Executive Chef

Be Creativewith Creative Dining Services!

Creative Dining Services is currently seeking an Executive Chef to join our team at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, MI.

As the campus culinary expert, the Executive Chef works within the Dining Services Department to ensure that high-quality, properly seasoned, nutritious food is provided throughout the operation in a fiscally responsible, sustainable, and safe manner. The Executive Chef is part of the Dining Services Management team and works closely with campus dining, retail, catering, kitchen leadership, and the client to ensure the needs of students, guests, staff, and colleagues are met.

This is a hands-on culinary leadership role for someone who enjoys developing people, strengthening kitchen systems, supporting a high-quality hospitality operation, and leading through both standards and service.

Core Responsibilities of the Executive Chef:

• Leads and coordinates hot, cold, and bakery food production across campus dining operations.
• Supervises, trains, schedules, and supports kitchen staff and culinary leadership.
• Oversees and supports the Chef Manager at Prince Conference Center by providing culinary mentorship, operational guidance, and leadership support
• Participates in hiring, timekeeping, performance appraisals, coaching, and disciplinary actions for kitchen staff.
• Works with dining and catering leadership to achieve budgetary goals and maintain fiscal responsibility.
• Oversees food purchases, vendor selection, product standards, and inventory control in accordance with Creative Dining Services guidelines.
• Standardizes menus, recipes, production practices, and product usage to ensure quality and consistency across campus kitchens.
• Challenges culinary leadership to develop on-trend menus, staff training, and operational support that provide excellence in variety and quality.
• Establishes and maintains food quality, presentation, production, and sanitation standards.
• Ensures production records, forecasting, and food consumption estimates are completed and used to adjust future production.
• Partners with leadership to identify high-potential employees, assess skill gaps, and support training and development opportunities.
• Participates in Food Committee meetings and responds to feedback with professionalism and creativity.
• Ensures kitchen equipment is maintained properly and that kitchen areas remain organized, clean, safe, and inspection-ready.

Schedule

• Full-time, salaried leadership position. Schedule will vary based on campus dining needs, coverage needs, events, and business volume.

The Ideal Candidate Will Have:

• Culinary Arts Degree with a minimum of five years of leadership experience.
• ServSafe certification.
• ServSafe Allergen certification, preferred.
• Prior culinary management or kitchen leadership experience.
• Strong knowledge of food production, menu planning, recipe execution, purchasing, inventory, sanitation, and kitchen operations.
• Experience leading, coaching, and developing culinary team members.
• A positive, can-do attitude and the ability to work professionally with others under pressure.
• A willingness to be actively engaged in the physical work of a high-quality hospitality service operation.
• Membership in the American Culinary Federation, preferred.

We Offer:

• Competitive pay
• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Bonus opportunities
• 401(k) with a company match
• Paid time off
• And much, much more!

Why Creative Dining Services?

Creative Dining Services partners with colleges, universities, Fortune 100 companies, full-service senior living communities, conference centers, and K-12 schools and camps to provide a different kind of hospitality and facility management services experience one that's fun, innovative, and focused on your community.

Why? Because that's how it should be.

Creative Dining Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer.