Executive Chef at The Watersound Beach Club
About The Position
The Executive Chef leads culinary operations at Watersound Beach Club, a premier amenity of Watersound Club in Northwest Florida. The role directs food preparation, production, and quality control for restaurant and banquet operations, delivering elevated dining experiences while maintaining the club’s standards for quality, service, and hospitality. The Executive Chef provides strategic leadership across culinary outlets to support consistency, innovation, and operational efficiency. The position carries full financial accountability for culinary operations, including revenue performance and management of expense lines in accordance with approved budgets. The Executive Chef leads and develops the culinary team, oversees daily kitchen and banquet operations, creates seasonal menus featuring high-quality locally sourced ingredients, and plans private events and special functions. The role also manages vendor relationships and applies methods, technologies, and processes to improve operational performance. Work is primarily indoors in a commercial kitchen. Conditions include high kitchen temperatures, moderate to high noise, exposure to cleaning chemicals (with proper PPE provided), and a fast-paced, high-pressure environment, especially during banquets and large events. Physical demands include prolonged standing; frequent bending, stooping, reaching, kneeling, and knife work; occasional typing; and lifting up to 50 pounds.
Requirements
- Proven experience as an Executive Chef in a luxury hospitality, resort, or private club setting.
- Culinary degree or equivalent certification.
- Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and inspire high-performing culinary teams in a multi-outlet operation.
- Creativity in menu development and presentation.
- Strong knowledge of seasonal and locally sourced ingredients.
- Experience managing and exceeding member expectations.
- Exceptional leadership and communication skills.
- Commitment to St. Joe Hospitality’s standards of excellence, service, and professionalism.
- Detail-oriented and thorough, with the ability to perform consistent work to high standards.
- Ability to remain discreet and respect guest privacy, and to interact with guests in a pleasant, friendly, professional, and diplomatic manner.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills and ability to lead a team effectively.
- Proficiency in computer applications, accounting programs, and budget analysis, with ability to analyze data and make informed payroll and production-control decisions.
- Extensive knowledge of menu development, market insights, cost and labor management, and recipe standardization.
- Thorough understanding of food products, standard recipes, and proper preparation techniques.
- Ability to supervise teams, conduct meetings and menu briefings, and maintain clear communication between culinary staff and the Director of Food & Beverage.
- Skill in creating recipes, supporting materials, and artistic presentations for theme menus and culinary concepts.
- Knowledge of federal, state, and local regulations concerning employment law, civil rights, occupational safety, and wage/hour compliance.
- Ability to stand for long periods; frequently bend, stoop, reach, kneel, and perform knife work; occasionally type; and lift 50 pounds.
Responsibilities
- Provide executive leadership to the culinary team, driving innovation in menu development, presentation, and food quality.
- Oversee daily kitchen and banquet operations to ensure efficiency, consistency, food safety, and service standards.
- Develop and evolve seasonal menus using high-quality, locally sourced ingredients and considering guest preferences and market trends.
- Continuously evaluate the culinary product and recommend changes in response to current and anticipated guest needs.
- Lead, mentor, and develop the culinary team while promoting professionalism, ethical leadership, and compliance with employment regulations.
- Manage culinary financial performance, including labor planning, payroll oversight, cost controls, and profit-and-loss performance.
- Establish and maintain vendor partnerships, managing sourcing, pricing, contract negotiations, and product quality.
- Plan and execute private events and special functions, customizing menus for guest and member expectations.
- Implement methods, technologies, and processes to improve efficiency, cost effectiveness, and operational performance.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Executive
Education Level
Associate degree
