Executive Chef - Giada

Hollywood Casino Aurora • Aurora, IL

3d • $78,000 - $90,000

About The Position

The Executive Chef is the creative and operational leader of the kitchen, responsible for delivering an exceptional culinary experience that reflects the restaurant’s celebrity brand and vision. This role combines culinary excellence with innovation, leadership, and brand representation. The Executive Chef will oversee all back-of-house operations, ensure consistency in food quality, and collaborate with ownership, management, and the celebrity partner to maintain the restaurant’s prestige.
Achieving desired results through established methods, procedures and guidelines to maintain desired standards, and high-quality service. Monitor results through inspection, evaluation and analysis. Makes changes if necessary to achieve end result.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (B.A./B.S.) in culinary or related field; five years of related experience and/or training, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Supervisory or management experience in hotel and/or casino environment required.
• Proven experience as an Executive Chef or Culinary Director in a fine-dining or high-profile restaurant.
• Strong track record of menu creation, innovation, and execution at scale.
• Expertise in modern culinary techniques and global flavor profiles.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-pressure, high-visibility environment.
• Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Must be proficient in Microsoft applications (Excel, Word, and Outlook).
• Must have extensive Food and Beverage knowledge.
• Flexible to work all shifts including holidays, nights, weekends, and overtime as business needs dictate.
• Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
• Must have the ability to interact with guests, staff and colleagues and resolve problems and conflicts in a diplomatic and tactful manner.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working with celebrity, luxury, or brand-aligned concepts a plus.

Responsibilities

• Execute menus that reflect the celebrity’s culinary vision and brand identity.
• Ensure all dishes are prepared with the highest standards of quality, consistency, and presentation.
• Innovate seasonal specials, tasting menus, and event-specific offerings that align with brand storytelling.
• Manage daily kitchen operations, including prep, production, and service execution.
• Maintain compliance with health, safety, and sanitation standards.
• Implement systems for inventory, ordering, waste reduction, and cost control.
• Mentor kitchen staff, fostering a culture of excellence, creativity, and accountability.
• Lead pre-shift meetings and collaborate with front-of-house leadership to ensure seamless service.
• Oversee food cost controls, labor management, and kitchen budget adherence.
• Responsible for assisting in the budget process for the department and provide recommendations; ensuring compliance to departmental budget initiatives; reporting budget concerns to manager.
• Responsible for staying current of knowledge and enforcement of all gaming laws and regulations which apply to the functions and duties of the Food & Beverage Department for which this position is responsible.
• Responsible for maintaining cost control methods and procedures by monitoring consistent pars and inventory.
• Responsible for maintaining established quality assurance procedures to ensure acceptable health department and customer service standards.
• Responsible for ensuring compliance with all regulatory compliance within area of responsibility and reporting potential issues to Executive Management / GM.
• Monitor and report on P&L performance, identifying opportunities to improve profitability.
• Participate in media opportunities, food festivals, and brand events as needed to represent the restaurant.
• Interact with VIP guests and provide personalized experiences when appropriate.
• Uphold and protect the reputation of the celebrity brand in all culinary outputs.
• Maintains strict confidentiality in all departmental and company matters.
• Responsible for staff development and training programs.
• Responsible for rewards and recognition program to maximize employee engagement.
• Evaluates team members within department and delivers constructive feedback to employees in regard to performance.
• Determines recommendation for staffing (including interviewing and hiring) and scheduling (planning, assigning and directing work) to meet business needs.
• Determines work procedures and expedites workflow.
• Responsible for employee performance (disciplining, coaching, counseling).

Benefits

• wellness programs designed to support our team members' financial, physical, and mental well-being
• day-one medical coverage
• 401(k) matching
• annual performance bonus
• Paid time off is earned according to the local policy and increases with the length of employment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees