Executive Chef | High-Volume Fine Dining | Performance Incentives

Executive Chef (High-Volume Scratch Kitchen) — Abilene, TX

Fine-Dining Culinary Standards at Exceptional Volume

Abilene, Texas | On-Site Position | $70,000 Base Salary + Monthly Performance Incentive | Potential for six-figure total annual compensation

Exceptional Qualifications May Be Considered When Determining Final Compensation

PLEASE READ — STRICT QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

We are seeking an accomplished Executive Chef who can deliver fine-dining-quality food while leading culinary operations producing 1,000 or more meals during a single service.

High volume is mandatory. Exceptional culinary quality is non-negotiable.

This is not a position for someone whose primary experience is simply producing large quantities of food. We need an Executive Chef with sophisticated culinary skills, experience in fine dining or comparable upscale, quality-focused culinary operations, and the leadership ability to maintain exceptional food standards at scale.

Minimum requirements:

• 10+ years holding the actual Executive Chef title. Head Chef, Sous Chef, Kitchen Manager, and Food Service Director experience cannot substitute for this requirement.
• 1,000+ meals produced during ONE meal service , not combined across an entire day.
• Leadership of at least 30 kitchen employees.
• Fewer than four employers during the past ten years.
• Substantial hands-on professional cooking and culinary leadership experience.
• Demonstrated experience delivering fine-dining or comparable upscale culinary quality.
• Strong scratch-cooking skills, menu development, recipe execution, and food presentation.
• Direct responsibility for purchasing, inventory, staffing, scheduling, food costs, labor costs, and kitchen operations.
• Ability to work on-site in Abilene, Texas.

Candidates whose experience is primarily administrative management, basic food assembly, reheating prepared meals, or high-volume production without demonstrated culinary quality will not meet the expectations of this position.

The Opportunity

Sharp Spoon Network is recruiting an experienced Executive Chef / Project Manager on behalf of a nationally recognized leader in large-scale culinary operations and workforce support.

This position is based in Abilene, Texas , supporting a demanding, high-volume culinary operation where food quality, operational efficiency, and strong kitchen leadership are essential.

The challenge is distinctive: deliver the quality, technique, consistency, and presentation associated with fine dining while producing meals at a scale far beyond a traditional restaurant.

We need an Executive Chef who understands that serving 1,000 or more guests does not justify compromising the food.

The successful candidate will combine culinary craftsmanship with operational discipline, leading scratch-food production, developing quality-focused menus, training professional cooks, and maintaining exceptional standards throughout demanding meal services.

This is a working Executive Chef position, not a primarily administrative food-service management role.

You will lead a large culinary team while remaining actively involved in cooking, tasting, coaching, and quality control.

Unlike our traveling Executive Chef positions, this opportunity is based at a single location in Abilene and does not require nationwide deployments.

What You'll Do

Deliver Exceptional Culinary Quality at Volume

• Lead production of 1,000 or more meals during individual meal services.
• Develop and execute menus reflecting fine-dining or comparable upscale culinary standards.
• Maintain excellent flavor, seasoning, texture, freshness, temperature, and presentation across large-scale production.
• Direct scratch cooking, ingredient preparation, professional cooking techniques, and large-batch recipe execution.
• Scale recipes without compromising ingredient quality, culinary technique, or finished-product consistency.
• Establish tasting, quality-control, and presentation standards throughout preparation and service.
• Personally evaluate food quality and correct deficiencies before meals reach guests.
• Train cooks to reproduce quality-focused dishes consistently across hundreds or thousands of portions.
• Balance production speed and operational efficiency without compromising food quality.
• Adapt sophisticated culinary techniques to high-volume production equipment and operational requirements.

Lead and Develop Large Culinary Teams

• Lead, supervise, train, and develop kitchen teams of 30 or more employees.
• Direct Sous Chefs, cooks, kitchen assistants, and other culinary personnel.
• Demonstrate proper cooking techniques, recipe execution, seasoning, and presentation.
• Establish clear culinary standards and hold team members accountable.
• Organize staffing, production assignments, and meal-service workflows.
• Step into hands-on cooking and production whenever necessary.
• Build a professional, accountable, and quality-focused culinary team.
• Maintain effective communication with kitchen employees and operational leadership.

Manage Culinary Operations and Financial Performance

• Oversee food purchasing, inventory management, and vendor coordination.
• Manage food costs, labor costs, budgets, staffing, and scheduling.
• Develop menus that balance culinary quality, ingredient availability, nutrition, and operational requirements.
• Control waste and portioning without reducing established food-quality standards.
• Forecast production needs for high-volume meal services.
• Maintain food safety, sanitation, and applicable HACCP procedures.
• Troubleshoot staffing, equipment, ingredient, and production challenges.
• Make independent operational decisions while maintaining culinary standards.
• Maintain accountability for kitchen productivity, financial performance, and overall service execution.

