Executive Chef

Sorrel River Ranch•Moab, UT

11d

About The Position

The Executive Chef is the culinary visionary and operational leader for Sorrel River Ranch, responsible for the evolution, execution, and excellence of all food experiences across the resort. This role oversees all kitchens, culinary teams, menus, and event execution — from daily service to large-scale ranch buyouts and destination weddings. The Executive Chef balances creativity with discipline, crafting cuisine that honors seasonality, place, and refinement while delivering consistency, efficiency, and profitability. This role is highly collaborative, working closely with Food & Beverage, Events, Sales, and Leadership to shape the future of Sorrel’s culinary identity.

Requirements

5+ years of Executive Chef or Senior Sous Chef experience in a luxury resort, destination, or lifestyle property
Experience overseeing multiple outlets and high-volume events
Strong leadership, organizational, and communication skills
Proven ability to balance creativity with operational discipline
Experience with menu development, costing, and large-scale event execution
Passion for mentorship, food, and hospitality

Responsibilities

Culinary Vision & Concept Development
Define and evolve the culinary identity of Sorrel River Ranch across all outlets and experiences
Develop menus that reflect seasonality, local sourcing, and a sense of place while meeting luxury standards
Create and refine concepts for evolving outlets, pop-ups, special events, and experiential dining
Ensure food storytelling aligns with the Sorrel brand and guest journey
Balance creativity with scalability and operational feasibility
Kitchen Operations & Execution
Oversee all kitchen operations including daily service, prep, sanitation, and execution
Ensure consistency, quality, and presentation across all culinary offerings
Establish and maintain culinary SOPs, recipes, and standards
Maintain strong communication between kitchens and front-of-house teams
Actively lead service when needed, setting the tone through presence and professionalism
Events & Experiential Dining
Lead all culinary execution for on-site events including weddings, retreats, buyouts, and special experiences
Ensure event menus are executed flawlessly, on time, and to Sorrel standards.
Collaborate with Events and Sales teams on menu design, tastings, and BEO execution
Participate in post-event recaps and continuous improvement initiatives
Innovate experiential dining opportunities unique to the ranch setting
Sorrel Pack Leadership & Culture
Recruit, train, coach, and mentor culinary team members at all levels
Build a Pack culture rooted in accountability, respect, and pride of craft
Develop strong sous chefs and kitchen leaders
Lead by example — calm, prepared, and present
Foster collaboration across departments
Financial Stewardship & Controls
Manage food cost, labor cost, and overall kitchen budgets
Lead menu engineering to balance creativity and profitability
Maintain inventory controls, ordering procedures, and waste reduction initiatives
Partner with Food & Beverage leadership on pricing strategies and forecasting
Ensure event menus align with contracted pricing and margin expectations
Systems, Safety & Compliance
Ensure compliance with all health department regulations and safety standards
Maintain cleanliness, organization, and readiness across all kitchen spaces
Uphold Sorrel River Ranch standards, ownership expectations, and brand guidelines
Champion sustainability and responsible sourcing practices where possible