Executive Chef 1

Sodexo•KNOXVILLE, TN

1d•$56,270 - $72,820•Onsite

About The Position

Sodexo Independent Schools is seeking a talented and passionate Executive Chef to lead the culinary program at Webb School of Knoxville, a premier private coeducational day school in Knoxville, TN. Webb School enrolls approximately 1,200 students from Pre‑K through 12th grade and employs about 200 faculty and staff members, creating a vibrant and close‑knit campus community. The Executive Chef will oversee a high‑visibility dining program that primarily prepares and serves weekday lunch for approximately 1,400 members of the Webb community, while also supporting a robust catering program that may include evening and weekend events. At Webb, dining is not viewed as a vendor partnership—it is an integral part of the Webb community. The team has built a strong, inclusive culture where collaboration, shared purpose, and service to students come first. The Executive Chef is expected to embrace this mindset, working as one community alongside faculty, staff, and leadership to support the student experience. This role is ideal for an innovative, hands‑on culinary professional who thrives in a highly engaged, client‑facing environment and enjoys daily interaction with students, faculty, and staff. The Executive Chef will manage the entire culinary operation, delivering high-quality food, creativity, and exceptional service in a private school setting. At Sodexo, we deliver food, nutrition, environmental and facilities management solutions to partnered K-12 schools. Joining us at one of our school sites means fostering healthy learning environments and positively influencing the students’ well-being and performance.

Requirements

Proven experience as an Executive Chef or senior culinary leader with strong hands-on kitchen management expertise.
Demonstrated success in menu development, food production, and incorporating fresh ingredients and emerging culinary trends.
Strong knowledge of food safety, HACCP compliance, inventory control, purchasing, and back-of-house operations.
Experience managing food and labor costs, budgets, and food service contract requirements.
Effective leader with a track record of training, supervising, and developing culinary staff.
Customer-focused professional with strong communication, organizational, and multitasking skills
Associate's Degree or equivalent experience
2 years minimum management experience
1 year work experience in food or culinary services including restaurants, fast food, vending, catering services, institutional services, mall food courts, etc.

Nice To Haves

ServSafe certification
culinary degree

Responsibilities

Lead and oversee all culinary operations, ensuring high-quality food production, presentation, and consistency.
Develop and execute innovative, trend-forward menus using fresh ingredients while maintaining food safety, sanitation, and HACCP compliance.
Manage budgets, food and labor costs, inventory, purchasing, and overall kitchen financial performance.
Recruit, train, coach, and develop kitchen staff to support operational excellence and team growth.
Partner with leadership on operational, financial, and client initiatives while maintaining strong relationships with students, faculty, and staff.
Coordinate catering services for school events and participate in ongoing training on company policies, menu programs, and culinary innovations.