Executive Chef

THE ROLE: Executive Chef LOCATION: Mesa, AZ DEPARTMENT: Food & Beverage The Executive Chef is the senior culinary leader responsible for the strategic and day-to-day execution of all culinary operations at the Mesa Complex, including concessions, catering/banquets, premium/VIP services and special events. This role drives culinary vision, operational excellence, financial performance, and talent development while ensuring exceptional food quality, consistency, sanitation, and guest satisfaction in a fast-paced, high-volume live events environment. The Executive Chef partners closely with the General Manager, Director of Food & Beverage, Sales/Catering, Operations, and Facility Maintenance to deliver memorable guest experiences, exceed client expectations, and operate at peak efficiency. Essential Duties & Responsibilities Culinary Leadership & Venue Execution Lead all back-of-house culinary operations across the property, ensuring flawless execution for event days and non-event production. Oversee menu execution and production systems for concessions, banquets/catering, VIP/premium areas, and special events, maintaining consistency, speed, and quality. Conduct line checks, tastings, and quality assurance reviews to ensure standards for flavor, portioning, presentation, and temperature. Create and maintain standardized recipes, prep sheets, production forecasts, and execution guides for all concepts and service models. Menu Development & Innovation Develop creative, trend-forward menu items that align with the River Center’s brand and event mix while leveraging local and seasonal ingredients where possible. Collaborate with Sales/Catering on client menu proposals, tastings, and BEO-driven execution, including customized menus for high-profile events. Ensure recipe compliance and accurate menu specifications including yields, allergen awareness, and cost cards. Financial Performance & Cost Control Own culinary cost performance including food cost, labor cost, waste, and controllables, operating within approved budgets and driving margin improvement. Build production and staffing plans aligned to event forecasts; manage schedules to meet business demand while minimizing overtime. Oversee purchasing, receiving, storage, and inventory controls; maintain strong vendor relationships and ordering discipline. Track and reduce spoilage and waste through smart par levels, rotation practices, and production planning. Team Leadership, Staffing & Culture Recruit, hire, train, coach, and develop a high-performing culinary and stewarding team. Build a culture of accountability, pride, teamwork, safety, and continuous improvement. Create clear station expectations and cross-training plans to strengthen bench depth and execution reliability. Manage performance including feedback, corrective action, and recognition in accordance with policy and applicable laws. Safety, Sanitation & Compliance Maintain full compliance with local health codes, food safety standards, and company policies including sanitation and HACCP practices. Drive outcomes that support strong inspection and audit performance. Ensure proper labeling, dating, storage, temperature logs, and safe food handling across all kitchen and storage areas. Champion workplace safety, accident prevention, and safe equipment use; report and correct hazards immediately. Equipment, Maintenance & Facility Partnership Ensure cleanliness, organization, and operational readiness of all kitchen areas and equipment. Partner with Facility Maintenance and F&B leadership to manage preventative maintenance programs and respond to equipment needs quickly. Maintain standards for BOH readiness including opening/closing procedures, deep cleaning schedules, and stewarding performance. Collaboration, Client Experience & Community Presence Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Sales, and Event Management to anticipate needs and deliver seamless event execution. Communicate staffing, production levels, challenges, and solutions clearly to leadership. Maintain an active presence in the local culinary/hospitality community and represent the River Center through industry and community engagement. Other Perform additional duties as assigned to support overall venue operations and special initiatives. Supervisory Responsibilities Directly supervises culinary and stewarding staff. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with company policies and applicable laws, including interviewing, hiring, training, scheduling, performance management, discipline, and issue resolution. Qualifications Education & Experience High School Diploma or GED required; culinary degree/apprenticeship certification preferred. 7+ years of progressive culinary experience, including senior culinary leadership in a high-volume venue environment (arena, stadium, convention center, performing arts, or large-scale catering). Demonstrated success managing food cost, labor, and culinary budgets in an event-driven operation. Licenses/Certifications ServSafe Manager certification (required or ability to obtain within a defined timeframe). Knowledge of HACCP and local health department standards. Skills & Abilities Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills with a hands-on management style. Proven ability to drive efficiency, consistency, and quality under tight timelines and high-volume demands. Strong understanding of purchasing, inventory, production planning, scheduling, and cost controls. Ability to work irregular hours including nights, weekends, and holidays based on event schedule. Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel) and comfort learning operational systems for scheduling/inventory/timekeeping. Working Conditions & Physical Demands On-site role in a fast-paced event environment; schedule varies based on event calendar. Frequent standing/walking; working in hot/cold kitchen environments; exposure to knives, hot surfaces, steam, and cleaning chemicals. Ability to lift/move up to 50 lbs, bend, reach, and perform repetitive motions throughout shift. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. COMPENSATION Competitive salary, commensurate with experience, and a generous benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, paid vacation, and 401k plan. ABOUT LEGENDS GLOBAL Legends Global is the premier partner to the world’s greatest live events, venues, and brands. We deliver a fully integrated suite of premium services through a white-label model that keeps our partners front and center - from feasibility and project development to sales, partnerships, hospitality, merchandise, venue management, and world-class content and booking. With a global network of more than 450 venues, hosting 20,000 events and welcoming 165 million guests annually, Legends Global brings unmatched scale, expertise, and connectivity to help our partners grow. The Legends Global Way guides how we operate: Align, Scale, Connect, Team, Win - shared success, repeatable systems, connected solutions, unstoppable teams, and wins that are earned every day. NOTE The essential responsibilities of this position are described below the above headings. They may be subject to change at any time due to reasonable accommodation or other reasons. Also, this document in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Legends Global is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, and encourages Women, Minorities, Individuals with Disabilities, and protected Veterans to apply. VEVRAA Federal Contractor. Our Work Experience is the combination of everything that’s unique about us: our culture, our core values, our company meetings, our commitment to sustainability, our recognition programs, but most importantly, it's our people. Our employees are self-disciplined, hard working, curious, trustworthy, humble, and truthful. They make choices according to what is best for the team, they live for opportunities to collaborate and make a difference, and they make us the #1 Top Workplace in the area. #J-18808-Ljbffr