Executive Chef

Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Maryland, is seeking an experienced Executive Chef to lead and further elevate its already successful and highly regarded culinary program. Known for its strong sense of community and active membership, the Club offers a dynamic environment in which the Executive Chef will build on an established foundation, ensuring consistency, quality, and thoughtful evolution across both à la carte and banquet offerings. The ideal candidate is a collaborative, service-driven leader who values tradition while embracing innovation, and who can mentor and develop a talented team while partnering closely with Club leadership. A deep understanding of member preferences, strong operational and financial discipline, and a visible, approachable leadership style will be essential in continuing to enhance the overall member experience and uphold the Club’s long-standing reputation for excellence.

COLUMBIA COUNTRY CLUB BY THE NUMBERS:

Members: 1666 (all categories) | Average member age: 47 Total Annual Gross Revenue: $27M Annual Food Revenue Approximately: $5.3M | Annual Beverage Revenue Approximately: $2.5M 3 Kitchens – (Lower Level Clubhouse, Upper Level Clubhouse & Pool Market Cafe) Total Number of FB Outlets: 4 (1 is Seasonal) plus private dining spaces and banquet spaces Average of 22 weddings a year, plus numerous banquet events with greater than 100 guests Target food cost: 41% Annual F&B Gross Payroll Approximately $6M | 52 direct/indirect reports

FOOD & BEVERAGE OPERATIONS

Columbia Country Club offers a diverse and well-balanced collection of dining outlets. The Columbia Room, an adults-only venue with a capacity of 125, provides an elevated dinner-only experience Tuesday through Sunday. The Terrace Room is a vibrant, family dining space that accommodates 110 guests indoors and an additional 80 on the patio during the warmer months, offering lunch, dinner, and brunch service Tuesday through Sunday. The Grille Room, with seating for 72, is an adults-only outlet featuring lunch and dinner service Tuesday through Sunday. The club’s Wine Room hosts dinners and tasting experiences. Seasonal operations include the Pool Market Cafe, with seating for up to 75 members, open daily from the third weekend in May through the second weekend in September. Complementing these outlets is a robust banquet operation.

