Executive Chef

12 hours ago

Des Moines, Iowa, United States 3801 Grand Retirement Campus Full time

3801 Grand is seeking a talented and passionate Executive Chef to join our campus leadership team in a unique, hands-on culinary leadership role.

3801 Grand is part of a vibrant, diverse campus offering a wide range of dining experiences, activities, wellness programs, and special events. Working alongside an experienced team of Cooks, Servers, Wellness staff, the Campus Leadership Team, and the Executive Director, the department produces at least 30 distinct dining experiences each week.

The ideal candidate is driven by a passion for creating positive experiences through exceptional food. This role spans a wide culinary scope—from planning and executing large-scale special events for hundreds of residents and families a few times per year, to providing weekly grab-and-go breakfasts for our luxury apartment community, The James; to serving three daily meals in a variety of formats for assisted living and memory care residents with unique dietary needs; to crafting elegant nightly dinners for our Independent Living residents; and to enhancing activities and events with thoughtful, memorable food offerings.

Great food makes life better. The successful candidate will leverage their culinary expertise, organizational food-sourcing resources, and a commitment to staff development to consistently deliver high-quality dining experiences across the campus.

The Executive Chef is a member of the Campus Leadership Team and reports directly to the Executive Director. This is a hands-on role: the Executive Chef is responsible for managing the dining department while also actively participating in daily kitchen operations, food preparation, and service.

Key responsibilities include menu development, budget management, training and development of cooks, and ensuring compliance with all sanitation and regulatory requirements. The Executive Chef works closely with the Lead Server, who supports leadership of front-of-house and service operations.

What You'll Do

  • Lead and manage the campus dining department
  • Actively participate in daily food preparation, cooking, and service
  • Create menus that balance quality, variety, nutrition, and resident preferences
  • Plan and execute large-scale special events for residents and families
  • Oversee food purchasing, cost control, and departmental budgets
  • Train, mentor, and develop kitchen staff
  • Ensure compliance with all sanitation, safety, and regulatory standards
  • Collaborate closely with the Lead Server on front-of-house and service operations
  • Join the Campus Leadership Team and report directly to the Executive Director

The Ideal Candidate

  • Passionate about creating meaningful experiences through food
  • Comfortable balancing leadership responsibilities with hands-on cooking
  • Experienced in high-volume, multi-meal service environments
  • Strong organizational, communication, and team-development skills
  • Committed to consistency, quality, and hospitality

Qualifications / Experience

  • Experience cooking in a commercial kitchen, large batch cooking experience is a plus
  • ServeSafe Certified, or willing to pass course early in employment
  • Required to move between kitchens and 3 buildings
  • Must be able to respond to phone and door alarms, and complete dementia and dependent adult abuse training
  • Must be able to address staff coverage for sick days or weather-related issues, and personally cover on occasions when it is necessary
  • Must be able to pass criminal background & adult abuse screening as well as drug screening.

Schedule Expectations

  • This is a full-time, salaried position
  • Schedule is typically weekdays, working to balance meal coverage, leadership responsibilities, and supervision

Compensation

  • Competitive Salary and Benefits Package based on experience

Pay: $65, $80,000.00 per year

Benefits:

  • 401(k)
  • Dental insurance
  • Food provided
  • Health insurance
  • Paid time off
  • Vision insurance

Work Location: In person

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