Culinary Director + Private Chef - SF Peninsula, CA

Job Description
Culinary Director / Private Chef

Full-Time SF Bay Area Peninsula-Based Travel with Italy Focus

Please note: THE PRE-SCREENER ASSESSEMENT THAT ACCOMPANIES THE APPLICATION MUST BE FILLED OUT FOR YOUR CANDIDACY CAN NOT BE CONSIDERED.

UPDATED TO NOTE: The client is particularly interested in those candidates who have RECENT Sous Chef and above Michelin-level experience; particularly those chefs who have had careers in that world and are actively looking to transition to the Private Chef world.

Heart of the Role

This role represents the foundational hire in what is envisioned as a long-term, evolving private culinary program. In the near term, you will be highly hands-on-cooking, planning, and executing at a very high level-while over time the role is expected to grow into something broader, including shaping systems, refining standards, and helping to build and lead additional culinary staff as the household's needs and properties expand.

This is an opportunity for someone who enjoys not only cooking beautifully, but building something thoughtfully and correctly from the ground up. The right person will take pride in laying the foundation for a program that will, over several years, rival the sophistication and consistency of a top-tier restaurant-within the privacy of a home. Food should feel indulgent, abundant, and memorable.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary: TO $250,000++ annually, commensurate with experience, plus benefits (spousal insurance coverage provided)

Travel expenses fully covered when traveling for the role

Overview

The Culinary Director / Private Chef will be responsible for all aspects of the household's food world, including daily meals beginning with a drop-off model, entertaining, travel food logistics, sourcing and preservation, agricultural projects, and kitchen build-out projects. This is a full-time, permanent role. While the scope is significant today, it is also forward-looking, and the person in this role will help define how the culinary program grows, including determining when and how additional staff are brought on.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Background in private chef work (required) , fine dining, or boutique hospitality

Michelin restaurant background required

Interested in building a program, not just executing meals

Comfortable operating hands-on now, with leadership responsibility later

Exceptionally organized, self-directed, and reliable

Calm, emotionally intelligent, and steady under pressure

Discreet, respectful, and professional

Strong judgment and common sense

Open to travel and an evolving scope

Location & Travel

Primary Residence: Bay Area (Peninsula)

Travel includes periodic travel within the U.S. and limited but meaningful travel to Italy. Currently this involves multiple planning and exploratory trips per year, with longer stays of several weeks annually over time. The Italy property is in development; near-term involvement will focus on planning kitchens, sourcing, and agricultural projects, alongside possible daily cooking.

About the Household

Private, low-key couple with no children

Deeply appreciative of food, with exceptionally high standards

Extremely detail-oriented and discerning

Collaborative, thoughtful, and kind-within clear expectations

Values privacy, professionalism, and long-term relationships

Culinary Philosophy

Mediterranean / Italian coastal approach

Seasonal, local, nutritionally dense ingredients

Olive oil as the primary fat; butter used rarely

No processed foods, seed oils, or "pseudo-healthy" substitutes

No fake meats or trend-driven food

Sugar reserved for rare desserts

Food should feel indulgent, abundant, and memorable

Real meals matter; snacks are secondary

Aperitivo is a category of its own and is valued

Dietary Considerations

One principal is pescatarian (no poultry; meat rarely)

Other principal is vegetarian-plus (select invertebrates; no octopus)

Current Operating Model (Near Term)

Three days per week of thoughtfully prepared meals, produced from an off-site kitchen and dropped off; two days of planning and admin

Meals are designed for quality and suitability for reheating

Part of this summer in Italy

Breakfast is left for the mornings

One to three elevated dinner parties per month, hosted at the home for up to approximately 12 guests

These dinners are intended to impress and reflect the household's high-level culinary standards

Additional staff will be provided to assist with execution as needed for larger dinner parties

As the role develops and infrastructure evolves, including kitchen build-out, the cadence, frequency, and level of live cooking are expected to increase.

Responsibilities

Daily & Weekly Cooking

Advance preparation of breakfasts, left ready the day prior

Lunch and dinner preparation aligned with the current cadence

Occasional weekend meals

Preparing food for animals (e.g., chickens)

Fridge stocking and prepared meals ready upon return from travel

Entertaining

One or two elevated dinner parties per month, hosted at the home for up to approximately 10-12 guests

Collaborative menu planning, plating, and table aesthetic

Oversight of supporting staff during events

Travel & Food Logistics

Preparing food for flights with clear reheating and sequencing instructions

Coordinating food sourcing when departing from other cities

Reviewing hotel menus and liaising with chefs for special requests

Identifying strong food options in challenging locations

Occasional travel with the principals to cook or prep

Food oversight for private dinners hosted while traveling

Sourcing, Preservation & Long-Term Projects

Building relationships with farmers and specialty purveyors

Importing and directing production of estate-grown and preserved goods

Fermenting, pickling, preserving, and recipe development

Producing curated annual food gifts

Elimination of plastic use in the kitchen

Kitchen equipment planning and stocking

Wine curation and pairings

Input on kitchen design and renovations in the U.S. and Italy

Participating in long-term planning for future culinary hires

Culinary Reference Points

Cotogna

Quince

Chez Panisse (Restaurant & Café)

Mister Jiu's

The Progress

Zuni Café

Kin Khao

Pizzetta 211

Nopa

Sushi Ran

Benefits

Health Insurance:100% Employer paid insurance for EMPLOYEE+SPOUSE


401(k) plan with employer match

Paid Time Off: Three weeks annual PTO policy, with flexibility and mutual respect

Bonus Opportunity

Employment Type: Full-time W-2