Lead On-Site Culinary Operations

• Assume responsibility for daily culinary operations at the Abilene location.
• Establish and maintain consistent food-quality and operational standards.
• Coordinate with project leadership and other operational departments.
• Manage changing production requirements and demanding meal schedules.
• Support kitchen organization, equipment utilization, and production planning.
• Lead teams effectively during extended shifts and high-pressure service periods.
• Identify opportunities to improve food quality, efficiency, employee performance, and guest satisfaction.

Required Culinary Background

Candidates must demonstrate both exceptional culinary quality and exceptional production scale.

We especially seek Executive Chefs with substantial experience in:

• Fine-dining restaurants and chef-driven culinary operations.
• Luxury hotels, upscale resorts, and high-end hospitality kitchens.
• Premium banquet and catering operations with scratch-prepared menus.
• High-end casino, cruise-ship, and convention culinary operations.
• Comparable quality-focused culinary environments with sophisticated menus and professional cooking standards.

Candidates must demonstrate the ability to translate these culinary standards into very high-volume production.

Fine-dining experience without the required high-volume production does not qualify. High-volume experience without demonstrated culinary quality is also insufficient.

Mandatory Operational Qualifications

Applicants must establish:

• At least ten years of documented Executive Chef tenure.
• Experience producing at least 1,000 meals during a single meal period.
• Leadership of at least 30 kitchen employees.
• Fewer than four employers during the most recent ten years.
• Substantial hands-on professional cooking and culinary leadership.
• Financial responsibility for food and labor costs.
• Purchasing, inventory, staffing, scheduling, menu development, and operational responsibility.
• Experience maintaining high culinary standards in demanding, high-volume environments.
• Ability to work on-site in Abilene, Texas.

Only documented Executive Chef positions count toward the ten-year Executive Chef tenure requirement.

Experience as a Head Chef, Sous Chef, Kitchen Manager, Restaurant Manager, General Manager, or Food Service Director cannot substitute for actual Executive Chef tenure.

Meal counts must reflect ONE meal service. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner totals cannot be combined to satisfy the 1,000-meal minimum.

Work Location & Schedule

Location: Abilene, Texas

This is an on-site Executive Chef / Project Manager position.

Candidates must:

• Be available to work on-site in Abilene, Texas.
• Be willing to work approximately 12-hour shifts, including weekends and holidays when required.
• Be comfortable managing demanding, high-volume culinary operations.
• Have a valid driver's license and reliable transportation.
• Be able to perform the essential duties of the position, with reasonable accommodation where applicable.
• Be willing to complete applicable background screening, drug testing, and onboarding requirements.

Candidates who live outside the Abilene area must be prepared to relocate or arrange a reliable commute. Relocation assistance is not guaranteed.

Compensation & Benefits

• $70,000 standard annual base salary.
• Exceptional qualifications may be considered when determining final compensation. All compensation decisions are subject to client review and approval.
• Monthly performance incentive.
• Potential for six-figure total annual compensation through base salary and performance incentives; not guaranteed.
• On-site leadership position based in Abilene, Texas.
• Company-provided laptop, cell phone, and corporate credit card, as applicable to the position.
• Opportunities for long-term culinary and project leadership advancement.

Performance incentives are subject to applicable program terms and are not guaranteed.

Final compensation, incentive eligibility, benefits, schedules, and employment terms are established by the client and confirmed during the hiring process.

Before You Apply

Please apply only if you can answer YES to ALL of the following:

1. Have you held the actual Executive Chef title for at least ten years?
2. Have you produced at least 1,000 meals during ONE meal service?
3. Have you led a culinary team of at least 30 kitchen employees?
4. Have you worked for fewer than four employers during the past ten years?
5. Do you have substantial fine-dining or comparable upscale, quality-focused culinary experience?
6. Can you demonstrate professional scratch cooking, sophisticated menu execution, and high-quality food presentation?
7. Have you maintained exceptional culinary standards while producing meals at very high volume?
8. Have you directly managed purchasing, inventory, food costs, labor costs, staffing, scheduling, and menus?
9. Are you available to work on-site in Abilene, Texas?
10. Are you willing to work approximately 12-hour shifts, including weekends and holidays when required?

We are not looking for volume alone. We are looking for culinary excellence at volume.

About Sharp Spoon Network

Sharp Spoon Network has been retained to recruit qualified candidates on behalf of our client.

Selected candidates will become employees of the client, not Sharp Spoon Network.

Final compensation, incentive eligibility, benefits, schedules, and employment terms are established by the client.

Apply Today

If you are an experienced Executive Chef who combines fine-dining culinary expertise with proven large-scale production and operational leadership, we encourage you to apply.

Your resume should clearly document:

• Executive Chef employment dates and total qualifying tenure.
• Fine-dining or comparable upscale culinary experience.
• Largest number of meals produced during ONE meal service.
• Largest kitchen team led.
• Hands-on cooking and menu development responsibilities.
• Financial management, purchasing, inventory, staffing, and scheduling experience.

Qualified candidates will be contacted by a Sharp Spoon Network recruiter for an initial screening conversation.