Executive Chef

Executive Chef

Canyon Museum is opening in late Fall 2026 on the Lower East Side of New York City. Canyon is a new 40,000-square-foot space devoted to video, sound, performance, and other forms of durational art including state-of-the-art technologies to reimagine how visitors experience these art forms.

We are seeking an accomplished and visionary Executive Chef to lead the culinary program for the restaurant, bar, café and events. This is an opportunity to shape the food and beverage experience of a major cultural institution while working in partnership with a highly renowned, James Beard Award winning chef.

Due to construction, the position would start closer to the end of the year.

The Executive Chef will be responsible for establishing the culinary identity of the operation, developing a compelling and seasonally driven menu, and building a kitchen culture grounded in hospitality, creativity, excellence, and operational discipline. The ideal candidate brings a sophisticated culinary point of view, strong leadership skills, and the ability to translate a creative vision into an exceptional, consistently executed guest experience.

Key responsibilities include:

• Developing and executing a compelling culinary vision that reflects Canyon Museum's mission and guest experience.
• Creating seasonal, ingredient-driven menus that balance creativity, quality, and operational excellence.
• Leading, mentoring, and developing a high-performing culinary team while fostering a culture of professionalism, accountability, and collaboration.
• Overseeing all kitchen operations, including staffing, scheduling, purchasing, inventory management, food preparation, production, and service execution.
• Establishing and maintaining recipes, training programs, culinary standards, and operational systems to ensure consistency and efficiency.
• Partnering with front-of-house leadership to deliver seamless hospitality experiences for daily visitors, private events, exhibitions, and special programming.
• Managing food and labor costs, culinary budgets, vendor relationships, purchasing strategies, and inventory controls.
• Maintaining exceptional standards for food quality, presentation, sanitation, safety, and regulatory compliance.
• Continuously evaluating guest feedback, culinary trends, and operational performance to enhance the overall culinary program.

Union Square Events is a member of Compass Group USA. Compass Group is an equal opportunity employer. At Compass, we are committed to treating all applicants and associates fairly based on their abilities, achievements, and experience without regard to race, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by law.

Qualified candidates must be able to perform the essential functions of this position satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation.