Executive Chef - Oasis at Death Valley

Overview Live. Work. Explore. as a part of our Food & Beverage team at the Oasis at Death Valley! The Oasis at Death Valley is situated in a lush, spring-fed desert oasis, surrounded by the vast and arid desert of Death Valley National Park. The Oasis operates the historic AAA Four Diamond Inn and Ranch, restaurants, gift shops, and the world's lowest elevation golf course. Both hotels are open year‑round and feature swimming pools fed by naturally warm local springs. We’re hiring an Executive Chef to Live. Work. Explore. in Death Valley National Park! Job Summary The Executive Chef is responsible for overseeing all culinary operations and ensuring the highest quality of food production. Reporting directly to the Food & Beverage Director, this role involves menu planning, recipe development, kitchen management, and maintaining food safety standards. The Executive Chef will lead a talented culinary team and collaborate with other departments to deliver exceptional dining experiences. The Executive Chef will provide leadership and motivation for all back of the house operations including product quality, food costs, sanitation, inventory control, staffing and training. The Details Position Type: Full‑Time, Year‑Round. Pay: $74,464-$93,080/yr. Schedule: Typical schedule is 40-50 hours, 5 days per week (will include weekends, evenings, and holidays). Why the Oasis at Death Valley? Death Valley National Park is in the northern Mojave Desert in California and is the largest National Park outside of Alaska. With incredibly diverse ecosystems, sand dunes, mountains, and America’s lowest elevations, Death Valley is an incredible place to call home. We are a welcoming community who work hard, share a real passion for the environment, and enjoy crafting memorable experiences for our guests. Life at the Oasis Employee housing and on-site employee meals (cafeteria‑style) provided at low cost Free on‑site laundry facility, Wi‑Fi (limited bandwidth) A fast‑paced, exciting work environment with plenty of upward mobility and growth opportunities Meet people of all ages from all over the country and world! Benefits Medical, Dental, Vision Paid Time Off and Holidays Disability Insurance 401k with match Life and AD&D Insurance Employee Assistance Program Wellness Programs Learning and Development Programs Perks Free Death Valley National Park pass Free access to pool, golf course, rec centre, gym and sports court Retail, Lodging and Travel Discounts Planned employee trips and activities $350 Referral Bonus Program The adventure of a lifetime! Responsibilities Primary duty to provide the Inn Dining Room Kitchen to maintain 4‑Diamond level culinary execution for all meal periods with an emphasis on dinner service. Maintain 4‑Diamond level Room Service to the Inn guestrooms. Assist in the development and execution of exceptional Employee Dining Room Menus. Leads the culinary team in maintaining and development of menus, pricing, ordering, month‑end inventories and food cost controls. Inspect all kitchen operations daily on a walk‑through basis to ensure compliance with sanitation, productivity levels, inventory control, product quality, labour control, staffing and overall kitchen operational standards. Responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of all kitchen equipment. Initiate maintenance work orders and purchase requests for kitchen equipment and submit annual capital‑expense requests for new equipment. Work closely with the Food & Beverage Director to maintain positive and continual communication. Work with Supply Chain Department and selected vendors to ensure highest quality product is aligned with our food programme and work with suppliers directly to ensure accurate and timely delivery of products. Authorise purchase requests for food for special functions and oversee catering for all special functions as well as approve daily specials for all kitchens. Ensure timely completion of all administrative duties as needed to include: schedule preparation, attendance records, food and supplies inventory, food safety compliance tasks, kitchen cleanliness, purchasing and maintenance of accurate production sheets. Communicate with Human Resources department on staffing needs, associate training and development plans and other HR related matters. Interview and select candidates for Kitchen Management positions and offer counsel on the selection of Cook I Supervisor and Cook I promotions. Assist with annual performance reviews for Culinary Management staff. Conduct corrective and disciplinary actions as necessary. Work with the Food & Beverage Director in setting and achieving goals and objectives for back of the house operations. Work with the Food & Beverage Director in planning, scheduling and implementation of new menus for all outlets including product pricing, product ‘specs’, cook training and suggested presentations. Communicate as needed with managers regarding back‑of‑the‑house issues and concerns. Ensure that ServeSafe food sanitation programme is being strictly adhered to in all kitchen operations according to local, state and federal public health codes. Ensure that company’s loss control and risk management programmes are being adhered to in all kitchen operations. Work with the Food & Beverage Director and Kitchen Managers, and Sous Chefs in establishing financial plans for the kitchens including labour costs, product costs and other operating expenses. Acts as hands‑on member of management, setting a positive example to all back‑of‑the‑house employees in behaviour, communication, productivity and appearance. Responsible for ensuring that all employees are aware of Xanterra’s company‑wide Environmental Management System (EMS) and their roles and responsibilities in achieving conformance to the policy. Position will be required to work a varied schedule that will include evenings, weekends and holidays. Must be able to demonstrate professional and courteous behaviour with all guests and employees. Other duties as assigned. Qualifications Minimum Qualifications: 3‑5 years Executive Chef experience in high volume or multi‑unit kitchen operations. Proven experience in training kitchen staff in all aspects of kitchen operations including management development. Certification in ServeSafe/HACCP sanitation programme. Preferred Qualifications: Associate or Bachelor’s degree in culinary arts or Kitchen/Restaurant Management Menu development experience preferably in multi‑unit F&B operations. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Experience in financial budgeting, planning and control. Basic accounting skills with ability to calculate payroll plans, product cost analysis and P&L statements analysis. Experience with computerized food ordering systems, plus demonstrated competence with Word and Excel software. Ability to research and recommend purchases for kitchen equipment and service merchandising. Demonstrated inventory control experience. Participative, hands‑on management style. Proven ability to identify, train and develop staff for promotion. Valid driver’s licence Basic Competencies: High level of professionalism and communication skills (provide clear instructions and directions). Verbal comprehension (understand oral and written communications, follow detailed direction). Attention to detail skills (minimise the risk of error). Reasoning skills (problem solving and troubleshooting skills). Multi‑tasking and prioritisation skills. Physical Requirements The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Ability to lift and carry 50 lbs. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; use hands to fingers, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear and taste or smell. The employee is occasionally required to sit. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to extreme conditions which include extreme hot conditions in the summer. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status. #J-18808-Ljbffr XANTERRA TRAVEL COLLECTION