, retail, catering, and special events.
• Experience supporting account turnarounds, openings, or leadership transitions.
• Culinary arts, hospitality, or related degree.
• Professional culinary certification.

Measures of Success

• Improved food quality, recipe consistency, and culinary execution.
• Stronger leadership and associate capabilities.
• Consistent use of CBORD, E2E, Dayforce, and required operating processes.
• Improved forecasting, ordering, inventory, labor, food-cost, and waste performance.
• Stronger food-safety, sanitation, and allergen compliance.
• Sustainable systems with clear onsite ownership.
• Successful stabilization, opening, and transition assignments.

About Elior Collegiate

Elior Collegiate Dining is rewriting the rules of campus dining, serving up bold flavors, fresh ideas, and high-impact experiences that fuel student life. We partner with forward-thinking colleges and universities to create vibrant, customized dining programs that spark connection, celebrate culture, and make food a defining part of the college journey.