Culinary Resort Executive Chef (FT)

WE’RE LOOKING FOR OUR NEXT EXECUTIVE CHEF!Grand Traverse Resort & Spa is seeking an experienced Executive Chef to provide culinary leadership, inspiration to our culinary team, and oversee the daily operations of our kitchens and food outlets. As Executive Chef, you will lead all food preparation and service teams, ensuring the highest standards of quality, creativity, and guest satisfaction across banquets, restaurants, and various food venues (seasonal and year-round). Our Executive Chef plays a crucial role in delivering outstanding guest experiences, developing and mentoring staff, and creating a culture of excellence, teamwork, and respect. If you have a proven track record in culinary leadership, strong financial acumen, and align with our company’s core values, then you may be just the Executive Chef we’re looking for. GTRS Core Values: INTEGRITY TRUST & RESPECT TEAMWORK, CAMARADERIE & FUN QUALITY ACT WITH PURPOSE INNOVATION   WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING: DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES   Kitchen Operations Leads kitchen management team; providing direction for all day-to-day operations. Understands employee positions well enough to perform duties in employees' absence or determine appropriate replacement to fill gaps. Provides guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance. Utilizes interpersonal and communication skills to lead, influence, and encourage others; advocates sound financial/business decision making; demonstrates honesty/integrity; leads by example. Encourages and builds mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members. Serves as a role model to demonstrate appropriate behaviors, leads by example, and sets the example for proper grooming and dress standards set forth by the employee handbook and departmental policy. Ensures company and operational policies are administered fairly and consistently, documents timely and as needed Reviews staffing levels to ensure that guest service, operational needs and financial objectives are met. Establishes and maintains open, collaborative relationships with employees and ensures employees do the same within the team. Solicits employee feedback, utilizes an "open door" policy and reviews employee satisfaction results to identify and address employee problems or concerns. Supervises and coordinates activities of cooks, culinary staff and stewards involved engaged in food preparation at all locations Demonstrate new cooking techniques and equipment to staff. Sets and maintains goals for culinary functions, events and activities Establish goals including performance goals, budget goals, team goals, etc. Communicates the importance of safety procedures, detailing procedure codes, ensuring employee understanding of safety codes, monitoring processes and procedures related to safety. Manages department controllable expenses including food cost, supplies, uniforms and equipment. Participates in the budgeting process for areas of responsibility. Knows and implements the brand's safety standards. Establish and maintain a strong, positive and collaborative working relationship with vendors, other departments, frontline staff and executive leadership.   Culinary Standards and Responsibility Provides direction for menu development; ensures utilization of food surpluses and leftovers, taking into account probable number of guests, marketing conditions, popularity of various dishes, vegetarian, gluten, and newness of menu. Reviews menus, analyzes recipes, determines food, labor, and overhead costs, and assigns prices to menu items. Monitors the quality of raw and cooked food products to ensure that standards are achieved Determines how food should be presented, creates decorative food displays. Recognizes superior quality products, presentations and flavor. Ensures compliance with food handling and sanitation standards, follows proper handling and right temperature of all food products, and ensures employees maintain required food handling, storage and sanitation certifications in compliance with the Health Department, FDA Food Code, etc. Oversee the departmental SOP for employee injury and accident reporting procedures; ensure employees and managers report timely and additional training is provided, as needed, to ensure unnecessary injuries and/or MIOSHA violations are present. Keep waste and spoilage to a minimum by ensuring proper rotation, storage, and usage of all food items; maintain all par levels. Prepares and cooks foods of all types, based upon team needs and/or event needs, or for special guests or functions.   Exceptional Customer Service Expectations Provides, supports, and exhibits service expectations that are above and beyond for customer satisfaction and retention. Improves service by communicating and assisting individuals to understand guest needs, providing guidance, feedback, and individual coaching when needed. Manages day-to-day operations, ensuring quality standards while meeting and at times exceeding the expectations of the customers on a daily basis. Displays leadership in guest hospitality, exemplifies excellent customer service and creates a positive atmosphere for guest relations. Interacts with guests during events and/or the dining experience to obtain feedback on product quality and service levels. Responds to and handles guest problems and complaints. Empowers employees to provide excellent customer service. Establishes guidelines and understanding for employees on service expectations and parameters. Ensures employees receive on-going training to understand guest expectations. Reviews comment cards, guest revies, guest satisfaction results and other data to identify areas of improvement. Corrects and modifies those areas timely and ensures staff understanding and follow through.   