Executive Chef

CoralTree Hospitality•Napa, CA

15d

About The Position

The Executive Chef will join the pre-opening leadership team of a luxury Marriott hotel in Napa Valley and shape its culinary identity and dining experiences. The role provides strategic and operational leadership for culinary operations across the signature three-meal restaurant, lounge, bakery and café, in-room dining, poolside dining, spa food and beverage, catering, and banquets. The Executive Chef is accountable for culinary innovation, food quality, financial performance, kitchen operations, and developing a high-performing culinary team. Working with the Director of Food & Beverage and hotel leadership, the Executive Chef will create a distinctive culinary program celebrating Napa Valley’s agricultural heritage, seasonal ingredients, and relationships with local producers. The role leads culinary pre-opening planning and execution, including menus, recipes, operating procedures, training, staffing, budgets, equipment, supplies, inventory, and kitchen readiness. It also establishes a strong operational and financial foundation for the hotel’s multiple food and beverage outlets and delivers exceptional experiences for hotel guests and the local community.

Requirements

At least five years of experience as an Executive Chef or Executive Sous Chef in a luxury hotel, resort, or high-volume upscale restaurant environment.
At least ten years of progressive culinary experience, including leadership of multiple food and beverage outlets.
Proven ability to lead complex culinary operations, including restaurants, bars, banquets, catering, and specialty dining concepts.
Strong culinary background and extensive knowledge of seasonal ingredients, contemporary cooking techniques, menu development, and food presentation.
Strong financial acumen, including food cost management, budgeting, forecasting, labor productivity, menu engineering, and inventory controls.
Proven ability to recruit, inspire, develop, and retain high-performing culinary teams.
Excellent leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Experience with purchasing, vendor negotiations, recipe costing, and inventory management.
Strong understanding of food safety, sanitation, HACCP principles, and health regulations.
Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Nice To Haves

Previous luxury hotel pre-opening experience is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

Lead and oversee all culinary operations, ensuring consistent food quality, presentation, execution, and guest satisfaction.
Recruit, train, mentor, and develop a high-performing culinary leadership team and kitchen associates; foster a culture of creativity, teamwork, accountability, professional development, and culinary excellence.
Establish training programs, performance expectations, culinary standards, and succession plans; coach culinary leaders and communicate departmental goals.
Oversee menu development across all food and beverage outlets, maintaining distinct venue identities and consistent quality and execution.
Build relationships with local farmers, growers, ranchers, fishermen, and artisan producers to incorporate seasonal and locally sourced ingredients.
Partner with the Director of Food & Beverage on culinary programming, special events, wine dinners, and guest experiences.
Set standards for recipe development, preparation, presentation, portion control, and consistency; monitor culinary trends, guest preferences, and competitive offerings.
Develop and manage culinary budgets, forecasts, food costs, labor expenses, and departmental financial objectives.
Monitor food costs, labor productivity, purchasing, waste, and other performance indicators; analyze variances and implement corrective action plans.
Establish standardized recipes, menu costing, portion controls, pricing recommendations, labor management strategies, staffing models, scheduling, and productivity standards.
Oversee purchasing, inventory, vendor relationships, cost controls, product utilization, and ingredient cross-utilization across outlets.
Oversee daily culinary operations across restaurants, lounges, bakery and café, in-room dining, pool and spa dining, catering, and banquets.
Establish standard operating procedures and maintain standards for food quality, preparation, flavor, presentation, freshness, production efficiency, and guest experience.
Ensure kitchens are appropriately staffed, equipped, organized, and prepared for business demands; oversee receiving, storage, inventory, and equipment maintenance.
Implement food safety, sanitation, HACCP, and workplace safety standards and ensure compliance with applicable health and safety regulations.
Maintain a visible, hands-on leadership presence in kitchens, supporting teams during service and ensuring consistent execution.
Engage with guests, respond to feedback, and identify ways to improve food quality and dining experiences.
Develop culinary activations, seasonal promotions, holiday offerings, and special events to drive revenue and attract local guests.
Partner with Sales and Marketing to promote the hotel’s culinary identity and position in the Napa Valley dining community; represent the property at culinary events and promotional opportunities.
Lead culinary pre-opening initiatives and ensure kitchens and food production areas are ready for the hotel opening.
Develop and implement menus, recipes, procedures, training programs, and culinary service standards for opening.
Collaborate with hotel leadership on staffing plans, recruitment, budgets, and opening timelines; coordinate with other departments throughout pre-opening.
Oversee culinary equipment, operating supplies, smallwares, inventory, and kitchen readiness; develop production systems, workflows, and operating efficiencies for multiple outlets.
Establish a culinary foundation that supports long-term financial performance, innovation, and exceptional guest experiences.