EXECUTIVE CHEF JOB OVERVIEW

The Executive Chef (EC) at Columbia Country Club provides strategic leadership and oversight for all culinary operations across multiple food and beverage outlets within a high-volume, high-revenue club environment. This includes à la carte dining, banquets and events, member programming, and specialty outlets. The EC leads, inspires, and directs a large, diverse kitchen organization, including the Executive Sous Chef, Chef de Cuisine, Sous Chefs, Pastry Chef, Banquet Chef, and Purchasing Director. Reporting directly to the AGM, the EC is a member of the Senior Staff Team and works with the broader leadership team. The EC establishes and enforces culinary standards, systems, and operating procedures that support consistency, accountability, and continuous improvement. Clear communication, strong leadership presence, and adherence to established policies ensure alignment across all back-of-house operations and contribute to a best-in-class member dining experience. Leadership Take full ownership of the culinary team; build trust by engaging, observing, learning, and listening. Earn members' trust by instilling confidence through continued enhanced operations, interaction, and visibility. Create a fun, collaborative work environment while being "hands‑on" when necessary, but understanding when to step back and lead the team. Involve team members in the decision‑making process of how "work gets done" & create a work environment of mutual respect in which people want to come to & participate every day. Work closely with the front of house leadership and broader club leadership team to ensure a cohesive experience that consistently exceeds expectations for Members and guests. Be an active and dynamic recruiter of team members and someone who inherently enjoys developing and building their team and leading them to significant, positive membership satisfaction outcomes. Have a passion and aptitude for teaching and training all food service personnel, working as necessary with the team directly responsible for operations to create a learning culture of development. Hold daily/weekly team briefings and line‑ups with direct reports. Assist in planning and be responsible for ensuring special club events are well‑conceived and executed. Be a visible contributor at senior leadership meetings. Operations Plan, organize, and run a busy a la carte and banquet operation simultaneously with multiple events happening at the same time across multiple locations. Develop and maintain standard recipes and techniques for food preparation and presentation that help to ensure consistency, high‑quality, and minimize food costs. Be well‑versed in menu development and execution of various cuisines, including American, French, BBQ, Mediterranean, Italian, Asian, Caribbean, and Indian. Always with a focus on quality ingredients with a strong foundation in fundamental culinary techniques in the outlets and in the club’s busy employee dining room. Continue to maintain the positive culture of healthy employee meals and understand their importance. Evaluate controls to minimize food and supply waste and theft. Safeguard all food‑preparation employees by implementing training to increase their knowledge about safety, sanitation, and accident prevention principles. Maintain safety training programs. Manages OSHA‑related aspects of kitchen safety and maintains MSDSs in an easily accessible location. Membership Have a heart of hospitality, embrace, appreciate, promote, and elevate the warmth and culture of the Club. Be highly visible and engaged with Membership throughout the F&B outlets and events, have an intuitive feel for where to be and when. Welcome, encourage, and engage in regular feedback from Members. Be responsive to Members’ requests for menu selections, event planning, etc., and strive to find creative ways to accommodate reasonable requests with a "can‑do" approach. Consistently innovate, elevate events, and build on a core selection of club favorites and signature dishes. Create seasonally appropriate menus that the Membership has a hard time choosing from, with regular features and specials. Clearly understand the metrics for successful attainment of financial goals and objectives in F&B operations and consistently review these expectations with their direct reports to ensure understanding and ‘buy‑in’ from those contributing to their attainment. Oversee the pricing of menus for all outlets in the club and for special occasions and events. Schedule and coordinate the work of chefs, cooks, and other kitchen employees to ensure that food preparation is economical and technically correct, and within budgeted labor cost goals. Monitor payroll & labor resource allocations to ensure they are in line with financial forecasting and goals. Prepares the annual budget; projects annual food, labor, & other costs and monitors actual financial results; takes corrective action as necessary to help ensure that financial goals are met. Work closely with the purchasing department to ensure the best product is being delivered at the best price. Maintain strong relationships with local vendors and identify new vendors to ensure the best prices for quality.

INITIAL PRIORITIES OF THE EXECUTIVE CHEF

Establish Excellence as the Standard: Set a clear expectation that excellence is non‑negotiable, from the simplest member favorite to the most elevated dining experience. Champion pride in craft, disciplined execution, and attention to detail across every outlet, every plate, and every service. Champion Consistency & the Basics Done Exceptionally Well: Establish uncompromising standards around food quality, execution, sanitation, and organization. Gain an Understanding of Members & Their Habits: Quickly learn the membership’s preferences, traditions, dining patterns, and expectations, honoring beloved staples while building trust through reliability. Develop Thoughtful Innovation & Creativity: Introduce creativity with purpose, refreshing menus, features, and events in ways that feel exciting yet appropriate for the Club. Developing and Inspire People: Lead as a hands‑on mentor and teacher, strengthening the culinary bench through training, coaching, and accountability while fostering a culture of pride and professionalism. Visibility & Member Engagement: Be an active, approachable presence in both kitchens and dining rooms, genuinely enjoying interaction with Members, staff, and stakeholders in a highly visible and prestigious club. Demonstrate Strong, Steady Leadership: Provide confident, organized leadership across a large and complex operation, setting clear expectations, partnering closely with FOH and Club leadership, and modeling integrity and professionalism at every level.

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS

Ten years’ experience in a similar role with exposure to luxury hospitality, or large multi‑outlet operations with both busy a la carte and banquets. | Fifteen years of food production and management. Experienced with and embraces new technology, including POS and Microsoft Suite. Experience in the implementation of new systems.

EDUCATIONAL AND CERTIFICATION QUALIFICATIONS

A bachelor’s degree is preferred with a focus on Hospitality Management or Culinary. In lieu of the degree, substantial culinary or hospitality experience will be considered. Has achieved or is working towards Certified Executive Chef (CEC) certification through the American Culinary Federation (ACF) or Pro Chef II certification through the Culinary Institute of America. & Food Safety Certified. #J-18808-Ljbffr Columbia Country Club