Executive Head Chef

Executive Head Chef Rowand Restaurant Group Memphis, TN Job Details Full-time 1 day ago Benefits Career development plan Qualifications Teamwork ServSafe Team development Attention to detail Organizational skills Full Job Description Head Chef / Executive Chef New Premium Dining Concept | Downtown Memphis An established and growing hospitality group is seeking an experienced Head Chef / Executive Chef to lead the kitchen team for a new premium dining concept in Downtown Memphis . This is a founding culinary leadership opportunity for someone who wants to help build a flagship restaurant from the ground up. We are looking for a chef who can lead people, create systems, establish standards, and build a culture of excellence, accountability, consistency, and pride. This role is ideal for a culinary leader who is ready to take ownership of a serious kitchen operation and grow with a hospitality group that is investing in high-quality restaurants, strong teams, and long-term career development. Position Overview The Head Chef / Executive Chef will be responsible for leading all kitchen operations, including culinary execution, team development, training, systems, staffing, scheduling, ordering, inventory, sanitation, food cost management, and daily service standards. This is not simply a kitchen management role. It is a leadership role for someone who understands that great restaurants are built through people, preparation, discipline, and culture. The right candidate will bring strong culinary skill, operational discipline, emotional intelligence, and the ability to develop a team that performs consistently at a high level. Key Responsibilities Lead, develop, and hold accountable the kitchen team with professionalism, clarity, and consistency. Build a positive, disciplined, and standards-driven kitchen culture. Recruit, train, coach, schedule, and develop cooks, prep team members, dish team members, and other kitchen staff. Create and maintain strong systems for prep, ordering, inventory, storage, station setup, service execution, cleanliness, and closing procedures. Set and enforce culinary standards for quality, consistency, timing, presentation, sanitation, and organization. Lead daily service with calm urgency, strong communication, and clear expectations. Work closely with ownership and leadership to open and grow a new premium dining concept. Develop people into stronger cooks, leaders, and hospitality professionals. Maintain food cost discipline through ordering, portion control, waste reduction, inventory management, and vendor communication. Ensure compliance with all food safety, sanitation, health department, and company standards. Create a kitchen environment where team members are trained, prepared, accountable, and proud of their work. Protect the guest experience by ensuring every plate reflects the standards of the restaurant. Training Philosophy We believe training should be harder than service. Team members are expected to master their stations and demonstrate competency before operating independently. The Head Chef / Executive Chef will be responsible for creating a training environment where expectations are clear, standards are practiced consistently, and team members are prepared before they are placed in key service roles. Ideal Candidate The ideal candidate is a true culinary leader who has experience building teams, creating systems, and leading high-performing kitchens in premium, upscale casual, fine dining, hotel, private club, steakhouse, seafood, or high-volume restaurant environments. You should be hands-on, organized, composed under pressure, and passionate about developing people. You should understand that consistency is created before service begins, and that culture is built every day through leadership, communication, standards, and follow-through. Qualifications Minimum 3-5 years of culinary leadership experience preferred. Experience as a Head Chef, Executive Chef, Chef de Cuisine, Sous Chef, or senior kitchen leader in a premium or high-volume restaurant environment preferred. Strong understanding of kitchen systems, prep structure, station training, ordering, inventory, food cost, labor efficiency, sanitation, and service execution. Proven ability to lead, train, coach, and develop a kitchen team. Strong culinary fundamentals, cooking technique, knife skills, plating standards, and attention to detail. Ability to create accountability while maintaining a positive and professional team culture. Strong communication skills and the ability to work closely with ownership, management, and front-of-house leadership. Ability to work nights, weekends, holidays, and high-volume shifts as needed. ServSafe certification preferred. What We Offer Competitive compensation based on experience. Founding leadership opportunity with a new premium dining concept in Downtown Memphis. Opportunity to help build the culinary culture, systems, and standards from the beginning. Career growth potential with an established and growing hospitality group. Supportive ownership and leadership focused on building strong restaurants and strong teams. Opportunity to lead a flagship restaurant and help shape the future of the company. Schedule Full-time leadership position. Availability for nights, weekends, holidays, and key service periods is required.

Work Location:

In person