How to write an executive chef job description

Selecting the wrong executive chef for your restaurant can be a recipe for disaster. An ill-fitted individual can result in an out-of-sync kitchen, subpar food and drinks, and a poor customer experience, all of which will tarnish your restaurant’s reputation. 

Writing an effective job description is crucial in finding the right person for the role – someone with culinary talent and management skills. Writing this job description can be tricky, though. For example, if you’re not specific about what differentiates an executive chef role from other chefs, you’ll receive numerous applications from people who are great at cooking but not at leading. 

In this article, we’ll show you how to write a job description that accurately captures the essence of the executive chef role and helps to attract candidates with the right skills

What is an executive chef?

An executive chef is the highest authority in the kitchen at larger or high-end restaurants, where they manage various responsibilities that often exceed the scope of a traditional chef. 

Their key responsibilities include:

• Deciding menu items and culinary approaches

• Selecting ingredient sources and standards

• Managing kitchen operations, including staff management and workflow

• Ensuring the restaurant's vision and quality are consistently upheld

Key skills to look for in executive chefs

Below are some essential skills to look for in executive chef candidates. 

Hard skills

• Strategic planning: Long-term visioning for the restaurant's culinary direction, such as planning for seasonal changes or special events, to ensure the restaurant stays relevant and exciting.

• Menu development: Ability to create innovative, appealing menus that reflect the restaurant's culinary identity. For example, an executive chef might design a seasonal menu that aligns with the restaurant's farm-to-table concept.

• Budget management: Proficiency in managing food costs, kitchen operations costs, and labor costs – crucial for the restaurant's financial health.

• Food safety knowledge: Ensuring all kitchen operations comply with health and safety regulations to maintain a safe dining environment.

• Inventory management: Mastery in managing kitchen inventory, ensuring optimal stock levels without over-ordering.

• Technology proficiency: Familiarity with kitchen and restaurant management software, from reservation systems to inventory tracking, to streamline operations.

• Business operations management: Ability to plan, organize, and control restaurant operations, including inventory and supply chain management.

• Culinary expertise: Advanced cooking techniques and a deep understanding of flavors, necessary for guiding kitchen staff and maintaining high-quality standards.

• Quality control: Expertise in maintaining high standards of food quality and presentation, crucial for ensuring every dish that leaves the kitchen upholds the restaurant's reputation for excellence.

Soft skills

• Leadership: Steering the kitchen team with a clear vision, inspiring and motivating restaurant staff to perform at their best.

• Communication: Effective in conveying ideas, changes, and feedback to both the kitchen team and restaurant management.

• Vendor relationship management: Skilled in cultivating and maintaining relationships with suppliers, ensuring consistent quality and availability of ingredients.

• Time management: Exceptional ability to prioritize tasks and manage time effectively, ensuring smooth kitchen operations and timely service.

• Problem-solving: Quick and efficient in addressing challenges, such as adjusting a dish last minute due to ingredient availability.

• Creativity: Bringing a unique culinary perspective that sets the restaurant apart in a competitive industry.

• Adaptability: Adjusting to industry trends, customer preferences, and unexpected situations, such as changing menus during supply shortages.

How to write an effective executive chef job description

Follow these best practices to write a solid executive chef job description.

Highlight specific managerial responsibilities

Given the executive chef's role extends beyond cooking, it's essential to detail the managerial responsibilities. For example, specify their role in staff training, menu planning, and kitchen workflow management. Failing to highlight these aspects might attract candidates skilled in cooking but lacking managerial experience, which is vital for this role.

Include knowledge of cultural nuances and trends

An executive chef must be well-versed in various cultural cuisines and dietary restrictions. Highlight the need for expertise in specific cuisines or diets, such as gluten-free or vegan, relevant to your restaurant's theme or location. 

This ensures you attract chefs capable of crafting menus catering to a wide range of preferences and needs, helping contribute to the restaurant’s distinctiveness.

Detail budget and vendor management skills

Executive chefs are crucial in managing the kitchen's budget and vendor relations. Specify the need for experience in budget management and maintaining supplier relationships. Neglecting this might lead to hiring a chef who excels in cooking but struggles with the financial and logistical aspects of the kitchen, impacting your restaurant's profitability.

Specify the need for adaptability and innovation

The restaurant industry is ever-evolving, and executive chefs must adapt to changes in culinary trends, customer preferences, and supply chain dynamics. 

Include this requirement to attract chefs who are not only skilled but also flexible and forward-thinking. Otherwise, you might end up with a chef who may be technically skilled but unable to innovate or evolve with the industry.

Executive chef job description template

Use our free job description template below for your executive chef role. 

Company introduction

Start with a brief introduction to your restaurant, including its name, primary culinary focus, and the variety of dishes it serves. Additionally, highlight recent achievements or accolades, such as Michelin stars, and what makes your restaurant stand out in the culinary industry.

Benefits of working with [Your company]

Detail the benefits your restaurant offers employees – e.g., health insurance, retirement plans, flexible work schedules, opportunities for personal days off, and discounts on meals or staff events.

Executive chef job brief

[Company Name]

Job Title: [Executive Chef ]

Reports to: [Restaurant owner, General Manager, etc.]

