Executive Chef Albuquerque Convention Center

ASM Global•Albuquerque, NM

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Executive Chef is the senior culinary leader for the Albuquerque Convention Center, Kiva Auditorium, Civic Plaza, Jennifer Riordan Spark Kindness Sports Complex, and Albuquerque Rail Yards. This role leads the strategic and day-to-day execution of culinary operations across concessions, catering and banquets, premium and VIP services, and special events. The Executive Chef drives culinary vision, operational excellence, financial performance, and talent development while maintaining food quality, consistency, sanitation, and guest satisfaction in a fast-paced, high-volume live-events environment. The role partners closely with the General Manager, Director of Food and Beverage, Sales/Catering, Operations, and Facility Maintenance to deliver memorable guest experiences, meet client expectations, and operate efficiently. The position oversees menu development, production, purchasing, inventory, staffing, cost controls, food safety, and kitchen readiness. It also directly supervises culinary and stewarding staff, including hiring, training, scheduling, performance management, and issue resolution. The role is on-site, with hours varying according to the event calendar, and involves working in kitchen environments and performing physical tasks such as standing, walking, and lifting up to 50 pounds.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Seven or more years of progressive culinary experience, including senior culinary leadership in a high-volume venue such as an arena, stadium, convention center, performing arts venue, or large-scale catering operation.
Demonstrated success managing food cost, labor, and culinary budgets in an event-driven operation.
ServSafe Manager certification; candidates without the certification must obtain it within a timeframe defined by the company.
Knowledge of HACCP and local health department standards.
Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills, with a hands-on management style.
Ability to drive efficiency, consistency, and quality under tight timelines and high-volume demands.
Strong understanding of purchasing, inventory, production planning, scheduling, and cost controls.
Ability to work irregular hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays, based on the event schedule.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word and Excel, and comfort learning operational systems for scheduling, inventory, and timekeeping.
Ability to meet the physical demands of frequent standing and walking, working in hot or cold kitchen environments, and lifting or moving up to 50 pounds, bending, reaching, and performing repetitive motions.

Nice To Haves

Culinary degree or apprenticeship certification.

Responsibilities

Lead all back-of-house culinary operations across the property for event days and non-event production.
Oversee menu creation, costing, execution, and production systems for concessions, banquets and catering, premium/VIP areas, and special events.
Conduct line checks, tastings, and quality assurance reviews to maintain standards for flavor, portioning, presentation, and temperature.
Create and maintain standardized recipes, prep sheets, production forecasts, and execution guides.
Develop creative menus aligned with the venue’s brand and event mix, using local and seasonal ingredients where possible.
Collaborate with Sales/Catering on client menu proposals, tastings, and BEO-driven execution, including customized menus for high-profile events.
Ensure recipe compliance and accurate menu specifications, including yields, allergen awareness, and cost cards.
Manage culinary cost performance, including food cost, labor cost, waste, and other controllable expenses, within approved budgets and with a focus on margin improvement.
Develop production and staffing plans based on event forecasts and manage schedules to meet demand while minimizing overtime.
Oversee purchasing, receiving, storage, inventory controls, vendor relationships, and ordering discipline.
Reduce spoilage and waste through appropriate par levels, rotation practices, and production planning.
Recruit, hire, train, coach, and develop culinary and stewarding staff; establish a culture of accountability, teamwork, safety, pride, and continuous improvement.
Set station expectations and cross-training plans; manage feedback, corrective action, recognition, and other performance matters in accordance with policy and applicable laws.
Maintain compliance with local health codes, food-safety standards, company policies, sanitation requirements, and HACCP practices; prepare for inspections and audits.
Ensure proper labeling, dating, storage, temperature logs, and safe food handling in kitchen and storage areas.
Promote workplace safety and accident prevention, ensure safe equipment use, and promptly report and correct hazards.
Maintain cleanliness, organization, and operational readiness of kitchen areas and equipment.
Partner with Facility Maintenance and F&B leadership on preventative maintenance and equipment needs; maintain opening/closing, deep-cleaning, and stewarding standards.
Coordinate with Operations, Sales, and Event Management to anticipate needs and ensure seamless event execution.
Communicate staffing, production levels, challenges, and solutions to leadership; represent the venue through local culinary and hospitality industry and community engagement.
Perform additional duties as assigned to support venue operations and special initiatives.
Directly supervise culinary and stewarding staff, including interviewing, hiring, training, scheduling, performance management, discipline, and issue resolution.