Executive Chef - Menlo School

Job Summary

Executive Chef - Menlo School

Join a premier educational community and take advantage of a rare culinary leadership opportunity that offers a desirable Monday-Friday schedule, work-life balance, and the chance to make a meaningful impact on students every day.

As the Executive Chef, you will lead all culinary operations at Menlo School, a nationally recognized, coeducational independent day school serving approximately 820 students in grades 6-12. Menlo is dedicated to fostering a culture of kindness, trust, belonging, and inclusivity where every student is empowered to thrive as their authentic self. This position offers the unique opportunity to combine culinary excellence with purpose, creating exceptional dining experiences that support student wellness, learning, and community engagement.

This hands-on leadership role is responsible for overseeing all kitchen operations, driving culinary innovation, developing a high-performing team, and ensuring exceptional food quality, safety, and service standards. The Executive Chef will work closely with school leadership and the dining services team to create memorable dining experiences that reflect the values and expectations of the Menlo School community.

Why This Opportunity Stands Out

• Monday-Friday schedule with a strong focus on work-life balance.
• Rare opportunity to work in an educational environment where you can positively influence students through nutritious, high-quality meals.
• Collaborative, community-focused culture with opportunities for creativity and culinary innovation.
• Lead a talented team while making a lasting impact on the daily experience of students, faculty, and staff.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead all culinary functions, including menu planning, food preparation, recipe development, and service execution.
• Manage food and labor costs while maintaining budget compliance and implementing cost-control strategies.
• Oversee purchasing, inventory management, and vendor relationships.
• Ensure compliance with all food safety, sanitation, allergen, and HACCP standards.
• Recruit, train, coach, and mentor culinary team members, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous learning.
• Partner with culinary and marketing teams to develop seasonal menus and special promotions.
• Support special events and catering functions, delivering exceptional quality and presentation.
• Oversee back-of-house operations to ensure cleanliness, organization, and regulatory compliance.
• Partner with the Director of Dining on performance management initiatives, including coaching, development, and annual performance evaluations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Culinary degree or equivalent professional training preferred.
• 3-5 years of progressive culinary leadership experience, preferably in high-volume foodservice, hospitality, education, or catering environments.
• Proven success managing food and labor costs while maintaining exceptional quality standards.
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• Experience with scratch cooking, menu development, and team building.
• Passion for creating exceptional dining experiences and supporting the health and well-being of students and school communities.
• Proficiency with kitchen management systems and Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook).
• ServSafe Certification preferred.