Catering Chef

Compass Group•Santa Clara, CA

3d•$85,000 - $95,000•Onsite

About The Position

At Bon Appetit Management Company, we are passionate about great food and outstanding service. Unlike other companies, we don't rely on corporate recipe books or pre-made meals. Our chefs and managers are encouraged to stay current with culinary trends and bring innovative food concepts to our cafes. We operate as a restaurant company within contract food service, offering you the freedom to be creative, take risks, and excel. We are dedicated to the growth, learning, and development of our staff. Our rapid expansion and diverse range of accounts provide exciting career opportunities for our employees. This role is eligible for an Employee Referral Bonus. If you know a qualified candidate, please refer them through PeopleHub and share the application link. You can track referral status via your profile in PeopleHub under 'referral tracking.' For guidelines and policy details, email [email protected]. The Catering Chef will lead culinary operations for catering, special events, VIP functions, executive-level programs, and other catered experiences within Palo Alto Networks' dynamic and fast-paced corporate dining environment. This position reports to the Culinary Director. It is a hands-on leadership role responsible for catering execution, culinary quality, menu development, event production and logistics, team development, food safety and sanitation, purchasing, inventory, cost control, and ensuring consistent adherence to Bon Appétit standards.

Requirements

Three to five years of progressive culinary-management experience.
Significant catering, events, banquet, or hospitality leadership experience.
High-volume catering and complex event-production experience strongly preferred.
Strong knowledge of menu development, production planning, BEOs or event specifications, purchasing, inventory, food cost, and labor management.
Strong knowledge of food safety, sanitation, allergen management, culinary trends, quality, and presentation.
Corporate dining, hotel, conference center, convention, or large-scale catering experience preferred.
Strong computer and administrative skills using Microsoft Office, Outlook, email, and applicable catering or event-management systems.
Must be comfortable working in an active, high-volume catering and event environment with changing priorities and multiple simultaneous functions.
Must be prepared to work the hours necessary to successfully lead the operation and meet Bon Appétit management standards, business demands, and leadership responsibilities.
Schedule flexibility may be required based on event schedules, early-morning or evening functions, staffing, business volume, and operational needs.
Must be comfortable supporting events throughout a large, multi-kitchen campus environment.

Nice To Haves

Culinary degree preferred or equivalent professional experience.

Responsibilities

Lead all culinary aspects of catering, VIP events, executive functions, conferences, activations, and large-scale special events.
Maintain a hands-on leadership presence and ensure high standards for food quality, flavor, presentation, timing, consistency, and hospitality from the kitchen through the event site.
Lead, coach, and develop catering culinary employees through clear expectations, training, feedback, accountability, and opportunities for growth.
Develop catering menus and culinary experiences that balance creativity, guest expectations, labor, equipment, production capability, transportation, budget, and event logistics.
Review event details, menus, BEOs or event specifications, production schedules, staffing, equipment, and prep requirements to ensure operational readiness.
Manage multiple events and priorities while proactively resolving production, staffing, equipment, transportation, ingredient, or service challenges.
Manage food cost, purchasing, inventory, waste, event expenditures, and product utilization while following approved Bon Appétit purchasing and sustainability standards.
Maintain and reinforce food-safety, sanitation, allergen, workplace-safety, and audit-readiness standards throughout production, transportation, setup, and event service.
Maintain a professional, responsive, and hospitality-focused presence when working with clients, executives, VIP guests, event planners, and internal stakeholders.