CATERING EXECUTIVE CHEF - SANTA CLARA

Job Summary

As the Catering Executive Chef, you will lead high-end culinary and catering operations within a corporate Executive Briefing Center environment, delivering exceptional dining experiences for VIP clients, executive meetings, and special events. You will oversee all aspects of catering production and execution while maintaining the highest standards of food quality, presentation, safety, and hospitality.

This role offers a Monday–Friday schedule, supporting a strong work-life balance while operating in a professional, corporate setting.

This is an exciting opportunity for an energetic, entrepreneurial culinary leader with a passion for hospitality, innovation, and creating memorable guest experiences.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and execute premium catering programs for executive meetings, VIP events, conferences, and special functions
• Develop innovative menus and catering offerings that align with client expectations, event requirements, and seasonal trends
• Oversee all food production, ensuring exceptional quality, consistency, presentation, and adherence to company standards
• Manage catering logistics, including event planning, staffing, production schedules, transportation, setup, and service execution
• Collaborate with clients, event planners, and hospitality teams to create customized culinary experiences
• Complete and utilize daily production worksheets, event forecasts, and waste logs while monitoring food costs and operational efficiency
• Taste and verify all food prepared to ensure consistency and adherence to established quality standards
• Train, mentor, and develop culinary team members in food preparation, presentation, safe food handling, sanitation, and catering best practices
• Establish and maintain cleaning and maintenance schedules for equipment, storage areas, and kitchen workspaces
• Maintain inventory of food and non-food supplies while managing purchasing, receiving, and cost controls
• Manage labor productivity, scheduling, and resource allocation to support successful event execution
• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local health and sanitation regulations, as evidenced through health department and third-party audits
• Follow facility, department, and company safety policies and procedures, including incident reporting and corrective actions
• Participate in client meetings, departmental meetings, staff development programs, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Stay current on catering, culinary, and hospitality trends to enhance guest experiences and drive innovation

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate's Degree in Culinary Arts or equivalent combination of education and professional culinary experience
• 5+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience, including catering and event operations
• Extensive experience leading high-end catering, VIP dining, executive events, conference services, or hospitality operations
• Experience with Asian cuisine and Asian-inspired culinary programs preferred
• Proven experience managing large-scale and complex catering programs with multiple events and service styles
• Strong knowledge of menu development, event planning, food production, labor management, and cost control
• Experience in corporate dining, luxury hospitality, hotels, convention centers, or executive briefing environments preferred
• Hands-on chef with the ability to lead teams while actively participating in food production and event execution
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and client relationship management skills
• Comprehensive knowledge of food and catering trends, quality assurance, sanitation practices, and food safety standards
• Experience managing budgets, inventories, purchasing, and vendor relationships
• Proficient with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Outlook, and catering/event management systems
• ServSafe Certification or equivalent food safety certification highly preferred