Junior Executive Chef

Summary

The Junior Executive Chef is a member of the Naval Academy Hospitality Culinary Team within the Naval Academy Business Services Division. Under the direction of the Deputy Director of Retail Dining & Hospitality and the Senior Executive Chef the Jr Executive Chef is responsible for assisting in the planning organizing and directing of daily food production functions including presentation service safety and sanitation practices for any of the establishments under the Hospitality purview.

Duties

The Junior Executive Chef supports the Executive Chef in managing all culinary operations within the Central Kitchen serving as the primary leader in daily production quality assurance and team development. This position ensures that food quality consistency and safety standards are maintained across multiple outlets including Drydock Restaurant Grab-n-Go Catering and the Commissary Production Program. Assist the Executive Chef in overseeing all Central Kitchen operations and production teams.

• Supervise train and evaluate sous chefs line cooks and stewarding teams to maintain performance standards.
• Enforce discipline consistency and accountability across all kitchen personnel.
• Maintain a professional culture that reflects organization values-Preparation Execution Reflection Accountability and Excellence.
• Direct day-to-day kitchen operations including prep production packaging and distribution to multiple outlets.
• Coordinate and schedule staff to meet daily production goals and special event needs.
• Ensure all recipes portion sizes and plating guidelines are followed consistently across outlets.
• Oversee inventory product rotation and daily usage to maintain tight cost control and minimize waste.
• Verify that all food is prepared held and transported within safe temperature ranges.
• Conduct daily quality control checks of finished products before release to outlets.
• Ensure proper labeling dating and storage of all prepared items according to policy.
• Uphold the Central Kitchens commitment to scratch cooking using fresh high-quality ingredients.
• Collaborate with the Executive Chef in recipe testing development and standardization.
• Contribute to menu innovation for catering restaurant and grab-n-go programs.
• Train staff on new recipes techniques and presentation standards.
• Participate in the development and enforcement of SOPs for production storage and transport.
• Maintain clear documentation and communication with the Executive Chef regarding operational performance.
• Work closely with Stewarding Purchasing and Catering teams to ensure smooth coordination of logistics.
• Communicate production needs and delivery schedules to outlet chefs and managers.
• Mentor up-and-coming sous chefs and cooks for growth within the organization.
• Model a standard of excellence and integrity consistent with the hospitality and service culture of the U.S. Naval Academy.
• Maintain professional certifications and training related to food safety and leadership.
• Physical demands Include walking and standing lifting a maximum of 50lbs. Incumbent will work in an office setting kitchen setting and in the areas of the catering events (at times the events may be offsite).

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• Must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance requires 18 years of age
• Males born after December 31 1959 must be registered for Selective Service
• Verification of employment eligibility in the United States is required - We are an E-Verify participant
• Probationary period: Full Time employees serve a one-year probationary period. This position will also serve a concurrent one-year supervisory probationary period
• U.S. Citizenship is required for Tier 3 Positions
• Must be able to understand and communicate in English
• Participation in Direct Deposit
• Must maintain the privacy of official work information and data and demonstrate the highest level of ethical conduct

Qualifications

In order to meet the basic requirement of the Junior Executive Chef position NFyou must meet one of the following:
a) Three (3) years of specialized experience in a culinary role. Specialized experience includes: use of more advanced culinary techniques; preparing complete meals with several dishes for special diets; culinary supervision; OR
b) Three (3) full years of graduate level education.

1. Experience leading supervising or managing a culinary team. Experience leading culinary teams for Banquets or large-scale events is preferred.
2. Communication and problem-solving skills with the ability to coordinate effectively across culinary stewarding purchasing and catering teams. Strong ability to lead motivate and discipline culinary staff while fostering a culture of accountability and pride.
3. Proficiency in organizing workflow managing par levels and implementing standard operating procedures that support consistency and efficiency. Experience using food inventory software is preferred.
4. Skill in menu scaling recipe standardization and production flow management for both retail and catering operations. Experience using recipe creation software is preferred.
5. Knowledge and skill in using techniques or practices to maintain flavor balance consistency and presentation quality in demanding or multi-unit environments.

Additional information

Notes: Failure to provide the required information may result in loss of consideration for the position and elimination from the selection process. Applicants may be required to provide proof of education complete a pre-hire health screening etc. DON is an EEO employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race color religion sex national origin age disability marital status political affiliation or other non-merit factor. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to applicants with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed for any part of the application and hiring process please contact the office that is collecting the applications. The decision on granting reasonable accommodations will be on a case-by-case basis.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government passionate about the ideals of our American republic and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Required Experience:

Junior IC