The Role at a glance:

We are seeking an experienced Regional Culinary Excellence & Development Chef to support Higher Education accounts, primarily throughout the East Coast.

This field-based position will provide hands-on support to accounts requiring culinary stabilization, leadership development, operational improvement, new-account opening support, or additional training. The Traveling Chef will assess performance, train teams, implement sustainable processes, and help build a strong, consistent culinary culture across the portfolio.

What you'll be doing:

Account Support and Culinary Improvement

• Conduct culinary and operational assessments at assigned accounts.
• Identify risks related to food quality, staffing capabilities, production, sanitation, food cost, and execution.
• Develop prioritized action plans and work alongside onsite teams to implement improvements.
• Provide hands-on support during account transitions, semester openings, special events, and periods of operational concern.
• Establish clear ownership and follow-up processes to ensure improvements continue after the assignment.

Training and Team Development

• Train and coach executive chefs, sous chefs, managers, supervisors, cooks, and frontline associates.
• Assess skill gaps and develop focused training and development plans.
• Train teams on recipes, culinary techniques, batch production, portioning, presentation, equipment use, allergens, and food safety.
• Develop train-the-trainer programs that enable onsite leaders to sustain expectations.
• Coach culinary leaders on communication, delegation, accountability, and team development.
• Create practical training guides, checklists, and job aids.

Culinary and Operational Systems

• Implement consistent processes for forecasting, production planning, station pars, backups, inventory, ordering, receiving, waste, and kitchen organization.
• Train leaders and associates on CBORD, E2E processes, Dayforce, and other company operational platforms.
• Connect system requirements to daily culinary execution, labor management, food cost, inventory, and financial performance.
• Verify that recipes, production records, schedules, inventories, and other required information are completed accurately and on time.
• Identify system-knowledge gaps and provide hands-on retraining and follow-up.
• Partner with Operations, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, and corporate culinary teams to resolve process or system concerns.

Recipe, Menu, and Financial Controls

• Ensure standardized recipes, approved ingredients, portions, yields, and presentation standards are followed.
• Identify recipe inaccuracies, ingredient concerns, and execution risks.
• Support recipe validation, menu rollouts, and production mapping.
• Train leaders on forecasting, purchasing, inventory, product utilization, food-cost management, and waste reduction.
• Help accounts reduce overproduction, shortages, unapproved substitutions, and unnecessary purchases.

Food Safety and Compliance

• Reinforce company, client, and regulatory standards for food safety, sanitation, allergens, and workplace safety.
• Conduct operational observations and provide immediate corrective coaching.
• Support readiness for health inspections, internal audits, and client reviews.
• Ensure kitchens, storage areas, dish rooms, equipment, and serving stations are properly maintained.

Leadership and Communication

• • Partner with regional, corporate, and account leadership to improve culinary performance.
  • Provide clear updates outlining accomplishments, risks, responsible owners, and next steps.
  • Build productive relationships while maintaining standards and accountability.
  • Share successful practices and tools across the Higher Education portfolio.
  • Develop transition plans so onsite leaders can sustain improvements after support concludes.

What we're looking for:

Must-Haves

• At least seven years of progressive culinary experience in high-volume food service.
• At least three years of culinary leadership, training, multi-unit support, or account-opening experience.
• Demonstrated success improving underperforming culinary operations.
• Strong knowledge of food production, recipes, purchasing, inventory, food cost, waste, sanitation, and allergen controls.
• Experience using or training teams on CBORD, Dayforce, E2E processes, or comparable operational systems.
• Ability to assess an operation, establish priorities, implement solutions, and measure follow-through.
• Strong leadership, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Current ServSafe Manager certification and allergen training, or the ability to obtain both.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to meet company travel requirements.

Travel Requirements

• Ability and willingness to travel approximately 75%–90% of the time.
• Travel will primarily support Higher Education accounts along the East Coast, with additional travel based on business needs.
• Assignments may range from several days to multiple weeks.
• Flexibility to work early mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, semester openings, and special events.
• Residence within reasonable access to a major airport is preferred.

Nice-to-Haves

• Higher Education or contract food-service experience.
• Regional, corporate, or multi-account culinary support experience.
• Experience with residential dining, retail, catering, and special events.
• Experience supporting account turnarounds, openings, or leadership transitions.
• Culinary arts, hospitality, or related degree.
• Professional culinary certification.

Measures of Success

• Improved food quality, recipe consistency, and culinary execution.
• Stronger leadership and associate capabilities.
• Consistent use of CBORD, E2E, Dayforce, and required operating processes.
• Improved forecasting, ordering, inventory, labor, food-cost, and waste performance.
• Stronger food-safety, sanitation, and allergen compliance.
• Sustainable systems with clear onsite ownership.
• Successful stabilization, opening, and transition assignments.

Where you'll be working:

Travel primarily throughout the East Coast

Our Benefits:

• Medical (FT Employees)
• Dental
• Vision
• Voluntary UNUM offering for Accident, Critical Illness and Hospital Indemnity
• Discount Program
• Commuter Benefits (Parking and Transit) 
• EAP
• 401k
• Sick Time
• Holiday Pay (9 paid holidays)
• Tuition Reimbursement (FT Employees)
• Paid Time Off