Executive Chef

Lee Health • Fort Myers, FL

47d • $31 - $42 • Onsite

About The Position

Provides overall culinary leadership for the Central Production Kitchen (CPK), overseeing hot production, cold prep, bakery, preproduction, and on-demand kitchen operations. Develops and implements systems to ensure high-quality food production, operational Efficiency, and regulatory compliance. Responsible for integrating all culinary areas into a unified, standards-driven production unit. Collaborate with the Culinary Director to align labor resources, master schedules, and workflows. Leads recipe standardization and menu execution and ensures team compliance with food safety and sanitation standards. Promote continuous improvement, culinary innovation, and employee engagement through training and development. Partners with peers and support services to resolve operational issues and improve service outcomes. The Executive Chef plays a key leadership role in mentoring culinary staff and supervisors, aligning performance with organizational priorities, and promoting a positive, inclusive, and safe work culture. Responsible for fostering teamwork, managing resource use, and achieving culinary performance targets.

Requirements

• Associate degree in Culinary Arts from an American Culinary Federation (ACF) accredited program or current certification as an ACF Certified Executive Chef required.
• Minimum five (5) years of progressive leadership experience in high-volume, multi-area, or multi-site food service operation.
• Experience in employee training, performance management, and team building required.
• Formal culinary training required.
• SERV Safe Food Protection Manager certification required within 6 months of hire.
• Competency in production scheduling, recipe standardization, and food safety systems.
• Must demonstrate ability to lead multi-functional culinary teams.
• Requires excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience using food service software systems and tools (e.g., Computrition, Excel, Outlook).
• Ability to coach, train, and hold employees accountable to performance expectations.
• Must be able to stand and walk for prolonged periods and perform physical duties typical of a commercial kitchen environment.
• Talking, hearing, and visual acuity are essential.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor's degree in Culinary Management, Hospitality, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and progressive leadership experience in large-scale foodservice operations preferred.
• Healthcare or institutional food service experience is strongly preferred.
• Certified Executive Chef (CEC) Designation preferred.
• Bilingual skills are a plus due to workforce diversity.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Industry: Hospitals
• Education Level: Associate degree