CAMPUS EXECUTIVE CHEF - Young Harris College- YOUNG HARRIS, GA

Working as the Campus Executive Chef for FRESH IDEAS at Young Harris College, you will be responsible for overseeing kitchen operations while maintaining a safe and sanitary work environment for the food service team. You will prepare meals in accordance with Fresh Ideas culinary programs and guidelines.  This is an opportunity to step into a campus environment where you can truly build—leading culinary innovation, mentoring a team, and shaping a dining program that directly impacts the student experience—while backed by the scale, resources, and long-term growth opportunities of Compass Group.

Living in Young Harris offers a uniquely rewarding lifestyle for an executive chef looking to make a meaningful impact on a close-knit campus community. Nestled in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains, the area delivers a slower pace of life paired with stunning natural beauty—think mountain views, hiking trails, and nearby escapes. The area leans into simple pleasures—local festivals, vineyard events, college sports, and weekend drives through the mountains—while nearby towns like Hiawassee and Blairsville expand your options with more restaurants, shops, and seasonal events.  Leading the culinary program at Young Harris College gives you the opportunity to shape dining experiences in a highly visible role, where your creativity and leadership are felt daily by students and faculty. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Plans regular and modified menus according to established guidelines
• Follows standardized recipes, portioning and presentation standards. Completes and utilizes daily production worksheets and waste log sheets. Tastes completed meals to ensure quality
• Trains kitchen staff in food preparation, safe handling, operation of equipment, food safety and sanitation based on Company and regulatory standards
• Establishes and maintains cleaning and maintenance schedules for equipment, storage and work areas. Ensures that kitchen staff follows and completes schedules as assigned
• Maintains inventory of food and non-food supplies to stay within established guidelines while assuring that necessary product is available when needed
• Makes all decisions regarding utilization of leftover food products staying within Company guidelines for such products
• Complies with federal, state and local health and sanitation regulations and department sanitation procedures as evidenced through local health department and third-party audits
• Follows facility, department, and Company safety policies and procedures to include occurrence reporting
• Participates and attends departmental meetings, staff development, and professional programs, as appropriate

Preferred Qualifications:

• A.S. or equivalent experience
• Minimum of three to five years of progressive culinary/kitchen management experience, depending upon formal degree or training
• Extensive catering experience a plus
• High volume, complex foodservice operations experience - highly desirable
• Institutional and batch cooking experiences
• Hands-on chef experience a must
• Comprehensive knowledge of food and catering trends with a focus on quality, production, sanitation, food cost controls, and presentation
• Must be experienced with computers; to include Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and Power Point), Outlook, E-mail and the Internet
• ServSafe certified - highly desirable