Campus Executive Chef

Restaurant Associates is a prominent division of Compass Group USA, renowned for delivering exceptional dining and event catering services to some of the nation's most prestigious museums, performing arts centers, and corporate clients. The company has earned accolades such as Glassdoor's Employee Choice Award for Best Places to Work, reflecting its commitment to fostering an excellent workplace culture and providing high-quality culinary experiences. Restaurant Associates leads the industry by blending innovation with hospitality, ensuring that all culinary and dining environments are vibrant, welcoming, and inclusive. Headquartered in major metropolitan locations including Seattle, this establishment thrives on delivering dynamic and diverse food programs tailored to meet client needs and expectations.

The position available is for a Campus Executive Chef (CEC) based in Seattle, Washington. This full-time role operates on a Monday through Friday schedule with a competitive salary range of $100,000 to $110,000 per year and is bonus eligible, emphasizing rewarding high performance. The Campus Executive Chef serves as a multi-unit culinary leader overseeing multiple cafe operations within a campus setting. Reporting to senior executive leadership and collaborating closely with General Managers, this role embraces full ownership of culinary excellence, operational efficiency, and administrative oversight.

The CEC's responsibilities are comprehensive and multifaceted, focusing on ensuring that the food program consistently exceeds expectations through innovative menu planning, food quality assurance, and safety compliance. This leadership position requires close collaboration with a wide array of cross-functional support teams including Regional Executive Chefs, Finance, Human Resources, Sustainability, Marketing, and Equipment Maintenance to implement and uphold the Food @ RA program's standards and initiatives. The Executive Chef acts as an ambassador of the culinary program, representing Restaurant Associates internally and externally while fostering a culture of culinary innovation and hospitality.

Key objectives for the Executive Chef include leading cafe teams towards operational and administrative excellence, fostering an inclusive and engaging environment for associates, and actively participating in company initiatives such as talent development and diverse, inclusive hiring. The role also emphasizes financial management to maintain budgetary expectations around food costs, labor, and operational expenses. The CEC is charged with cultivating strong associate engagement and ensuring compliance with food safety and allergen management protocols across all units.

Leadership and people development are central to the Campus Executive Chef role, requiring mentoring culinary teams, setting learning and development goals, and conducting performance reviews. The CEC is instrumental in designing and executing effective onboarding and ongoing training programs, aligned with company and client branding. This role demands strong communication skills for collaboration across departments and fostering partnerships with culinary, safety, and operational teams to support continuous improvement.

Financial stewardship is a critical component of the job; the Executive Chef ensures that food purchasing, inventory management, and budgeting adhere to established guidelines and maximize cost savings through the use of tools like GPAK integration. In addition, the CEC oversees workplace and food safety programs, partnering with safety managers to uphold standards, report incidents, and maintain a safe working environment. The physical demands of the role include mobility and manual handling consistent with busy culinary environments.

This executive chef opportunity is ideal for a culinary professional with at least six years of supervisory experience, a passion for culinary innovation, leadership capabilities, and a proven ability to manage multi-unit operations within high-volume food service settings. A degree from an accredited culinary institution is preferred, with a bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience also valued. The role promises substantial career growth within a respected industry leader committed to inclusion, sustainability, and employee well-being.