Executive Chef, Grouse Mountain Lodge

Pursuit Collection•Whitefish, MT

About The Position

The Executive Chef leads culinary operations at Grouse Mountain Lodge, overseeing food outlets and banquets. The role develops service concepts, policies, procedures, and menus; manages menu pricing and food, labor, and overhead costs; and maintains creative, high-quality, efficient offerings. The Executive Chef works with Finance, RevMax, other food and beverage teams, local providers, and the lodge culinary team to support effective operations and exceptional guest experiences. The position supervises and develops the culinary team, including hiring, training, scheduling, timekeeping, and performance management. It oversees purchasing, inventory, food safety, sanitation, nutrition specifications, preparation standards, and quality assurance. The role also supports mentoring programs and may travel to other area food and beverage outlets to gather ideas and benchmark operations.

Requirements

At least 3 years of experience with menu costing, inventory control, menu engineering, and staff management.
At least 2 years of experience in a high-volume restaurant, banquet, and wedding catering environment.
Strong knowledge of menu development, food costing, inventory control, purchasing, and labor management.
Proven ability to lead, coach, develop, and retain high-performing culinary teams.
Experience managing budgets, forecasts, scheduling, and operational performance.
Solid understanding of food safety, sanitation standards, and health and safety regulations.
Experience working in seasonal hospitality environments with diverse and geographically dispersed teams.
Strong organizational, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, with the ability to prioritize in a fast-paced environment.
Excellent communication and relationship-building skills and a collaborative, service-focused approach.
Adaptable, resourceful, and positive, with a passion for delivering exceptional guest experiences.
Must be eligible to work in the country where the role is located.

Responsibilities

Develop and plan service concepts, policies, procedures, and menus for food outlets and banquets.
Use available data to determine food, labor, and overhead costs, and collaborate with Finance and RevMax on menu pricing, daily rates, and specials.
Review menus regularly, update recipe costing, and adjust menu items to support creativity, quality, and efficiency.
Plan or participate in menu design and engineering, sharing ideas and planning with chefs in other Glacier Park Collection food and beverage units.
Use locally sourced ingredients when possible and establish and maintain relationships with local providers.
Coordinate labor management, work schedules, and task assignments with food and beverage team members to ensure efficient, high-quality, economical, and timely food production.
Work closely with and supervise the Grouse Mountain Lodge culinary team.
Interview, hire, train, keep time records for, and manage the performance of culinary team members.
Manage food surpluses and leftovers efficiently, considering guest counts, marketing conditions, dish popularity, and menu complexity.
Estimate food consumption and purchase or requisition food and kitchen inventory accordingly.
Analyze recipes continuously and update them to reflect current tastes.
Coach and mentor team members to develop talent and support engagement.
Observe food preparation methods to ensure food safety, appropriate portions, garnishing, and consistently high-quality plating.
Maintain quality assurance by working with culinary staff and arranging menu sampling as appropriate.
Create a positive team environment and support new and experienced chefs, cooks, and food and beverage apprentices through mentoring.
Establish and maintain nutrition specifications and sanitation standards for all restaurants.
Travel to other area food and beverage outlets as needed to benchmark and gather ideas for improvement.