Executive Chef - Chicago Public Schools

Hyde Park Hospitality•Chicago, IL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Hyde Park Hospitality, in partnership with Aramark, provides dining services to 160 schools in the Chicago Public Schools District. The Executive Chef leads culinary operations across multiple on-site locations in an assigned area, establishing food quality, presentation, and menu standards while ensuring compliance with operational excellence and food safety requirements. The role also trains, coaches, and recognizes kitchen staff, oversees catering events, and develops strong relationships with clients and guests. The Executive Chef ensures culinary production aligns with the executional framework and operational excellence fundamentals, including waste management, standard menus, recipes, ingredients, customer-driven menus, and labor standards. The role establishes and maintains food preparation, production, presentation, and service standards; develops and standardizes recipes; and plans and prices menus. The Executive Chef manages and develops kitchen employees, provides culinary instruction, and coordinates internal and external catering activities. The role also oversees equipment operation and maintenance and ensures compliance with food quality, safety, health, and environmental policies and regulations. Reliable transportation is required to travel between site locations.

Requirements

At least 4 years of culinary experience.
A culinary degree or equivalent experience.
Advanced knowledge of food-profession principles and practices, including experiential knowledge required to manage people and/or problems.
Oral, reading, and written communication skills.
Ability to stand for extended periods.
Ability to lift, carry, push, and pull up to 50 pounds.
Ability to multitask.
Ability to simplify the agenda for the team.
Reliable transportation to travel between site locations.

Nice To Haves

At least 2 years of experience in a management role.
Multi-site experience.
Food truck experience.
K-12, health care, or university food service experience.

Responsibilities

Ensure culinary production aligns with the executional framework and operational excellence fundamentals, including waste management, standard menus, recipes, ingredients, customer-driven menus, and labor standards.
Ensure appropriate culinary standards and techniques for food preparation, production, presentation, and service.
Select and develop recipes, and standardize production recipes to ensure consistent quality.
Establish presentation techniques and quality standards, and plan and price menus.
Train and manage kitchen employees in best-practice food production techniques.
Provide culinary instruction and demonstrate culinary techniques.
Coach employees by establishing a shared understanding of goals and how to achieve them.
Reward and recognize employees through the employee recognition platform.
Recruit, coordinate, and oversee culinary activities and internal and external catering events.
Develop and maintain effective relationships with clients and guests.
Ensure proper equipment operation and maintenance.
Ensure compliance with Aramark SAFE food and Quality Assurance standards, occupational and environmental safety policies, and applicable safety and health rules and regulations.