Executive Chef

Sonesta International Hotels Corporation•New Orleans, LA

13d•Onsite

About The Position

Food is more than just part of the guest experience — it’s part of the story we create. As the Executive Chef, you’ll lead the culinary vision for the hotel, creating exceptional dining experiences that bring people together while driving creativity, operational excellence, and guest satisfaction. This role is perfect for someone who thrives in a fast-paced hospitality environment and loves blending culinary creativity with strong leadership and business strategy. You’ll oversee all kitchen operations including restaurant dining, banquets, catering, room service, and special events while leading and inspiring a high-performing culinary team. You’ll partner closely with Food & Beverage, Banquets, Sales, and Operations leaders to deliver memorable guest experiences, maintain quality standards, optimize costs, and drive culinary innovation across the property. If you’re passionate about food, leadership, hospitality, and creating experiences guests remember long after checkout — we’d love to meet you.

Requirements

Culinary degree or formal culinary training preferred.
5+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience in hotels, restaurants, resorts, banquets, or high-volume hospitality environments.
Previous Executive Chef, Sous Chef, or senior culinary leadership experience preferred.
Strong knowledge of food preparation, banquet operations, catering, menu development, inventory management, and kitchen operations.
Experience managing food costs, labor management, budgeting, purchasing, and operational performance metrics.
Strong leadership, coaching, and team development skills with the ability to motivate and inspire culinary teams.
Knowledge of food safety regulations, HACCP standards, sanitation practices, and health department compliance.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced hospitality environment while managing multiple priorities and operational demands.
Creative mindset with a passion for culinary innovation, guest experience, and hospitality excellence.
Excellent communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
A passion for hospitality, food, teamwork, and creating memorable dining experiences for guests and events alike.

Responsibilities

Lead all culinary operations across hotel restaurants, banquets, catering, room service, bars, and special events.
Develop innovative menus, seasonal offerings, catering packages, and food concepts that align with brand standards and guest preferences.
Oversee food preparation, presentation, quality assurance, sanitation, and kitchen operations to ensure exceptional dining experiences.
Recruit, train, coach, schedule, and develop culinary team members while fostering a positive, collaborative kitchen culture.
Manage food costs, labor costs, inventory control, purchasing, menu pricing, and kitchen budgets to drive profitability and operational efficiency.
Ensure compliance with food safety regulations, sanitation standards, HACCP guidelines, and health department requirements.
Partner closely with Banquets, Catering Sales, Food & Beverage, and hotel leadership teams to execute meetings, weddings, conferences, and special events successfully.
Monitor guest feedback, dining trends, and operational performance to continuously improve culinary offerings and guest satisfaction.
Oversee vendor relationships, food ordering, inventory management, and product quality standards.
Support employee engagement, culinary training, and succession planning initiatives within the kitchen team.
Maintain consistency in food quality, presentation, portioning, and service standards across all culinary operations.
Drive innovation and creativity while delivering memorable hospitality experiences that reflect Sonesta’s People People culture.
Any other duties as assigned.