Taste of Hope Executive Chef

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Cincinnati•Cincinnati, OH

About The Position

The Taste of Hope Executive Chef manages and coordinates Cincinnati’s Ronald McDonald House daily meal service program, serving 400–600 guests per day, and oversees kitchen organization and cleanliness. The role works with staff, volunteers, and community and corporate groups to provide varied, balanced meals for guest families, while leading volunteer meal groups in food preparation and service according to ServSafe protocols. The Executive Chef ensures compliance with applicable food safety, sanitation, and other regulations, and supports consistent meal preparation by the sous chefs. The program aims to provide healthy, quality meals and a community-focused respite experience for guest families. The Executive Chef is a visible representative of the House to more than 16,000 volunteers and must bring a warm, engaging, professional, and service-oriented approach. The role leads the culinary and administrative functions of the kitchen, develops a welcoming and inclusive team culture, and helps employees and volunteers contribute safely and confidently. The position reports to the Meals and Activities Director and supervises the Lead Sous Chef, Sous Chefs, and Kitchen Assistants. The job operates in both a commercial kitchen and a professional office. Kitchen equipment includes ovens, stoves, dishwashers, slicers, coffee machines, steamers, fryers, mixers, and commercial knives; the office uses computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, and fax machines. The employee is frequently exposed to heat, steam, fire, and noise. The position may require occasional sitting, standing, reaching, lifting, bending, kneeling, stooping, climbing, pushing, and pulling items weighing up to 50 pounds. This is a full-time position with a flexible schedule to support meal production as needed, including weekends and holidays. The House serves two healthy meals daily, 365 days a year.

Requirements

At least 5 years of culinary experience.
Diploma or degree in the culinary field.
Food handler and ServSafe certifications.
Experience leading a team.
Knowledge of nutrition, food costing and sourcing, meal production, and meal planning.
Extensive knowledge of health and safety requirements for commercial food establishments, including sanitation and maintenance regulations.
Ability to write menus, plan and prepare meals, and lead, instruct, and empower volunteer meal groups.
Skills in budget management, scheduling, and record keeping.
Ability to develop procedures for ordering, receiving, storing, and inventorying food and supplies.
Ability to lead and supervise sous chefs and kitchen assistants.
Strong verbal and written communication and customer service skills; professional, personable, friendly, and approachable demeanor.
Ability to work with varied personalities and represent the House and its mission effectively.
Compassion, reliability, attention to detail and accuracy, prioritization, multitasking, and effectiveness in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to build relationships with diverse people, keep people informed, and work collaboratively as a team player.
Ability to serve as an ambassador for the Ronald McDonald House mission and embody its Core Values of Collaboration, Gratitude, Integrity, Inclusion, and Joy.
Ability to work a flexible schedule, including weekends and holidays.

Responsibilities

Manage and execute a safe, healthy, high-quality food service program for guests, volunteers, and staff, including internal events, functions, and meetings.
Plan menus that provide variety and balanced meals, accommodate dietary needs and allergies, use donated foods and purchased products, and align with budgets and guest needs.
Prepare high-quality food and oversee safe, timely food preparation and service, portion control, and allergy-safe alternatives for guests with serious allergies or major dietary restrictions.
Lead, instruct, schedule, and supervise volunteer meal groups, volunteer hosts, temporary kitchen laborers, and kitchen staff; break tasks into clear steps and coach volunteers patiently.
Supervise the Lead Sous Chef, Sous Chefs, and Kitchen Assistants, including scheduling, payroll, performance reviews, salary discussions, hiring support, and staff development.
Manage food safety, sanitation, hygiene, quality control, cleaning checklists, temperature logs, fire safety training, and compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
Control food and operating-supply inventory and expenditures within budget; order and purchase food, kitchen supplies, and beverages; manage in-kind donations and reduce waste using first-in, first-out procedures.
Coordinate commercial kitchen operations and maintain the cleanliness, sanitation, and upkeep of kitchen and dining areas; coordinate equipment maintenance and repairs with the Facilities Director.
Build relationships with food vendors to obtain favorable prices or donations, and nurture donor and vendor relationships to maximize in-kind contributions.
Welcome and register volunteers, acknowledge gifts, provide excellent service to families, employees, and volunteers, and work with the Volunteer Manager to support a high-quality volunteer experience.
Collaborate with marketing, development, and Meals and Activities teams to recognize donors, communicate menu options, and promote program growth.
Organize food service for catered requests and special events, activities, and meetings.
Review guest survey comments weekly, investigate and resolve food quality or safety complaints, and continually improve the program.
Use Microsoft Outlook for email communication and calendar-based menu writing and planning; maintain records and provide reports to partner agencies when applicable.
Meet weekly with the Meals and Activities Director to discuss strategies, needs, and progress; comply with organizational policies and procedures; pursue professional development and perform other assigned duties.