Executive Chef - Toyota Center

Compass Group•Houston, TX

About The Position

The Executive Chef is the culinary leader for Toyota Center, home of the Houston Rockets and a venue for concerts and touring shows. This role sets menu standards, develops and trains the culinary team, oversees food quality and safety, and represents Levy’s food program, including through social media. The ideal candidate is an experienced food and beverage leader with strong coaching ability, commercial acumen, and a focus on operational performance and execution. The Executive Chef oversees culinary operations and department finances, develops menus and event offerings, coordinates with purchasing, finance, sales, operations, and regional and Home Office culinary teams, and works to create a high-quality guest food experience. The role also manages staffing, training, kitchen routines, equipment maintenance, ordering, food preparation and service, and compliance with sanitation and FDA caloric-analysis guidelines.

Requirements

At least 5 years of leadership experience in a culinary leadership position.
Ability to taste and evaluate food and beverage products.
High level of computer literacy.
Understanding of financial concepts.
Passion for hospitality, food, and retail.
Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder management skills.

Nice To Haves

Culinary degree preferred.
Experience using social media preferred.

Responsibilities

Coach and motivate team members and build and develop the on-site culinary team.
Identify and drive improvements in food quality and financial performance.
Oversee a safe and sanitary culinary department and ensure food ordering, delivery, preparation, transportation, and service meet Levy standards.
Partner with purchasing and finance teams to develop financially sound offerings that delight guests.
Collaborate with regional and Home Office culinary teams to evolve the guest food experience.
Participate in social media activities to support revenue efforts.
Oversee equipment maintenance routines and create par levels aligned with sales forecasts.
Create team schedules in line with revenue forecasts and manage team member breaks.
Oversee menu design and updates using food trends, internal data, cost of goods, and menu popularity.
Create menu build diagrams; maintain recipe specifications with purchasing partners as product availability and pricing change.
Oversee kitchen management routines, including opening and closing checklists, cleaning schedules, temperature checks, waste sheets, and pest control.
Create customized group sales and event menus with sales teams and set standards for chef table setups.
Create prep sheets and line-layout diagrams for consistent and efficient food production.
Train and coach team members on menus and general culinary skills.
Attend location management team meetings and deliver pre-shift meetings for events.
Conduct progressive discipline as needed and complete onboarding and orientation for new culinary team members.
Respond to emails, phone calls, and other communications in a timely manner.
Ensure caloric analysis is completed for menu items in accordance with FDA guidelines.
Work with purchasing and operations teams to identify and proactively prevent product loss.
Partner with other departments and the regional team on community outreach programs.
Manage support travel by team members to other locations.
Manage the culinary department budget.
Perform other duties as assigned.