Kukio Golf & Beach Club Executive Chef

Job Title:

Kuki'o Golf & Beach Club Executive Chef

Job Category:

Executive Chef

Club:

Kuki'o Golf & Beach Club

Location:

Kailua-Kona, HI Email this job KŪKI'O

GOLF & BEACH CLUB

EXECUTIVE

CHEF PROFILE

KAILUA-KONA, HAWAI'I

THE EXECUTIVE CHEF OPPORTUNITY AT K

ŪKI'O

GOLF & BEACH CLUB

Kūkiʻo Golf & Beach Club, located on the Kona-Kohala Coast of the Big Island of Hawai'i, is one of the most exclusive private residential clubs in the world. Its members, exceptionally well-traveled and deeply appreciative of global cultures, expect a dining experience that matches the island's unparalleled beauty and spirit. To meet this expectation, the Club seeks an Executive Chef who can deliver culinary excellence with creativity and innovation, while honoring the value of simplicity and the fundamentals done exceptionally well. The ability to balance sophistication with consistency is essential to maintaining the high standards of a membership that treasures both world-class experiences and the comfort of flawless, familiar favorites. Success in this role will require a deep understanding of living and working in the Hawai'ian culture, where respect for place, people, and traditions is woven into daily life. The Executive Chef will be a visible and engaged leader, responsible for cultivating and developing a high-performing culinary team that embodies collaboration, pride, and accountability. By combining operational rigor with fresh ideas and by mentoring the next generation of culinary talent, the Executive Chef will play a defining role in shaping the future of Kūkiʻo's dining program, ensuring that every meal reflects both the Club's pursuit of excellence and the spirit of aloha. ABOUT KŪKI'O

GOLF & BEACH CLUB AND THE COMMUNITY

Kūkiʻo Golf & Beach Club is a private, residential equity club located on the Kona-Kohala Coast of the Big Island of Hawai'i. Membership is reserved exclusively for residents of Kūkiʻo, Maniniʻōwali, and its sister property Kaʻūpūlehu, offering a lifestyle that blends luxury with a deep sense of place. Anchored by the Beach Club, the community enjoys world-class amenities framed by sweeping views of Maui, historic Hawai'ian fishponds, archaeological preserves, and the breaking surf. The Beach Club serves as the heart of Kūkiʻo, featuring a full-service clubhouse, spa and fitness center, dining pavilion, beach bar, swimming pools, library, and games room. Members also enjoy the Outdoor Pursuits Ocean Sports Program, which connects them to the island's waters and coastline. Nearby, a Tom Fazio-designed 10-hole Short Course provides variety and challenges for golfers of all levels. Nestled into the slopes of Hualālai Mountain lies the Tom Fazio-designed 18-hole Championship Course and its dedicated clubhouse, complete with open-air dining, men's and women's locker rooms, and a golf shop. Built over dramatic lava terrain, both courses reflect the club's commitment to excellence and the artistry of their design. For families, the Sports Complex in the Maniniʻōwali neighborhood offers a dedicated hub for recreation and entertainment. With pools, tennis courts, a basketball court, sand volleyball, children's play areas, and a full kitchen, it is designed as a gathering place for active lifestyles. Together, these offerings create an unparalleled private club experience, where modern luxury is seamlessly intertwined with the beauty, history, and spirit of Hawai'i. With a focus on local Hawaiian produce, the club has a fully operating Farm, including chickens and an orchard. Members enjoy seasonal farmers' markets, benefit from the produce in the restaurants, and often spend time working alongside the farmers. The Kuki'o Provisions store also offers Members the opportunity to purchase wines, meats, and Kuki'o branded items without leaving the property. KŪKI'O

GOLF & BEACH CLUB WEBSITE

www.kukio.com KŪKI'O

GOLF & BEACH CLUB BY THE NUMBERS

341 Members

Approximate Food Volume:

$5.3M

Approximate Beverage Volume:

$1.8M 45% food cost (target 41%) 95% à la carte 5% Banquets 59% Kitchen labor cost 111,847 covers per year Average of 2 Weddings a Year Executive Sous Chef, (2) Chef de Cuisines, (2) Sous Chefs, Executive Pastry Chef, Executive Steward, (2) Farm employees Three kitchens plus Food Truck The Club uses Jonas for POS and Workday for team member CRM platform Club is closed on Mondays

EXECUTIVE CHEF POSITION OVERVIEW

The Executive Chef at Kūki'o Golf & Beach Club is responsible for the overall leadership, mentoring, and development of the culinary team and all food production of the club's Food and Beverage, plus oversight of the Club's farm. They develop menus, food purchase specifications, and recipes, and develop and monitor food and labor budgets for the department. The Executive Chef maintains the highest professionalism in leading their team, in the quality, consistency, and variety of their food offerings, and in exceptional standards of sanitation and cleanliness. Kūki'o Golf & Beach Club has been known for its world-class cuisine since its inception.

KEY PRIORITIES FOR SUCCESS

LEADERSHIP Take full ownership of the culinary team; build trust with them by engaging, observing, learning, and listening to their wisdom, experience, and needs. Earn members' trust by instilling confidence through continued enhanced operations, interaction, and visibility. Create a fun collaborative work environment while being "hands-on" when necessary. Involve associates in the decision-making process of how "work gets done" and create a work environment of mutual respect in which people want to come to and participate every day. Be a focused and consistent evaluator of personnel, ensuring that standards of conduct and delivery are met; this includes oversight of high standards of appearance, hospitality, service, and cleanliness of the kitchen facilities. Be an active and dynamic recruiter of team members and someone who inherently enjoys developing and building their team and leading them to significant, positive membership satisfaction outcomes. Establish and consistently enhance operating standards for personnel in areas of responsibility and consistently evaluate knowledge, understanding, and execution to these high standards. Work closely with the front-of-house food and beverage managers to ensure a cohesive experience that consistently exceeds the expectations of members and guests. Hold daily/weekly staff briefings and line-ups with direct reports to keep them informed of necessary and relevant activities and expectations at the Club.