Position type: [For example, full-time or part-time]

Location: [ [Company Name, Address, City, State, Zip Code]

Salary and benefits: [Salary and benefits details]

Responsibilities and duties

• Lead and manage kitchen operations in alignment with the restaurant's vision and standards.

• Develop innovative menus and culinary concepts that cater to our target customer base and reflect current culinary trends.

• Ensure the highest standards of food quality and presentation are consistently achieved.

• Manage inventory, including selecting and maintaining vendor relationships, and ensure quality ingredient sourcing.

• Oversee budgeting for the kitchen, including food costs, supplies, and labor.

• Train and mentor kitchen staff, promoting a culture of excellence and continuous learning.

• Implement and maintain food safety and hygiene protocols.

• Collaborate with restaurant management to enhance customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

• Adapt to changing industry trends and customer preferences, keeping our offerings fresh and relevant.

Skills and qualifications

Required skills and experience: 

• Culinary arts degree, such as a Bachelor's in Culinary Arts or Associate Degree in Culinary Arts, or equivalent professional qualification.

• Proven experience as an executive chef in a high-end or large-scale restaurant.

• Experience in a similar culinary style or cuisine as our restaurant.

• Strong leadership and team management skills.

• Expertise in menu development and culinary innovation.

• Knowledge of budget management, cost control, and financial management.

• Proficiency in food safety and hygiene standards.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

• Ability to work flexibly and effectively manage time in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred skills and experience:

• Certified Executive Chef (CEC) or Certified Master Chef (CMC) certification from a recognized culinary institution.

• Demonstrated ability in managing kitchen renovations or concept changes.

• Familiarity with current food trends and dietary requirements, including cultural and regional cuisines.

3 things to avoid when writing a job description for executive chefs

Steer clear of the mistakes below to avoid attracting unsuitable candidates for your executive chef role.

1. Underestimating the importance of soft skills and attitudes 

Renowned French chef and restaurateur Alain Ducasse famously said, “Techniques are not the most difficult to teach. The attitudes chefs take are much more important.”

So, avoid focusing solely on culinary and managerial expertise and neglecting the essential soft skills needed for an executive chef. Otherwise, you risk attracting candidates who will struggle with team dynamics, staff motivation, and customer interaction. 

Prevent this by explicitly listing desired soft skills – such as leadership and communication – in your job description. 

2. Not specifying working hours

Executive chef roles often require long hours and weekend work. Be clear about these expectations in your job description to find someone comfortable with the role’s demands. Failing to do so can lead to a mismatch in expectations, causing resentment, dissatisfaction, and turnover. 

3. Neglecting business and financial acumen

Mention the need for business and financial knowledge to avoid hiring a chef who’s unable to handle budgeting and cost control. Include specific requirements for financial management skills and, if applicable, experience with profit and loss responsibility.

Next steps: Attracting and assessing executive chef candidates

An effective job description can help you attract skilled executive chef candidates. However, you must thoroughly evaluate your candidates before hiring them into this high-stakes role. 

The best way to do this is through multi-measure online testing with a platform like TestGorilla. Put your executive chefs through the below tests to make well-informed decisions about their suitability for the job. 

• Role-specific skills tests – such as our Cooking Techniques test, Budgeting test, and Business Operations Management test – determine if candidates have the technical skills required to succeed.

• Situational judgment tests, including TestGorilla’s Leadership and People Management and Time Management tests, ensure you hire someone who can effectively manage kitchen staff and tasks in a high-pressure environment. 

• Soft skills tests – for example, our Communication Skills test – measure applicants’ ability to communicate professionally and effectively with staff, vendors, customers, board members, and other stakeholders.

• Cognitive ability tests, such as TestGorilla’s Problem Solving test, determine if your executive chef applicants have the analytical skills to identify and address complex problems.

• Personality and culture assessments – including our Enneagram, DISC, and 16 Types personality tests and our Culture Add test – assess if candidates have the desired traits and behavioral attributes to mesh well with your restaurant’s culture, values, and existing employees. 

FAQs

What is the difference between executive chefs and head chefs?

Some restaurants don’t hire executive chefs. In these cases, the highest authority is the head chef, who oversees menu planning, budgeting, supervising staff, and more.

However, in larger culinary establishments that make the distinction, executive chefs handle more managerial responsibilities while head chefs focus on running the kitchen.

Does an executive chef need a culinary degree?

A culinary degree can be beneficial for an executive chef role, providing a solid foundation in cooking techniques and kitchen management. However, many restaurant owners are adopting a skills-based hiring approach, prioritizing practical experience and proven skills over formal education. 

Hiring the best executive chefs with TestGorilla

Recruiting the wrong executive chef can seriously damage your restaurant’s food quality, customer service, and internal team morale. The first step to preventing mis-hiring is to create a precise job description that clearly outlines the unique requirements of the executive chef role and attracts the proper set of candidates. 

You can then use pre-employment testing to shortlist applicants and pick the best candidates for the role. TestGorilla offers hundreds of tests that enable you to evaluate candidates’ job-specific skills, personality traits, cognitive aptitude, and more, so you can make effective hiring decisions for this critical role. 

Sign up for a free account or schedule a 30-minute live demo with a member of our team to get started with TestGorilla today.