Executive Chef Job Description Template

Executive chef on the telephone, restocking the kitchen, with a member of the kitchen staff working in the background.

An executive chef has the top job in the kitchen and handles everything from managing staff to designing recipes and menus. When you’re hiring an executive chef, it’s paramount to find a candidate who has the culinary experience, leadership skills, and business acumen to run an effective kitchen.

Whether you’re hiring for a restaurant, hotel, catering company, school, hospital, or another establishment, the hiring process starts with a well-worded job description. There’s a high demand for executive chefs, especially those with an impressive resume, so it’s beneficial to use your job description to sell them on working for you.

If your executive chef just handed in their two-week’s notice, you probably want to hire a qualified candidate quickly. You can edit this executive chef job description sample to fit your hiring needs so that you can kick off your hiring process ASAP. For customization ideas, consider looking at other executive chef job postings on Monster.

Executive chef on the telephone, restocking the kitchen, with a member of the kitchen staff working in the background.

Executive Chef

[Intro Paragraph] Kick off your executive chef job description with a two to three sentence description of position and your establishment. Mention anything that will impress candidates, such as press mentions, rave reviews, and awards you’ve won.

Executive Chef Job Responsibilities: Edit and add to this list because the tasks are likely to be different depending on whether you’re hiring for a Michelin-rated restaurant or a college cafeteria. Here are some examples of common responsibilities to get you started:

  • Oversees back-of-house operations.
  • Hires, trains, and manages kitchen staff.
  • Sets the staffing schedule.
  • Leads pre-shift meetings.
  • Develops recipes and menus.
  • Determines plating and presentation plans.
  • Orders and evaluates the quality of new food.
  • Stocks the kitchen with necessary supplies.
  • Helps with financial planning and budgeting.
  • Handles and resolves customer complaints.
  • Makes sure the kitchen staff follows all food safety laws.
  • Sets and implements the kitchen policies and procedures.

[Work Hours and Benefits]: Most executive chefs work more than 40 hours a week. Mention whether the executive chef would be expected to work early mornings, late nights, or both. Be sure to specify if your establishment has a less demanding work schedule because it will make your job opportunity more attractive to candidates. Next, you’ll feature the benefits and perks your establishment offers, like health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, paid parental leave, tuition reimbursements, bonuses, and free meals. If you know the salary range, it’s helpful to include it so executive chefs can determine if it fits their financial needs.

Executive Chef Qualifications and Skills: Use these sections of your executive chef job description to share the skills and experiences that will make a candidate a top contender. Here are some qualifications you may want to include:

  • Creates creative recipes and menus.
  • Manages and motivates the kitchen staff.
  • Works well in a fast-paced kitchen.
  • Demonstrates strong business acumen.
  • Excels at project management and is organized.
  • Collaborates effectively and has strong interpersonal skills.

Education and Experience Requirements:

  • A culinary arts bachelor’s or master’s degree is preferred.
  • At least [number] years of management experience is required.
  • American Culinary Federation Certified Executive Chefs (CECs) are preferred.

[Call to Action] You’ve put in the work. Now make the most of it. Encourage executive chefs to apply by ending with a call to action. For example, you could say that you are excited to read their application and that they can send it to a particular email address or apply directly on the web site.

Fire Up Your Search With a Free Job Posting

Eager to start cooking with gas? Post your executive chef job description on Monster to get noticed by top chefs. Our resume screening tool can help you save time by letting you filter for resumes and cover letters with keywords from your newly perfected job description. Get started with your free job posting from Monster today.