Executive Chef

Upper Crust Food Service is a premier hospitality partner delivering high-end, chef-driven dining solutions to over 750+ partners nationwide. While our footprint is expansive, we have intentionally maintained a culture that is small enough to care deeply for our employees and clients. We deliver elevated restaurant-quality culinary experiences, and a hospitality-first culture. At Upper Crust, we believe that great food is the cornerstone of the student experience, and we empower our leadership teams to run their accounts with the entrepreneurial spirit of a boutique restaurant, backed by the robust resources of a national industry leader.

Upper Crust Food Service isn't just looking for an Executive Chef; we're looking for a culinary architect to lead a premier, multi-unit dining program. This role is designed for a visionary leader who can balance the complexities of high-volume residential dining with the high-stakes environment of collegiate athletics and large-scale catering. You will oversee a comprehensive portfolio for a campus community of over 500+ daily diners. Focused on culinary excellence, sustainability, and technology integration, our program delivers full-service cafés, catering, and retail designed to enhance the campus life culture.

Key Responsibilities

This role includes a broad range of operational, culinary, and leadership duties:

• Direct daily operations across residential dining and high-volume catering services, including large-scale events (500+ meals daily and events up to 1,200 guests).
• Design and implement seasonal, rotating menus that support local sourcing and "Seattle-Grown" or sustainability-focused initiatives.
• Lead culinary innovation and support campus-wide food strategy, including recipe development and trend integration.
• Manage multi-unit financial performance, including P&L responsibility, food and labor cost control, inventory management, and budget compliance.
• Oversee quality assurance across all units to ensure consistent food quality, presentation, and guest experience.
• Lead and develop a team of associates and kitchen leadership, including mentoring, training, and building leadership pipelines.
• Drive employee engagement, inclusion, and retention through proactive team culture-building and communication.
• Support regional or zone-wide operational initiatives and ensure alignment across multiple service locations.

Health & Safety Compliance

• Ensure full compliance with food safety, workplace safety, and sanitation standards across all units.
• Maintain ServSafe Manager certification standards and uphold HACCP-based food safety systems.
• Oversee allergen management protocols to ensure safe service for all guests.
• Maintain consistently high health inspection scores ("Gold Standard" level expectations).
• Ensure compliance with all local, regional, and institutional food service regulations.
• Promote a strong safety culture through ongoing training, monitoring, and accountability practices.

Technical Expertise

• Strong financial management skills, including budgeting, forecasting, and multi-unit P&L oversight.
• Proficiency with reporting and productivity tools for tracking food cost, labor cost, and operational metrics.
• Working knowledge of Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides) for communication, reporting, and planning.
• Culinary expertise in high-volume food production, catering operations, and menu engineering.
• Experience with inventory systems, cost control systems, and operational analytics platforms.
• Understanding of modern culinary trends, sustainability practices, and large-scale institutional food service operations.

Why Join Upper Crust Food Service?

We offer a competitive compensation package, including comprehensive benefits and the opportunity to lead a flagship account within the Seattle collegiate landscape. Ready to lead the next era of campus dining?

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life Insurance/ AD
• Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Paid Time Off
• Holiday Time Off (varies by site/state)
• Associate Shopping Program
• Health and Wellness Programs
• Discount Marketplace
• Pet Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Paid Parental Leave
• Personal Leave

Apply today to join a team dedicated to culinary excellence and student success.

The pay range for this role is:

35 - 37 USD per hour (Seattle, WA)