Head Chef

Head Chef

Magnus on Water isn't defined by a style of cuisine or the name on the kitchen door. We're defined by the whole of the experience: food, drink, service, and space working together to make people feel welcome, curious, and cared for. Great food that arrives alongside indifferent service, or a room that doesn't feel right, is not what we're after — we believe hospitality is the sum of every part, and no single element (including the chef) carries the restaurant alone.

We've built a culture around openness, curiosity, sharing, and drive. We invite guests to engage with what they're eating and drinking — to learn something, to ask questions, to feel like part of a community rather than a transaction. We expect the same spirit inside our kitchen as we do in our dining room.

We're looking for a Head Chef to lead our kitchen team and shape our food program going forward. This is a wide-open creative mandate: we have no attachment to any particular cuisine, technique, or style. What we care about is that the food is authentic — that it comes from somewhere real in the chef leading it — and that it fits a place like Biddeford, where a sizable, adventurous summer crowd gives way to a smaller, loyal, year-round local base for about nine months of the year. Your menu needs to earn and keep both audiences.

You'll have real authorship over your food. You'll also be expected to work in close, ongoing collaboration with the owners and with the bar team, so that food, cocktails, and wine feel like one considered experience rather than three separate menus sharing a room. We're looking for someone who wants that kind of partnership, not someone who wants to build a solo fiefdom.

Above all, we prioritize a healthy kitchen — physically and emotionally — over everything else, including ego, and including any individual dish. We do not run a yelling kitchen, and we do not tolerate bigotry of any kind. We're looking for a leader who runs a tight, well-organized, high-standards kitchen through clarity, respect, and care, not fear.

Own and lead all aspects of the kitchen, including a seasonally rotating menu that reflects your point of view while remaining accessible to our local, year-round guests

Lead, mentor, and schedule a small kitchen team (typically 1–2 cooks in the off-season, 3–4 in summer)

Build and maintain kitchen systems — prep, ordering, inventory, food cost, and waste management — that keep the kitchen efficient and sustainable

Manage food costs and margins in partnership with ownership

Collaborate closely and consistently with the bar team to keep food, cocktails, and wine in conversation with one another

Partner with the owners on menu direction, pricing, and guest experience — bringing your own voice while staying open to their read on what our guests want

Run service five days a week, with the restaurant closed for two weeks each January

Set the tone for a kitchen culture that is kind, calm, curious, and collaborative — model that culture yourself, every shift

Experience running or co-running a professional kitchen, including staff leadership and scheduling

A genuine, personal point of view on food — we're not hiring for a cuisine, we're hiring for a voice

Proven ability to manage food cost, waste, and kitchen systems

A track record of leading with kindness and steadiness, even under pressure — someone whose team would say they feel respected and safe at work

Comfort with collaboration and shared authorship — you'll be one strong voice among several, not the only one

Flexibility and range: ability to read a room and adjust for a broad summer crowd and a smaller, discerning local crowd across the rest of the year

Alignment with an ethos of inclusivity, learning, and community-building — in how you lead your team and in how your food invites guests in

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and are especially glad to hear from candidates who don't see themselves reflected in a typical head-chef job posting.

Magnus on Water is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or any other legally protected status.

Compensation: Salary ($75,000.00 - $90,000.00)

Benefits & Perks: Paid Time Off, Potential Bonuses, Dining Discounts

Creativity in Menu Development

Strong Communication Skills

Ability to Mentor and Develop Team Members

Organizational Skills

Attention to Detail

Problem Solving Skills

Ability to work in a fast paced environment

Emotional Intelligence