Executive Chef

Job Title : Executive Chef

Location : Charleston, SC

Salary : $90,000 - $100,000 (BOE) + Bonus

Skills : Restaurant Operations, Team Leadership & Development, High-Volume Restaurant Management, Guest Experience, Food & Beverage Operations, P&L Management, Staffing & Labor Management, Inventory & Cost Control, Training & Employee Development, Sales & Revenue Growth

About Company / Opportunity :

Established full-service restaurant known for its high-volume operation, generous portions, and consistently executed American cuisine. The restaurant has built a strong reputation with both local guests and visitors by delivering a lively, casual dining experience centered around quality food, friendly service, and value.

The operation places a strong emphasis on consistency, speed of service, food quality, and hospitality, making it an environment well suited for experienced culinary leaders who are comfortable managing a busy kitchen. The company is also focused on developing strong restaurant teams and maintaining disciplined standards around food safety, sanitation, labor, and cost controls.

Executive Chef responsible for leading the kitchen operation of a high-volume, full-service restaurant, with a strong focus on food quality, consistency, kitchen organization, team development, food safety, and financial performance. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who can manage a busy kitchen while developing and retaining a strong culinary team.

Responsibilities :

• Lead and manage all back-of-house culinary operations in a high-volume, full-service restaurant.
• Ensure consistent food quality, presentation, portion control, and execution across all shifts.
• Recruit, train, coach, and develop kitchen staff while building a strong, accountable team culture.
• Manage food costs, inventory, ordering, waste, and portion controls to meet financial targets.
• Oversee kitchen labor, scheduling, productivity, and staffing levels.
• Maintain strict food safety, sanitation, cleanliness, and health-code compliance.
• Establish and maintain kitchen systems, procedures, recipes, and organizational standards.
• Work closely with the General Manager and leadership team on restaurant performance and operational goals.
• Monitor kitchen execution during peak-volume periods and ensure the team maintains quality under pressure.
• Create a positive kitchen environment focused on teamwork, consistency, efficiency, and guest satisfaction.

Must-Have Skills :

• High-Volume Full-Service Restaurant Experience – Proven ability to run a busy kitchen while maintaining speed, quality, consistency, and execution.
• Culinary Team Leadership – Strong leader who can recruit, train, mentor, motivate, and hold a BOH team accountable.
• Food Cost & Kitchen Operations – Hands-on experience with food costing, inventory, ordering, waste control, labor management, and overall kitchen organization.

Nice to Have Skills :

• Multi-Unit or Large-Volume Experience – Experience overseeing multiple kitchens or a particularly high-volume restaurant operation.
• Strong Cost-Saving Track Record – Proven ability to improve food cost, reduce waste, manage labor, and increase overall kitchen profitability.
• Southern/American Cuisine Experience – Background with American, Southern, steakhouse, seafood, or similar high-volume cuisine.