Ryan Field is seeking a passionate, hospitality-driven Executive Chef to provide elevated food service to Northwestern University Athletics. This role plays a critical leadership role in creating memorable guest experiences by leading team members, ensuring exceptional service standards, and maintaining seamless operations during events. At Ryan Field, we are building a world-class game day and event experience and this role is instrumental in creating memorable moments for guests, donors, season ticket holders, sponsors, and visitors. Bring creativity to the plate and leadership to the kitchen. As Executive Chef, you will lead all culinary operations, ensuring exceptional food quality, innovative menu execution, and consistency across all dining experiences. You will oversee kitchen operations, maintain food safety standards, manage costs, and develop a high-performing culinary team while delivering memorable guest experiences

Key Responsibilities:

Lead and inspire culinary teams to deliver outstanding guest experiences Ensure strict compliance with federal, state, local, and company food safety and sanitation standards Maintain recipes and ensure consistent execution of company standards Manage food and labor costs to achieve operational goals Forecast sales and develop pars, prep lists, and production schedules Train, mentor, and equip team members with the tools and information needed for success Collaborate with operations leadership to ensure seamless event execution

Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts or equivalent experience preferred At least 5 years of executive management leadership experience in fast-paced, high-volume culinary environments Advanced knowledge of food preparation, production, and presentation Experience managing food cost, labor cost, and inventory controls Proficiency with kitchen management systems and Microsoft Office tools Excellent leadership and communication skills; able to connect with diverse teams and stakeholders across all levels Strong knowledge of food safety, sanitation, and large-scale kitchen operations