Best Practices, Budgeting, Catering Services, Coaching, Communication Skills, Cook Dishes, Corporate Compliance, Cost Control, Culinary Operations, Customer Retention/Renewal, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Support/Service, Dental Insurance, Event Management, Food Presentation, Food Production, Food Quality, Food Safety, Food Services, Healthcare, Inventory Management, Leadership, Maintain Compliance, Menu Development, Menu Management, Military Operations, Operations, Operations Planning, Production Systems, Production Volume, Program Planning, Project/Program Management, Restaurant, Safety Standards, Safety/Work Safety, Sanitation, Team Lead/Manager, Vision Plan
Executive Chef – University Dining Services
Location: Johnson City, TN
Schedule: Sunday–Thursday, 12:00 PM–10:00 PM
Relocation Assistance: Available for qualified candidates
Executive Chef | Culinary Leadership | University Dining
We are seeking an experienced Executive Chef to lead culinary operations within a large, multi-unit university dining program in Johnson City, Tennessee. This role is ideal for a hands-on culinary leader with expertise in high-volume food production, catering management, menu development, food safety, cost control, and team leadership.
The Executive Chef will oversee culinary operations across multiple dining venues, ensuring exceptional food quality, operational excellence, customer satisfaction, and compliance with company and food safety standards.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead daily culinary operations across multiple dining locations and service platforms
- Develop menus, culinary programs, and new dining concepts
- Ensure recipe compliance, food quality, presentation, and consistency
- Manage high-volume food production and execution
- Oversee catering operations from planning through event execution
- Train, coach, and develop culinary and kitchen teams
- Manage food costs, labor costs, budgets, and operational performance
- Utilize and maintain automated inventory, ordering, production, and food management systems
- Ensure compliance with HACCP, food safety, sanitation, and workplace safety standards
- Partner with campus stakeholders to enhance the dining experience
- Support customer satisfaction, retention, and brand reputation initiatives
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
- Minimum 3 years of management experience leading culinary teams
- Minimum 3 years of foodservice or culinary operations experience
- Experience managing high-volume food production environments
- Experience overseeing catering programs from planning through execution
- Proven success managing food and labor costs, budgets, and operational performance
- Working knowledge of automated food inventory, ordering, production, and management systems
- Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and team-development skills
- Knowledge of HACCP and food safety best practices
Preferred Background
Candidates with experience in the following environments are strongly encouraged to apply:
- University or higher education dining
- Institutional foodservice
- Healthcare dining services
- Corporate dining programs
- Military dining operations
- Large-scale catering operations
- Corrections foodservice
- Multi-unit restaurant or hospitality operations
Benefits
Eligible employees may receive:
- Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
- Wellness Programs
- 401(k) with Company Match
- Paid Time Off and Company Holidays
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Career Development and Advancement Opportunities
Equal Opportunity Employer
We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace and welcome qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds. All employment decisions are made based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications.
Apply today to lead a dynamic university dining program and make a lasting impact through culinary excellence.