Floris Executive Chef

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond is one of the largest comprehensive art museums in the United States. VMFA’s growing encyclopedic collection houses more than 50,000 works of art spanning 6,000 years of world history.

Our holdings include the largest public collection of Fabergé outside of Russia, the finest collection of Art Nouveau outside of Paris and one of the nation’s finest collections of American art. VMFA is also home to important collections of Chinese art, English silver, French Impressionism, Postimpressionism, British sporting art, and modern and contemporary art, as well as renowned South Asian, Himalayan, and African art.

Recently named the 11th-best art museum in the United States by The Washington Post, VMFA is the only US art museum open 365 days a year with free general admission.

VMFA is a state-supported, privately endowed educational institution created for the benefit of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its purpose is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret art, to encourage the study of the arts, and thus to enrich the lives of all.

About Food Services Department:

At the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA), we create unique dining experiences.

Floris, located in the Pauley Center Parlor, is a unique and inclusive culinary experience based on the traditions and habits of tea culture and service around the world. The seasonal rotating menu is inspired by various tea-centric regions and features expertly curated teas from minority and women-owned Virginia tea vendors.

“…people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

The team works to provide reasonable and advanced-scheduling notice to staff within the agreed upon availability. We are open 365 days a year, therefore there are a variety of shifts to work. Floris is open Saturday through Wednesday with daytime seating.

Work with people whose talents shine not only at work but also beyond work hours. Many of our staff are creatives who find an ease in serving others, have an eye for the details, and enjoy the flexibility this position offers.

Revenue from Floris and other Enterprise operations directly supports museum operations. VMFA is the only art museum in the United States open 365 days a year with free general admission. Our purpose is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret art and to encourage the study of the arts.

Professionalism is a key tenet in our workplace. We treat each other no less than how we treat our guests. Come create career-supportive relationships with some of the best service professionals in the industry. Learn and grow with us.

We are currently seeking applications for skilled service professionals who are team-centric and positively energetic individuals to join our Food Services Department as the Floris Executive Chef.

The Floris Executive Chef supports the Floris General Manager in overseeing the success and efficient operation of the Floris tearoom through effective leadership and open communication. This position reports to the Senior Director of Restaurants and Events and is responsible for the smooth execution of all activities in the kitchen, including menu planning, food preparation and training.

• Ensures back-of-house Floris staff and supervisors have the training, equipment, and authority necessary to perform their jobs.

• Supports Senior Director of Restaurants and Events to see that the requirements of the performance planning and evaluation system are met and evaluations are completed by established deadlines with proper documentation.

• Performance issues are addressed and documented as they occur.

 • Responsible for the back-of-house operations for Floris tearoom; scheduling staff and providing supervision and direction, either directly or via subordinate supervisors.

• Ensures staff compliance with Food Service, VMFA, Department of Health and Commonwealth of Virginia codes, policies and procedures.

• Ensures that safety, health and housekeeping standards are present and that staff are aware and working towards meeting these goals.

• Works with managerial team to onboard new staff.

• Seeks to solve problems and improve direct reports' and colleagues' performance and productivity.

• Offers positive support to other staff members and mentors developing staff.

• Works with the Senior Director of Restaurants and Events to conduct monthly inventory of food items in the Floris kitchen.

• Ensure food costs meet yearly targets.

• Maintains waste log to track budget impact of waste, and use resulting information to identify and implement strategies to reduce waste.

• Orders all food items for use in restaurant and catering venues; negotiates prices and searches for cost-effective options within our standard of quality.

• Receives complaints as to food and service and makes appropriate adjustments to accommodate guests.

• Periodically inspects food as it comes out of the kitchen to assure quality and consistency of presentation.

• Takes a long-term view and initiates new ideas, keeps proper staffing levels, anticipates future business levels.

• Responsible for creation and execution of specials as needed. Special menus are well thought out and representative of the museum’s high standards of quality.

Selected candidates must pass a criminal history background check.

You will be provided with a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.

Name: HR Services

Phone: For the most up-to-date status of your application, please refer to your Jobs.Virginia.Gov account. We do not provide application status updates via phone.

Email: recruitment@vmfa.museum for recruitment related questions.

 Emailed applications, resumes, or cover letters will not be accepted. For the most up-to-date status of your application, please refer to your Jobs.Virginia.Gov account. 

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.

E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

Advertised: 23 Sep 2026 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close: 06 Oct 2026 Eastern Daylight Time

Back to search results Apply now Refer a friend