Executive Chef

Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians•Coachella, CA

18d•Onsite

About The Position

The Executive Chef directs and oversees culinary operations at Spotlight 29 Casino, with responsibility for food quality, menu execution, sanitation, cleaning standards, recipe compliance, temperature controls, staffing, food costs, and team development across restaurants, employee dining, banquets, and special events. The role provides strategic and operational leadership in a fast-paced, high-volume casino environment and is accountable for delivering the organization’s Five-Star Experience and HEART service expectations: Hello, Engage, Anticipate, Resolve, and Thank. The Executive Chef manages kitchen operations and culinary teams, develops and maintains menus and recipe systems, monitors financial performance, controls food and labor costs, and ensures compliance with food-safety, sanitation, gaming, internal-control, and company requirements. The role also works with restaurant, stewarding, facilities, player development, marketing, and food-and-beverage leaders to support service, promotions, events, and operational goals. The position directly and indirectly manages employees in assigned kitchens and is responsible for the unit’s direction, coordination, and evaluation. The position is full-time. The work may span multiple locations and requires flexibility to work any hours, including weekends and holidays, and availability for emergency calls 24/7. Work takes place in kitchens and other food-service environments, including coolers, freezers, and storage areas, with exposure to varying temperatures, heat, steam, noise, food aromas, cleaning chemicals, and commercial kitchen equipment. Some facilities may not be smoke-free and are monitored by surveillance cameras and audio equipment.

Requirements

At least 10 years of progressive culinary experience, including 5 years as an Executive Chef, Executive Sous Chef, or comparable senior culinary leader.
Demonstrated experience managing food cost, labor, purchasing, inventory, menu development, cleaning programs, and recipe systems.
Advanced knowledge of food safety, sanitation, HACCP principles, temperature controls, and health-code requirements.
Proficiency with Excel, POS systems, inventory and recipe-costing systems, scheduling tools, and Microsoft Office applications.
Strong culinary, leadership, communication, and decision-making skills, including strong verbal and written communication.
Ability to lead a diverse culinary team in a fast-paced, high-volume casino environment.
Strong understanding of multiple restaurant concepts, banquet production, and high-volume food service.
Ability to develop recipes, calculate yields, cost menus, and interpret financial statements.
Exceptional attention to cleanliness, organization, food safety, and operational detail.
Comprehensive understanding of forecasting, budgeting, scheduling, productivity, inventory controls, P&L analysis, and cost controls.
Ability to make difficult decisions fairly and honestly and maintain a positive, disciplined, safe, and productive work environment.
Must pass periodic random drug screens and a background suitability investigation.
Must obtain a Tribal Gaming License and all other applicable certifications and licenses.
Must provide proof of eligibility to work in the United States within 72 hours of employment.
Must be flexible to work any and all hours, including weekends and holidays, and be available for emergency calls 24/7.
Must meet the position’s physical demands, including occasional lifting up to 50 pounds and pushing or pulling up to 100 pounds; standing, walking, sitting, reaching, handling, and other movements are also required as described.
Must follow all safety policies and procedures and attend scheduled safety meetings and training.

Nice To Haves

A culinary degree or formal apprenticeship; equivalent leadership experience may be considered.
Casino, resort, tribal gaming, banquet, or large-scale special-event experience.

Responsibilities

Provide outstanding customer service to guests and employees and uphold the organization’s mission, service promise, HEART expectations, and department standards.
Coach and support team members, providing the skills, tools, and resources needed to perform their jobs.
Direct daily operations across assigned kitchens, food-production areas, employee dining, banquets, and special-event culinary functions.
Maintain a visible leadership presence during peak meal periods, holidays, promotions, concerts, VIP functions, and other high-volume events.
Ensure kitchens are staffed, organized, stocked, and prepared for each service period.
Monitor food quality, freshness, taste, portion size, presentation, ticket times, and consistency across outlets; coordinate culinary execution with restaurant managers and address recurring operational issues.
Develop and maintain menus aligned with property concepts, guest expectations, financial objectives, and operational capabilities.
Maintain complete and current recipe cards with ingredients, measurements, preparation steps, yields, portions, plating instructions, allergen information, and costs; train cooks on recipe execution and standardized presentation.
Cost recipes, analyze margins, recommend pricing or product changes, and revise items that do not meet quality, popularity, profitability, or execution standards.
Develop and manage culinary budgets, forecasts, and operating plans; review financial performance, including food cost, labor, overtime, waste, and operating expenses; monitor budgets and take corrective action as needed.
Control food costs through accurate recipes, portion control, purchasing, production planning, and waste reduction; establish inventory pars and ensure accurate ordering, receiving, storage, transfers, and inventory counts.
Ensure FIFO rotation and remove expired, damaged, or improperly stored products; maintain accurate records for waste, spoilage, transfers, and complimentary food.
Manage culinary labor through forecasting, scheduling, productivity standards, staffing coverage, and overtime control.
Establish cleaning schedules and conduct and document opening, mid-shift, and closing inspections, deficiencies, corrective actions, and follow-up for kitchens and support areas.
Maintain clean and sanitary facilities, equipment, and food-contact surfaces; ensure chemicals are labeled, stored, and used correctly and safety information is available; maintain pest-prevention standards.
Partner with Stewarding and Facilities on inspection readiness and preventive maintenance.
Maintain compliance with applicable federal, state, tribal, and local food-safety requirements and company policies; establish and verify temperature checks and logs, thermometer availability and calibration, labeling, dating, cooling, storage, reheating, discard, allergen-control, cross-contamination-prevention, and handwashing procedures.
Train employees in food safety and maintain required food-manager, food-handler, and other professional certifications.
Recruit, select, train, coach, evaluate, and develop culinary leaders and hourly team members; set performance expectations and hold leaders accountable for quality, sanitation, recipe compliance, temperature checks, labor, and food cost.
Conduct culinary leadership and pre-shift meetings; issue accurate schedules within deadlines; address attendance, performance, and conduct concerns with Human Resources; ensure timely corrective action and professional uniform, grooming, and hygiene standards.
Ensure compliance with company policies, gaming regulations, internal controls, applicable laws, Minimum Internal Control Standards (MICS), and Tribal Internal Control Standards (TICS).
Cooperate with inspections, audits, investigations, and emergency-response procedures; follow safety policies and attend scheduled safety meetings and training.
Partner with Restaurant Services on guest satisfaction, service standards, ticket times, and special events; coordinate with Player Development and Marketing on promotions, player offers, seasonal menus, and casino events.
Communicate culinary performance and action plans to the Executive Director of Food and Beverage and maintain effective communication with directors and managers.
Develop and implement approved departmental policies and procedures; maintain required records and present a positive image of the Tribal organization to guests and vendors.
Monitor industry and local competitive trends, maintain a positive and disciplined work environment, and promote safety, quality, and productivity.
Supervise the unit’s overall direction, coordination, and evaluation, including interviewing and training employees, assigning and directing work, appraising performance, rewarding and disciplining employees, addressing complaints, and resolving problems.
Perform other assigned duties and projects.