Executive Chef - High Volume Catering

SailFuture • St. Petersburg, FL

1d

About The Position

SailFuture is hiring an Executive Chef to lead the full culinary operation at True North Nutrition, which produces elevated school lunches, full-service catering, and premium food products for retail and wholesale. All profits are donated to a nonprofit private school to lower tuition and widen access.

The role oversees food, systems, staff, and growth. The operation currently serves about 400 school lunches per day across five schools, with a goal of exceeding 1,000 meals per day, alongside catering and retail products. The Executive Chef reports to the Head of Staff and leads culinary staff, interns, and externs. The position offers a salary of $70,000 to $90,000 plus performance incentives tied to growth and profitability.

The Executive Chef will run the kitchen, develop production systems and menus, ensure compliance, grow lunch and catering operations, launch specialty food products, manage costs and vendors, and develop the culinary team. The role offers autonomy to build a culinary brand and new revenue, with profits supporting students’ education.

Requirements

• At least 5 years of progressive culinary leadership experience.
• Experience running high-volume production or commissary kitchens.
• Budgeting, forecasting, and cost-management skills.
• A record of building teams and developing leaders.
• ServSafe Manager Certification, or the ability to obtain it upon hire.
• An entrepreneurial, “whatever it takes” mindset and a passion for business as a force for social impact.

Nice To Haves

• Catering, food manufacturing, or multi-unit food service experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead every part of True North Nutrition’s culinary operation.
• Design and run an elevated school lunch program, starting at about 400 meals a day across five schools.
• Build production systems that maintain quality at scale.
• Develop seasonal menus, standardized recipes, and production schedules.
• Maintain compliance with food safety, sanitation, licensing, health, National School Lunch Program, and DOE rules.
• Grow lunch volume from 400 to over 1,000 meals a day.
• Build a profitable catering operation serving corporate, nonprofit, and community clients.
• Create and launch specialty food products for wholesale and retail.
• Identify new revenue and efficiency opportunities and align the kitchen with leadership’s long-term goals.
• Recruit, train, and mentor culinary staff while fostering a culture of accountability.
• Manage food costs, labor costs, inventory, purchasing, and vendors.
• Create meaningful learning experiences for culinary interns and externs.

Benefits

• $250 per month toward health insurance.
• 401(k) with a 6% match.
• 10 days of paid time off.
• Paid holidays.
• Performance incentives tied to growth and profitability.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed