Executive Chef Upscale Restaurant Group | Upstate New York / Finger Lakes Region We are partnering with a growing, independently owned restaurant group in Upstate New York seeking talented culinary leaders to join its team. We are open to speaking with both established Executive Chefs and high-potential Executive Sous Chefs, Chefs de Cuisine, and Sous Chefs who are ready for greater responsibility and the next step in their careers. The group operates multiple distinctive restaurant concepts ranging from high-volume, energetic dining to elevated fine dining. This creates an opportunity for the right chef to find a home that fits their background while also building a long-term career within a growing organization. The Opportunity Depending on experience, the right chef could step into an Executive Chef position with full ownership of a restaurant's culinary operation or join the group as a senior #2 culinary leader working closely with an accomplished Executive Chef. We are looking for chefs who are passionate about food, genuinely enjoy developing people, and want to be part of an organization where they can make an impact. This is not an office-chef position. We want leaders who enjoy being in the kitchen, coaching their teams, tasting food, developing dishes, improving systems, and being present during service. What You'll Do Lead or support day-to-day culinary operations Maintain exceptional standards for food quality, consistency, presentation, and execution Recruit, train, mentor, and develop culinary employees Build a positive, accountable, professional kitchen culture Collaborate on menu development, seasonal changes, specials, and culinary initiatives Manage food cost, labor, inventory, purchasing, waste, and controllable expenses Establish and maintain prep, production, recipe, and plating standards Develop Sous Chefs, supervisors, and emerging culinary leaders Maintain strong vendor relationships and ingredient standards Ensure exceptional sanitation, food safety, and health department compliance Partner closely with FOH leadership to deliver a memorable guest experience Remain actively involved during high-volume services Help strengthen culinary systems and standards as the restaurant group continues to grow What We're Looking For We are interested in chefs coming from a variety of strong culinary backgrounds. Ideal candidates may currently be an: Executive Chef Chef de Cuisine Executive Sous Chef Senior Sous Chef Culinary leader ready to take the next step Strong candidates will bring: Experience in chef-driven, upscale, fine-dining, or high-quality independent restaurants Strong culinary fundamentals and respect for technique A genuine passion for food and hospitality Experience leading and developing kitchen teams High-volume execution experience Menu development and seasonal creativity Strong understanding of food cost, labor, inventory, purchasing, and waste Ability to balance creativity with consistency and financial responsibility Strong organizational and communication skills A hands-on, lead-by-example management style High standards without unnecessary ego Ability to collaborate successfully with both culinary and FOH leadership Experience with Mexican, Latin, contemporary American, French, farm-to-table, or ingredient-driven cuisine is valuable, but we are more interested in finding talented chefs with strong fundamentals, creativity, leadership ability, and the capacity to learn. For Executive Chef Candidates We are looking for someone capable of taking true ownership of a culinary operation.

You should be comfortable with:

Leading the entire BOH team Menu development and culinary direction Hiring and developing your leadership team Food and labor budgets Purchasing and vendor management Recipe costing and menu engineering Maintaining consistency and standards Working collaboratively with restaurant and ownership leadership Building a kitchen culture that attracts and retains strong people For Executive Sous / Chef de Cuisine Candidates You do not need to already have the Executive Chef title to get our attention. If you have worked underneath accomplished chefs in high-level restaurants and are ready for more responsibility, we want to hear from you. We are especially interested in #2 chefs who have: Worked in demanding, high-standard kitchens Strong technical culinary foundations Experience managing service and leading the kitchen when the Executive Chef is absent Trained and developed cooks and Sous Chefs Participated in menu development and R&D Managed ordering, inventory, food cost, labor, and production A desire to continue learning while preparing for an eventual Executive Chef opportunity Why Consider This Opportunity? This is an opportunity to join an independent and growing restaurant organization rather than simply take another chef position. The group offers multiple concepts and culinary styles, creating opportunities for chefs to grow, take on greater responsibility, contribute creatively, and potentially advance across the organization. For an established Executive Chef, it is an opportunity to lead and influence the direction of a restaurant. For an ambitious #2, it is an opportunity to work alongside strong culinary leadership while positioning yourself for the next step in your career. Relocation assistance may be considered for the right candidate. If you are a passionate culinary leader who cares about food, people, standards, and continuing to grow as a chef, we would love to speak with you.

Pay:

$60,000.00 - $80,000.00 per year

Benefits:

401(k) Dental insurance Health insurance Paid time off Vision insurance

Work Location:

In person