OPERATIONS

Plan, organize, and run a busy seasonal operation, with multiple events happening at the same time across multiple locations, as well as a la carte dining. Develop and maintain standard recipes and techniques for food preparation and presentation that help to assure consistent, high-quality food and minimize food costs; exercise portion control for all items served and assist in establishing menu selling prices. Evaluate food products to ensure that the highest quality standards are consistently attained. Ensure that high standards of sanitation, cleanliness, and safety are always maintained throughout all kitchen areas. Establish controls to minimize food and supply waste and theft. Safeguard all food-preparation employees by implementing training to increase their knowledge about safety, sanitation, and accident-prevention principles. Maintain safety training programs; manages OSHA-related aspects of kitchen safety and maintain MSDS's in an easily accessible location. Continue to maintain the positive culture of healthy employee meals and understand the importance they have over the morale of the team.

MEMBERSHIP

Have a heart of hospitality, embrace, appreciate, promote, and elevate the warmth and culture of Kuki'o Golf & Beach Club. Be highly visible and engaged with membership throughout the F&B outlets and during events at the Club. Welcome, encourage, and engage in regular feedback from members. Be responsive to members' requests for menu selections, event planning, etc., and strive to find creative ways to accommodate reasonable requests. Kuki'o Golf & Beach Club prides itself on having a "say yes" and customized culture of experiences. Drive consistent innovation, elevate, and build exciting food programs for members to enjoy. Create a menu that the membership has a hard time choosing from, with regular innovative features and specials.

FINANCIAL

Clearly understand the metrics for successful attainment of financial goals and objectives in F&B operations and consistently review these expectations with their direct reports to ensure understanding and 'buy-in' from those contributing to their attainment. Consistently monitor payroll and labor resource allocations to ensure they are in line with financial forecasting and goals. Produce variance reports for monthly financial statements. Ensure effective and efficient staffing and scheduling for all facilities and functions while balancing financial objectives with member satisfaction goals. Embrace the use of systems (including regular inventory processes) and technology to assist in the management of the kitchen and the financial performance of the operation. Prepare necessary data for applicable parts of the budget; project annual food, labor, and other costs and monitor actual financial results; take corrective action as necessary to help assure that financial goals are met. Review and approve product purchase specifications and maintain excellent vendor relationships. Assist in the preparation of monthly and yearly budgets, and the administrative needs of the position.

INITIAL PRIORITIES OF NEW EXECUTIVE CHEF

Build relationships with the team. Listen, observe, and seek to understand. This includes building a strong foundation of relationships with the executive team, front-of-house leaders, and all members of their team. Treat others with respect, listen, show humility, and promote a positive, fair, and professional work environment. Listen to member feedback and make appropriate adjustments and adaptations based on sound data and careful thought. Find ways to build in variety and different offerings throughout the season. Evaluate current operations and set appropriate and necessary standards of operation, processes, execution, and delivery within the culinary operation, taking ownership for the entire experience from production to final delivery of the product, while working closely and positively with the front-of-house team. Evaluate and continue to develop, train, and mentor the culinary team while promoting fairness and consistency within. Be highly visible, engage with membership, and become familiar with dining requirements and preferences.

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS

Has five years' experience in a similar role. Has a sincere desire to live in Hawai'i, with an understanding of Hawaiian culture, or connectivity to the state. Has a degree in Culinary Arts and/or other Hospitality Management focus. 10

• 20 years in different supervisor positions in the kitchen.

Highly skilled cooking ability in all areas of the kitchen, including the ability to prepare various ethnic cuisines. Experience working in multiple operations. Has achieved or is working towards Certified Executive Chef (CEC) certification through the American Culinary Federation (ACF) or Pro Chef II certification through the Culinary Institute of America. Has a proven track record of maintaining food quality and sanitation standards. Is experienced with technology, including Jonas POS, and Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, etc.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

Salary is open and commensurate with qualifications and experience. The club offers an excellent bonus and benefits package, including association membership.

Salary Range:

$240,000

• $280,000.

INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO APPLY

Please upload your resume and cover letter in the order listed using the link below. When prompted for them during the online application process, you should have your documents fully prepared to attach. Please be sure your image is not on your resume or cover letter; it should be used on your LinkedIn Profile. Prepare a thoughtful cover letter addressed to Lloyd Gillespie, General Manager, Kūkiʻo Golf & Beach Club. Clearly articulate your alignment with this role, why you want to be considered for this position at this stage of your career, and why KŪKI'O and the Kailua-Kona, HI area will benefit you, your family, your career, and the Club if selected. You must apply for this role as soon as possible to be considered for this opportunity.

IMPORTANT

Save your resume and letter in the following manner: "Last Name, First Name

• Resume" & "Last Name, First Name
• Cover Letter
• KŪKI'O" (These documents should be in Word or PDF format)

Note:

Once you complete the application process for this search, you are not able to go back in and add additional documents. If you have any questions, please email

Bethany Taylor:

bethany@kkandw.com

LEAD SEARCH EXECUTIVES

Annette Whittley, CCM Hospitality Consultant, Trainer & Search Executive

O:

 (833) KKW-HIRE, ext. 721 |

M:

(561) 827-1945 annette@kkandw.com Lawrence McFadden, CMC, ECM Search & Consulting Executive,

O:

 (833) KKW-HIRE, ext. 715 |

M:

(239) 963-6888 lawrence@kkandw.com