Executive Chef - Airline Catering

Austin, TX, USA|Onsite

Job Overview

Employment Type

Full-time

Compensation

Salary

Range $72,000.00 - $90,000.00

Work Schedule

Flexible

Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Paid Time Off

Retirement Plan

Career development opportunities

Employee Discounts

flexible schedule

Job Description

SkyChefs has been a leader in the airline catering industry since 1942, known for its commitment to delivering culinary excellence and exceptional service across 43 sites throughout the United States. The company partners with leading airlines and retailers, producing millions of meals annually and setting high standards in aviation culinary, airline services, last-mile logistics, and retail commerce. SkyChefs is built on a foundation of operational excellence, culinary expertise, and continuous innovation, and is dedicated to providing quality, reliability, and outstanding service at every stage of the customer journey. The company emphasizes a team-oriented work environment where employees are valued and growth opportunities abound. At SkyChefs, a career transcends the ordinary job; it represents an opportunity to lead, innovate, and make a significant impact in a fast-paced and dynamic industry.

The Executive Chef role at SkyChefs in Austin, TX, is an extraordinary opportunity for culinary professionals seeking to lead a large-scale, high-volume culinary operation. Unlike traditional restaurant positions, this role focuses on managing a fast-paced, production-driven kitchen that supports catering services for around 85 commercial airline flights daily, supplying thousands of travelers with quality meals. The Austin kitchen employs around 180 staff members and operates 24/7, 365 days a year, making flexibility in working hours essential.

The Executive Chef will oversee all food production activities, ensuring precision, consistency, and compliance with food safety standards like HACCP. Key responsibilities include optimizing processes, controlling costs, managing inventory, developing menus, training staff, and representing the kitchen in dealings with external stakeholders. This role requires strong leadership skills to motivate and develop team members and maintain operational efficiency. The successful candidate will play a critical part in maintaining SkyChefs' reputation for excellence, leading quality control initiatives, participating in marketing activities, and staying ahead of industry trends. SkyChefs offers a competitive salary range of $72,000 to $90,000 and a structured work schedule primarily on-site near Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, although flexibility is needed for early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays as required. This position is ideal for those passionate about driving quality at scale, building systems, and influencing a global food operation.

Job Requirements

5-7 years of progressive commercial cooking experience including supervisory or management capacity
culinary school apprenticeship or formal certification preferred
specialized certifications or equivalent hands-on experience in high-volume environments preferred
comprehensive knowledge of food safety and regulatory compliance
strong financial and operational skills
ability to work flexible hours including early mornings, evenings, weekends and holidays
bilingual proficiency English/Spanish highly preferred
ability to lead and manage a large culinary team
strong communication and organizational skills
experience in unionized environment preferred but not required

Job Qualifications

5-7 years of progressive commercial cooking experience including at least 2 years in supervisory or management capacity
culinary school apprenticeship or formal certification preferred
additional specialized certifications such as Certified Dietary Manager, Certified Executive Chef, Industrial/Production Chef or equivalent hands-on experience preferred
comprehensive knowledge of food safety, sanitation, and regulatory compliance requirements including HACCP and FDA Food Code standards
proven ability to implement and enforce food safety programs and train staff
strong financial and operational acumen including budgeting, food cost control, labor management, inventory systems, and waste reduction strategies
bilingual proficiency in English/Spanish highly preferred
experience working in a unionized environment preferred but not required

Job Duties

Oversees all food production activities in responsible CSC
responsible for deviations in inventories and initiates countermeasures if necessary
controls and adjusts production plans and estimates consumption of food and equipment
ensures compliance of recipe specifications and conducts sense-checks
participates in the development of food products and menus
updates and distributes catering manuals within responsible CSC
manages cost controlling of budget, personnel and material costs
coordinates and controls countermeasures in production in case of customer complaints
checks service schedules and assesses economic profitability
establishes training strategy and training plans for kitchen staff
represents kitchen and kitchen staff in front of external stakeholders
keeps up to date with industry trends and ensures alignment with design chefs
ensures the appropriate production technology is in place
participates in marketing activities
ensures quality of goods received
maintains tidiness in food storage and implements first in-first out principle
guarantees adherence to hygiene, health and safety standards and HACCP regulations
organizes, staffs and directs area of responsibility
guides, motivates and develops subordinate employees
makes company values and management principles live in the department
implements and controls cost budget and initiates corrective actions
participates and supports initiatives such as Global Quality Standard, HACCP and Lean Manufacturing