Executive Chef

Executive ChefThe Huntley Santa Monica Beach Hotel Santa Monica, CA The Huntley Santa Monica Beach Hotel is a refined coastal retreat where residential calm meets elevated hospitality. Perched above the shoreline, the hotel offers sweeping ocean and city views within an intimate, design-forward setting that feels distinctly Santa Monica. The Huntley features 204 thoughtfully appointed guest rooms and suites and is home to The Penthouse Restaurant, a signature rooftop destination known for its panoramic views, vibrant energy, and elevated dining experience. The hotel is also a sought-after venue for meetings, celebrations, and intimate weddings, delivering highly personalized service in an iconic Southern California setting.Position OverviewThe Huntley Santa Monica Beach Hotel is seeking an accomplished Executive Chef to lead all culinary operations across four distinct food and beverage outlets, including a full-service restaurant, in-room dining, café operations, and a comprehensive banquets and events program. This role requires a hands-on, highly experienced culinary leader who can inspire teams, execute consistently at scale, and elevate the guest experience while maintaining strong financial and operational discipline. The ideal candidate aligns with The Huntley’s mission, vision, and values and brings a collaborative mindset, strong work ethic, and commitment to team development, growth, and loyalty. Key ResponsibilitiesCulinary Leadership & Menu DevelopmentLead all menu development, recipe creation, and execution across all meal periods and event programming Develop seasonal, market-relevant menus that balance creativity, ingredient integrity, technical excellence, and operational feasibility Ensure consistently high-quality food in both presentation and flavor across all outlets Establish, document, and enforce clear recipes, prep standards, and plating guidelines Stay informed on contemporary culinary trends and translate them into thoughtful, executable menus Kitchen Operations & ExecutionOversee all back-of-house operations across restaurant, room service, café, and banquet kitchens Ensure timely, consistent service that meets quality, safety, and brand standards Maintain a calm, controlled presence during service and take decisive ownership of problem-solving Ensure full compliance with sanitation, health, and safety regulations Build scalable systems that support consistency across multiple kitchens and service models Banquets & EventsLead all culinary execution for banquets, meetings, weddings, and special events Collaborate closely with sales and events teams to design menus that are elevated, executable, and profitable Ensure banquet food quality aligns with restaurant standards while meeting volume, timing, and cost requirements Team Leadership & DevelopmentRecruit, train, schedule, manage, and mentor kitchen leadership and hourly culinary staff Develop and empower sous chefs and outlet leaders capable of operating independently to standard Build a culture of accountability, professionalism, respect, and teamwork Conduct performance evaluations and provide ongoing coaching and development Lead by example on the line, in prep, and during service when needed Financial & Administrative OversightOwn food cost, labor management, inventory, and waste control across all outlets Oversee ordering, vendor relationships, and inventory levels Participate in budgeting, forecasting, and cost-control initiatives Maintain accurate recipe costing, inventory systems, and operational documentation Hold teams accountable to performance standards related to quality, consistency, cost, and cleanliness Collaboration & Brand AlignmentPartner closely with FOH leadership to ensure seamless service and guest satisfaction Work collaboratively with hotel leadership, marketing partners, and events teams Uphold and enhance The Huntley and The Penthouse brand standards across all culinary touchpoints Qualifications5–7+ years in senior culinary leadership roles (Executive Chef or Chef de Cuisine) Proven experience overseeing multi-outlet hotel or resort culinary operations Strong fine-dining or luxury hospitality background Advanced technical cooking skills with a refined, educated palate Demonstrated expertise in food cost control, labor management, and inventory systems Familiarity with industry best practices, health regulations, and safety standards Working knowledge of restaurant management systems, POS platforms, and basic computer software Culinary degree or formal training preferred but not required Schedule & Work EnvironmentFlexible scheduling across morning, day, evening, weekend, and event shifts Extended shifts as required to support operations and special events Fast-paced, service-driven luxury hospitality environment More detail about The Penthouse, please visit