Venue Chef

Venue Chef

At Great Performances, we weave our mission into all we do. Serving New York City for over four decades Great Performances has evolved from a waitress staffing agency to the leading catering, events, and hospitality companies in the greater New York area. We provide food services in an array of celebrated New York City cultural institutions including Jazz at Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Wave Hill, and The Apollo Theater. We are known for full-service catering and events, corporate workplace dining and amenity programs, and large-scale event and festival production. Great Performances is the nation's first caterer to own and operate an organic farm, Katchkie Farm located in Kinderhook, NY. Progressive from the start, we consistently set the pace for industry best practices.

We are seeking highly motivated and talented individuals to join our team and to support our vision, mission, and values through everything they do. If you share our passion and want to make a meaningful impact, we invite you to apply.

Our Vision: Building Community to Better Our World

Our Mission: Unleash Joy through Genuine Hospitality

Our Core Values:

• Craftsmanship: developing new menus, designs, and moments to deliver engaging experiences to our clients and guests.
• People: creating fair access, opportunity, and advancement for everyone. Our employees are our greatest asset.
• Sustainability: upholding and elevating standards for sustainable behaviors that support our planet.
• Collaboration: aligning with our clients', colleagues', and community's visions to execute a successful experience.
• Doing Good through Food: engaging in action around food access, health and wellness, education, and philanthropy.

We are seeking a skilled and experienced Venue Chef to lead culinary operations at Great Performances. The ideal candidate is a strong, hands-on leader with proven experience in both cooking and food preparation who can seamlessly step into all areas of the kitchen when needed. This individual thrives in a fast-paced environment, builds and develops high-performing teams, and maintains the highest standards of food quality, safety, and presentation. The Venue Chef will work closely with the General Manager to ensure seamless collaboration between the kitchen and service teams while upholding the values and standards of Great Performances.

Responsibilities

Culinary Operations & Food Quality:

• Ensure prompt preparation, freshness, and high-quality execution of all dishes served.
• Maintain consistency in taste, presentation, and portioning standards.
• Develop new recipes and assist with menu planning.
• Oversee plating and presentation to meet company standards.
• Develop seasonal menus in accordance to the client's requests.
• Keep track of and maintain waste, inventory, and temperature logs daily.

Food Safety & Compliance:

• Maintain strict adherence to food safety, sanitation, and NYC Department of Health (DOH) regulations.
• Implement and enforce hygiene and safety policies.
• Monitor kitchen equipment for cleanliness, maintenance, and efficiency.

Team Leadership & Development:

• Recruit, hire, train, and mentor kitchen staff, including cooks, food preparation workers, and dishwashers.
• Establish and monitor performance standards to ensure consistency and productivity.
• Foster a positive, team-oriented work environment.

Operations & Staffing:

• Coordinate kitchen staff schedules, tasks, and daily operations.
• Monitor staffing levels to meet service demands while maintaining financial goals.
• Support multiple kitchen functions and step in as needed during service.
• Perform additional duties as required based on the needs of the operation.

Inventory, Purchasing & Administration:

• Manage inventory levels and ensure proper stock rotation.
• Purchase food and supplies from company-approved vendors.
• Perform administrative tasks including ordering supplies and submitting purchase orders.

Collaboration & Guest Experience:

• Partner with the General Manager to ensure strong communication between kitchen and front-of-house teams.
• Obtain feedback on food and service quality and address guest or client concerns when needed.
• Support overall guest satisfaction through consistent execution and responsiveness.

Qualifications:

• 57+ years of experience in a professional kitchen, caf, or food service environment, with at least 2-4 years in a leadership role (Sous Chef, Kitchen Manager, or equivalent).
• Proven experience in both cooking and food preparation required.
• Ability to step in and support multiple kitchen functions as needed.
• Strong knowledge of basic culinary techniques.
• Excellent knife skills required.
• NYC Department of Health Food Protection Certificate a plus.
• Strong knowledge of NYC DOH guidelines and safe food handling practices required.
• Ability to lift a minimum of 50 pounds and stand for extended periods (at least 8 hours).
• Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.
• Strong time management, organizational, and leadership skills.

Location: New York, NY

Schedule: Full-time, On-Site

Base salary: $80,000

Benefits: PTO, 401K, Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance, Transit, Safe & Sick Time, and FSA (Flexible Spending Account)

Must be able to provide valid documentation that you are legally eligible to work in the United States.

Great Performances is an equal opportunity employer. At Great Performances, we employ qualified individuals based solely on ability, training, and experience. Great Performances does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment or promotion based on race, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by law.