Floating Chef Manager

Lancer Hospitality is a well-established company with over 30 years of experience in providing diverse and high-quality foodservice solutions to a wide range of clients. Known for their commitment to excellence, they have built strong, long-lasting relationships with businesses and communities by offering personalized service and expert management capabilities. Lancer Hospitality operates under the larger umbrella of Elior North America, a company known for its dedication to diversity, equal employment opportunity, and employee growth. Elior North America fosters a supportive work environment where employees have access to advancement opportunities, skill development, and career progression across various brand segments and corporate roles. This culture of growth and inclusion makes Lancer Hospitality a desirable employer for culinary professionals seeking a dynamic and supportive workplace.

The role of Floating Chef Manager at Lancer Hospitality is an exciting and impactful leadership position within the Dining & Events segment, specifically based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. This full-time, onsite role offers an annual compensation range of $53,000 to $55,000 and involves supporting multiple accounts in the Twin Cities area as a traveling chef/manager. The primary responsibility is to provide on-site culinary and managerial leadership during times of transition, peak operating periods, or employee absences such as PTO or vacations. Acting as both a stabilizer and performance driver, the Floating Chef Manager ensures the continuity of food quality, safety, and team leadership while maintaining client satisfaction.

In this capacity, the manager assumes full accountability for kitchen operations, including production, execution, staffing, scheduling, ordering, inventory management, food safety compliance, and accounting support as needed. The role also involves implementing and supporting culinary programs aligned with Lancer Hospitality and Corporate Chefs’ standards, including seasonal menu rollouts, promotional programs, and client-driven initiatives. A key part of the position is to collaborate with Chef Managers to enhance menu execution, plate presentation, and speed of service, focusing on delivering high-quality guest experiences.

Leadership and team development are core aspects of the Floating Chef Manager’s duties. The role requires providing hands-on coaching, mentorship, and training support to kitchen teams and stepping in as acting Food Service Manager or Chef Manager when necessary. The manager must also ensure compliance with health regulations, company safety standards, allergen protocols, and financial performance goals such as food cost control and labor efficiency.

Moreover, the position necessitates maintaining strong professional relationships with clients and stakeholders, supporting account teams in meeting contractual and service excellence expectations, and providing operational feedback to leadership. This dynamic role requires a motivated individual comfortable with frequent travel within the assigned regions and capable of adapting quickly to diverse culinary environments to drive consistent results. Having a ServSafe Certification and substantial culinary leadership experience, including exposure to multi-unit or high-volume operations, will be essential for success in this role.