Executive Chef & Director of Culinary Operations

Hospitality Confidential is pleased to present an exciting Executive Chef & Director of Culinary Operations opportunity at a premier full service off-premise catering company, located in central Maryland. This is a highly visible leadership role where the Executive Chef will serve as the culinary visionary and operational leader, responsible for driving culinary excellence, developing exceptional talent, and helping guide the company's continued growth from a $5 million to a $10 million organization. About the position: The Executive Chef & Director of Culinary Operations will establish and lead the culinary vision while overseeing all commissary kitchen operations. This individual will be responsible for menu innovation, culinary standards, high-volume production, and operational excellence across weddings, corporate events, galas, and social functions. This role requires a hands-on leader who excels at developing people as much as creating exceptional food. The Executive Chef will recruit, mentor, and inspire a high-performing culinary team while fostering a culture built on coaching, accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning. In partnership with ownership and senior leadership, this individual will influence strategic decisions, improve systems and efficiencies, and ensure consistent execution across every event. The ideal candidate is an accomplished culinary leader with extensive high-volume production experience, strong financial acumen, and a passion for building teams, elevating culinary experiences, and creating a culture where people thrive. Key Responsibilities: Establish and execute culinary vision while driving menu innovation and seasonal offerings. Lead all commissary kitchen operations supporting weddings, corporate events, galas, and large-scale catered functions. Recruit, mentor, coach, and develop a high-performing culinary team while building future leaders. Develop standardized recipes, production systems, plating standards, and operational best practices. Partner with Sales, Operations, Beverage, Pastry, and Ownership to deliver exceptional client experiences. Oversee purchasing, vendor relationships, inventory management, and production scheduling. Maintain food safety, sanitation, HACCP compliance, and overall kitchen organization. Drive continuous improvement in operational systems, production efficiency, and quality standards. Oversee kitchen facility maintenance, preventative equipment programs, and capital improvement recommendations. Manage departmental financial performance, including food cost, labor, purchasing, budgeting, and profitability. Requirements: 7+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience. Executive Chef or Executive Sous Chef experience in a high-volume environment. Proven success leading large-scale culinary production and kitchen operations. Off-premise catering experience strongly preferred. Hotel banquet, luxury hospitality, country club, convention center, or large-event culinary experience is highly desirable. Demonstrated success recruiting, mentoring, coaching, and developing culinary teams. Strong financial acumen with experience managing food cost, labor, purchasing, inventory, and departmental budgets. Excellent leadership, communication, organizational, and operational management skills. Culinary degree preferred or equivalent professional experience. Spanish language proficiency is strongly preferred. Passion for servant leadership, continuous improvement, and building a people-first culture. $85k - $95k base Profit sharing based on performance Health Reimbursement IRA Company match Paid time off Sick Time This job description is subject to change based on the needs of the business and is not all-inclusive. Our client is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. They do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender (including gender identity or expression), pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, sexual orientation, marital status, domestic violence, sexual violence or stalking victim status, ancestry, national origin, alienage or citizenship, age, disability, military or veteran status, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristic, or other protected status. #J-18808-Ljbffr