Sr Executive Catering Chef

The Senior Executive Catering Chef serves as the strategic culinary leader responsible for overseeing regional catering culinary operations while driving menu innovation, recipe development, and costing strategies across a national portfolio. This role provides leadership to regional Catering Chefs while developing scalable, trend-forward catering programs that deliver exceptional hospitality experiences, operational excellence, and strong financial performance.

This leader combines exceptional culinary expertise with business acumen and a passion for hospitality, creating memorable dining experiences through innovative menu development, flawless execution, and strong partnerships across culinary and catering operations.

Strategic Culinary Leadership

• Lead the culinary vision and execution of the catering and hospitality program across a multi-site region.
• Develop and maintain national catering menu standards, culinary programs, recipes, production guidelines, and presentation standards.
• Create innovative, chef-driven menus that balance creativity, guest experience, operational feasibility, and financial performance.
• Develop seasonal menu offerings and customized event menus tailored to client preferences, event styles, dietary accommodations, cultural considerations, and budget parameters.
• Drive continuous menu innovation through emerging culinary trends, global influences, wellness-focused offerings, seasonal ingredients, and sustainable sourcing practices.
• Develop scalable catering solutions and culinary programs that can be successfully executed across multiple markets and locations.
• Champion elevated hospitality experiences through exceptional food quality, creativity, presentation, and guest engagement.

Regional Culinary Operations

• Provide direct leadership, coaching, and support to Catering Chefs within the Bay Area region.
• Ensure consistent execution of culinary standards, food quality, presentation, and operational excellence across all catered events.
• Partner closely with catering, operations, and hospitality leaders to deliver seamless event experiences.
• Support executive meetings, VIP hospitality, leadership events, and large-scale special functions requiring elevated levels of service and execution.
• Maintain operational visibility and provide hands-on leadership during key events, activations, and high-profile functions.
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement throughout the culinary organization.

National Menu Development & Costing

• Own the national catering menu portfolio, including recipe development, menu engineering, standardization, costing, and performance analysis.
• Establish recipe costing, portion standards, and production specifications that support profitability while maintaining exceptional quality and guest satisfaction.
• Develop menu frameworks that provide regional flexibility while maintaining consistency in culinary standards and brand expectations.
• Partner with procurement and operational leaders to optimize sourcing strategies, vendor partnerships, and product utilization.
• Analyze menu performance, food costs, labor efficiencies, guest feedback, and operational metrics to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Lead culinary innovation initiatives that enhance guest satisfaction while maintaining disciplined cost controls.

Culinary Collaboration & Portfolio Alignment

• Partner with culinary leaders across the portfolio to share best practices, align catering standards, and strengthen catering offerings nationwide.
• Collaborate with regional culinary teams to support menu implementation, recipe consistency, and operational success.
• Lead culinary showcases, tasting events, and presentations that highlight menu innovation and elevate the overall catering experience.
• Serve as a culinary ambassador, presenting concepts and solutions to clients, stakeholders, and operational leadership.

Operational Excellence & Process Improvement

• Partner closely with the Director of Catering to enhance catering systems, streamline planning processes, improve production workflows, optimize staffing models, and strengthen event execution strategies.
• Develop systems and best practices that improve culinary consistency, operational efficiency, and profitability across multiple locations.
• Utilize data-driven decision-making to enhance performance, optimize resources, and support long-term business objectives.
• Ensure compliance with all food safety, sanitation, allergy awareness, and workplace safety standards.
• Promote fresh, seasonal, responsibly sourced ingredients and scratch-cooking principles whenever possible.

Leadership & Talent Development

• Recruit, mentor, coach, and develop Catering Chefs and culinary team members across the organization.
• Create succession planning and professional development opportunities for culinary leaders and emerging talent.
• Lead culinary training programs, tastings, workshops, and onboarding initiatives.
• Foster an inclusive, high-performing culture focused on hospitality excellence, innovation, teamwork, and accountability.
• Establish and maintain high standards for food quality, presentation, consistency, and execution across every catering event.
• Serve as a culinary role model and ambassador, demonstrating a commitment to excellence and continuous learning.

Financial & Business Performance

• Manage menu engineering strategies that balance culinary excellence with responsible fiscal management.
• Monitor food cost trends, purchasing performance, labor utilization, and waste reduction opportunities.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, strategic planning, and financial performance initiatives related to catering operations.
• Identify opportunities to improve profitability, operational effectiveness, and overall program performance while maintaining a premium guest experience.