Executive Chef - Campus Dining

About the Role

As the Executive Chef for our campus dining services at Menlo College, you will lead culinary operations for resident dining and support catering as needed. This pivotal leadership role involves working one weekend day per week and offers a unique opportunity to shape the dining experience for our vibrant community.

You will drive culinary excellence by standardizing operations, fostering team development, and crafting innovative menus that cater to diverse needs. Building strong partnerships across the campus community will be essential to elevating our dining program.

Key responsibilities include managing your culinary team, setting strategic direction, deploying resources effectively, and overseeing performance evaluations, compensation reviews, hiring, and termination decisions. Success in this role requires strong leadership, collaboration, and communication skills within the organization.

Your Impact & Responsibilities

• Culinary Leadership: Lead the implementation of streamlined culinary systems to enhance consistency and operational success.
• Team Development: Inspire and mentor a dedicated culinary team, fostering professional growth and shaping future leaders.
• Menu Innovation: Design creative menus that balance client preferences, nutritional standards, and current culinary trends. Champion fresh, innovative ideas to keep dining experiences exciting and relevant.
• Operational Excellence: Oversee procurement and purchasing to ensure top-quality ingredients and cost-effective sourcing. Maintain rigorous food safety and sanitation standards.
• Client Engagement: Cultivate meaningful relationships with clients through exceptional service and collaborative efforts.
• Strategic Contribution: Play a key role in shaping culinary strategy and driving continuous improvement across all dining operations.

Qualifications

We are looking for a passionate and experienced culinary leader who brings:

• Extensive Culinary Expertise: Proven track record in high-volume, fast-paced kitchen environments, with strong culinary production and execution skills.
• Leadership & Management: Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and develop culinary teams, including experience with performance management and resource deployment.
• Menu Planning & Trends: Advanced menu planning abilities combined with a deep understanding of current culinary trends and diverse client preferences.
• Organizational Skills: Highly organized and detail-oriented, with proficiency in computer systems to streamline operations and enhance efficiency.
• Problem-Solving: Demonstrated problem-solving skills and the ability to independently implement processes that improve productivity and consistency.
• Food Safety: ServSafe certification and solid working knowledge of HACCP principles to ensure food safety and compliance.
• Education: Associate’s degree, Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent culinary experience.
• Experience: At least 1 year of management experience and 1 year of related culinary experience. Campus dining experience is highly preferred; comparable seven-day, high-volume foodservice experience will also be considered.

About Menlo College Dining

Menlo College is a close-knit campus community. Our dining operation is a year-round account, encompassing resident dining, catering, special events, and summer conference/camp business. We serve approximately 675 students on meal plans, plus faculty and staff.

The dining environment is designed to be akin to a high-quality food hall rather than a traditional cafeteria, featuring multiple stations, diverse cuisines, pop-up events, and a strong focus on food quality and the student experience.

You will oversee a team of approximately 15–20 members, including supervisors and cooks, with no additional salaried managers reporting directly to this position. This is a seven-day operation serving approximately 18 meals per week. The Executive Chef is expected to work one weekend day and must have flexibility based on business needs. Dinner service generally ends around 7:30 PM, so late-night hours are not typically expected.

Who You Are

We seek a dedicated individual who is passionate, engaging, technologically comfortable, and interested in making Menlo College a long-term professional home. An ownership mentality is highly valued.

Compensation & Benefits

We offer a comprehensive and competitive compensation package, with salary determined by a candidate’s experience, skills, education, and training. This position does not include a bonus. Benefits begin on Day 1 and may include:

• Medical, Dental, Vision Care, and Wellness Programs
• 401(k) Plan with Matching Contributions
• Paid Time Off and Company Holidays
• Career Growth Opportunities and Tuition Reimbursement

More extensive information regarding benefits is provided to new employees upon hire. Relocation assistance is not available for this role.

Interview Process

The interview process includes a recruiter phone screen, an interview with the onsite team, and a chef tasting/practical culinary assessment.

Location: Atherton, CA, United States Job ID: CLI-45841-3 Job Type: Direct Hire