People Management Responsibility Communicate with Human Resources on staff needs, opens position requisitions, reviews resumes/applicants daily, conducts interviews and selects candidates based upon required KSA’s of the positions. Ensures employees are treated fairly, equitably and consistently; creates a workplace culture of open communication and respect while ensuring employee retention Identifies the developmental needs of others and coaches, mentors, or otherwise helps others to improve their knowledge or skills. Trains culinary team members and kitchen staff on the fundamentals of good cooking and excellent plate presentations; oversee the J1 Trainees and ensures rotational program compliance Provides staff needs to human resources and Director of Food and Beverage including any required H@B and J1 visa staffing needs. Build schedules; maintains appropriate staffing to budget levels, approves time away requests and timecards, ensures direct reports are managing call in, call off and/or tardy documentation SOP Administers performance reviews for direct reports, J1 Trainees, stewarding, etc. Interacts with the Banquet Chef, Restaurant Chef, etc. on training regarding food knowledge and menu composition. Observes service behaviors of employees and provides feedback to individuals and/or managers. Manages the employee progressive discipline procedures for areas of responsibility; holds team accountability for addressing employee behaviors, policy violations, performance expectations and guest experience Ensures disciplinary procedures and documentation are completed according to expected process, company policy/procedure including timely handling of coaching and counseling, disciplinary action and/or terminations. Provides information to executive team members, GM, CFO, managers and supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. Maintains Outlook calendar, responds timely to email and meeting invitations; attends all required meetings and provides necessary communication and/or documentation.   Executive Leadership Team Interactions Works directly for the Director of Food and Beverage as well as has an indirect reporting accountability to the Director of Conference and Food Service Analyzes information, evaluates results, establishes solutions and provides best solutions to problems to members of the Executive Leadership team.   WHO YOU WILL NEED TO BE: REQUIREMENTS Experienced: 6 years’ experience in the culinary, food and beverage, or related professional area; OR 2-year degree from an accredited university in Culinary Arts, Hotel and Restaurant Management, or related major with 4 years’ experience in the culinary, food and beverage, or related professional 3 years’ experience preferred at the Executive Sous Chef level in a resort/large hotel with accountability over multiple food outlets operations. Experience with large scale banquet planning and management required.    Creative: Strong knowledge of menu development, food trends, and presentation Detail-oriented: Proven ability to maintain quality, control costs, and ensure consistency Problem-solver: Able to troubleshoot kitchen issues and develop solutions Organized: Effective time management and multitasking skills Communicator: Excellent verbal and written communication skills; able to give and receive feedback and direction Safety-conscious: Demonstrated commitment to food safety, sanitation, and workplace safety Tech-savvy: Experience with Microsoft Office and POS systems Proactive: Motivated, positive, and able to perform under pressure and high volume Leader: Able to inspire, develop, and retain a diverse team of culinary professionals Time-Efficient: Must have a sense for timing and urgency Ability to pass a background investigation and drug screen as a condition of employment WHO WE ARE: WHAT TO EXPECT We value quality, safety, and exceptional guest experiences We believe in teamwork, camaraderie, and fun We operate with integrity, trust, respect, and a commitment to excellence We maintain the highest standards for culinary excellence and safety We provide ongoing training, recognition, and growth opportunities WHAT THE JOB WILL DEMAND: PHYSICAL & MENTAL DEMANDS/EXPECTATIONS Full-time, salaried exempt role with long hours at times and a varying schedule; will require evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays from time to time Must be able to lift more than 50 lbs., along with the ability to push and pull objects as needed Regularly required to stand for long periods of time in hot, crowded, and fast-paced environments Ability to maintain professionalism and composure in stressful and high-pressure situations Employee parking proximity to resort entrance varies season to season due to business volume WHAT WE WILL GIVE YOU A supportive work environment that recognizes the importance of teamwork, camaraderie, and fun Competitive Compensation Medical Insurance; portion company paid Dental and Vision Insurance; employee paid Optional Supplemental Insurance: Hospital, Accident, and Cancer/Critical Care Company provided Life Insurance and AD&D Optional Voluntary Life Insurance, Short-term/Long-term Disability for spouse and children Flexible Spending Accounts (dependent/medical care/limited purpose) 401(K) Paid Time Off Earned Sick Time Paid Bereavement, Parental Leave, Witness/Jury Duty Leave Paid Native American Cultural Leave Educational Assistance/Tuition Reimbursement Employee Appreciation and Recognition Program Discounted employee meals at the employee onsite cafe Resort discounts for golf, retail, spa, food & beverage, etc.   HOW TO APPLY, AND WHAT HAPPENS NEXT If you are interested in joining our team, apply online at www.grandtraverseresort.com/careers/     The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by this position and is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills. Management retains the right to add or to change the duties of the position at any time.