Executive Chef (8235)

Executive Chef

This position is responsible for directing and overseeing all providing strategic and operational leadership for all culinary operations at Spotlight 29 Casino. This position is accountable for food quality, menu execution, sanitation, cleaning standards, recipe-card compliance, temperature controls, staffing, food cost and team development across restaurants, employee dining, banquets and special events. In addition, you are the HEART of our Five-Star Experience, embodying our Service Promise: We are the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians Team, where your experience is our top priority. Every person and detail matters. As leaders, you are responsible for delivering our Five-Star Experience through our Mission Statement, Service Promise, and department service standards. This includes consistently performing our service expectations with HEART. Hello, Engage, Anticipate, Resolve, Thank.

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required to perform this job successfully. Upon request, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Provide outstanding customer service to guests and all other employees by exceeding our mission statement.
• Continually coach and support Team Members to ensure they have the skills, tools and resources to successfully complete their jobs, including the delivering of the HEART Experience expectations.
• Direct the daily operation of all assigned kitchens, food production areas, employee dining operations, banquets and special-event culinary functions.
• Maintain a visible leadership presence during peak meal periods, holidays, casino promotions, concerts, VIP functions and other high-volume events.
• Ensure kitchens are properly staffed, organized, stocked and prepared before each service period.
• Monitor food quality, taste, freshness, portion size, plate presentation, ticket times and consistency across all outlets.
• Coordinate culinary execution with restaurant managers to support smooth service and timely communication.
• Hold culinary leaders accountable for correcting recurring operational issues and sustaining improvement.
• Develop and maintain menus that support the property's concepts, guest expectations, financial objectives and operational capabilities.
• Create a complete, current and organized recipe-card system for every menu item, special, banquet item and production component. Ensure every recipe card includes ingredients, exact measurements, preparation steps, yield, portion size, plating instructions, allergen information and current cost.
• Train cooks on recipe execution, portioning and standardized plate presentation before new items are introduced.
• Complete cost recipes, analyze margins and recommend pricing or product adjustments.
• Revise menu items that do not meet quality, popularity, profitability or execution standards.
• Develop and manage culinary budgets, forecasts and operating plans.
• Review daily, weekly and monthly financial performance, including food cost, labor, overtime, waste and operating expenses.
• Maintain food cost within approved targets through accurate recipes, portion control, purchasing, production planning and waste reduction.
• Establish appropriate inventory pars and ensure accurate ordering, receiving, storage, transfers and inventory counts.
• Ensure products are rotated using first in, first out procedures and that expired, damaged or improperly stored products are removed immediately.
• Maintain accurate waste, spoilage, transfer and complimentary food records.
• Manage culinary labor through effective forecasting, scheduling, productivity standards and overtime control.
• Establish and enforce detailed daily, weekly and monthly cleaning schedules for every kitchen, preparation area, walk-in, freezer, dry-storage area, dish room and culinary support space.
• Conduct opening, mid-shift and closing kitchen inspections and document deficiencies, corrective actions and follow-up.
• Ensure floors, walls, ceilings, vents, hoods, filters, drains, shelving, coolers, freezers, cooking equipment and food-contact surfaces are maintained in clean and sanitary condition.
• Ensure chemicals are properly labeled, stored and used at approved concentrations, with current safety information available.
• Maintain pest-prevention standards.
• Partner with Stewarding and Facilities to keep all culinary areas inspection-ready and maintain preventive-maintenance standards.
• Maintain full compliance with applicable federal, state, tribal and local food-safety requirements and company policies.
• Establish required temperature checks for receiving, storage, thawing, cooking, hot holding, cold holding, cooling and reheating.
• Ensure temperature logs are completed accurately, legibly and at the required frequency for every applicable outlet and production area.
• Verify thermometers are available, clean, calibrated and used correctly by culinary team members.
• Ensure proper labeling, dating, cooling, storage, reheating and discard procedures are consistently followed.
• Maintain effective allergen-control, cross-contamination prevention and handwashing practices.
• Train employees on food safety.
• Recruit, select, train, coach and develop culinary leaders and hourly team members.
• Establish clear performance expectations and hold leaders accountable for food quality, sanitation, recipe compliance, temperature checks, labor and food cost.
• Conduct regular culinary leadership meetings and effective pre-shift meetings.
• Ensure schedules are completed accurately, provide appropriate coverage and are issued within established deadlines.
• Conduct performance evaluations and provide timely, constructive feedback.
• Address attendance, performance and conduct concerns consistently and in partnership with Human Resources.
• Ensure corrective actions are completed promptly and maintain professional uniform, grooming and hygiene standards.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, gaming regulations, internal controls and applicable laws.
• Maintain required food-manager, food-handler and other professional certifications.
• Cooperate with inspections, audits, investigations and emergency-response procedures.
• Partner with Restaurant Services on guest satisfaction, service standards, ticket times and special events.
• Coordinate with Player Development and Marketing on promotions, player offers, seasonal menus and casino events.
• Communicate culinary performance and action plans to the Executive Director of Food and Beverage.
• Complete other duties and projects as assigned.
• Strong culinary, leadership, communication and decision-making skills.
• Ability to lead a diverse culinary team in a fast-paced, high-volume casino environment.
• Strong understanding of multiple restaurant concepts, banquet production and high-volume food service.
• Ability to develop recipes, calculate yields, cost menus and interpret financial statements.
• Exceptional attention to cleanliness, organization, food safety and operational detail.
• Maintain excellent communications with all Directors and Managers.
• Develops and implements approved departmental policies and procedures.
• Responsible for all necessary record keeping.
• Comprehensive understanding of forecasting, budgeting, scheduling, productivity, inventory controls (if applicable), P&L analysis, and cost controls.
• Ensure the budget for the department is monitored and adhered to by implementing effective processes and procedures.
• Prepare necessary data for the budget in area of responsibility; project annual costs and monitor actual results; take corrective action where necessary.
• Keep abreast of competitive changes including industry trends and local competitive set.
• Develop, maintain and nurture a positive work environment.
• Responsible for maintaining a disciplined environment and implement practices that promote safety, quality and productivity.
• Coordinate and supervise training, assignments, and development of subordinates.
• Ensure compliance with all Minimum Internal Control Standards (MICS) as well as all Tribal Internal Control Standards (TICS).
• Present a positive image of the Tribal organization to its guests and vendors and to assist them as required.
• Must follow all safety policies and procedures and attend all scheduled safety meetings and training as a condition of employment.
• Able to make difficult decision in a fair and honest manner.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Perform any other duties that may be assigned from time to time.

Manage directly and indirectly all employees of all assigned kitchens. Adhere to the Tribal organization's policies, procedures and applicable laws. Responsible for the overall direction, coordination, and evaluation of this unit. Carry out supervisory responsibilities which include but are not limited to: interviewing and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Qualifications

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE (MUST BE DOCUMENTED):

• Culinary degree or formal apprenticeship preferred; equivalent leadership experience may be considered.
• At least ten years of progressive culinary experience, including five years as an Executive Chef, Executive Sous Chef or comparable senior culinary leader.
• Casino, resort, tribal gaming, banquet or large-scale special-event experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing food cost, labor, purchasing, inventory, menu development, cleaning