Gecko Hospitality
Corporate Chef Foodservice Operations
Location: Northern Virginia (Proximity to Ashburn, VA)
Company Overview: Our client is a premier foodservice management company with a significant presence in the contract dining sector. They are seeking a senior-level Corporate Chef to provide strategic culinary leadership across their portfolio of external accounts, with a primary focus on higher education dining. This role is integral to maintaining culinary excellence, fostering client satisfaction, and driving operational performance.
Job Summary: The Corporate Chef will direct all culinary operations within the contract foodservice division. This senior leadership position requires a hands-on approach to managing multi-million-dollar accounts, ensuring consistent quality, and upholding client-established standards. The ideal candidate brings extensive experience from a major contract provider, such as Aramark, Sodexo, or Compass Group, with proven success in the college and university dining environment.
Responsibilities:
Oversee culinary standards and quality assurance programs across multiple client sites in various states.
Lead menu development, including innovative cycle menus tailored to the specific needs of higher education accounts.
Conduct training and professional development for on-site culinary teams to ensure operational consistency and talent growth.
Support business development by providing culinary expertise during the RFP process and leading new account openings.
Collaborate with procurement teams to align vendor programs and purchasing strategies with culinary goals.
Ensure strict adherence to all food safety, sanitation, and allergen management protocols.
Manage food and labor costs within multi-million-dollar account budgets, implementing strategies to optimize financial performance.
Serve as a primary culinary point of contact for clients, participating in business reviews and strengthening partnerships.
Qualifications:
A minimum of 7-10 years of progressive culinary leadership experience within the contract foodservice industry.
Demonstrated experience managing culinary operations for higher education/college dining accounts is required.
Proven track record with a major contract foodservice provider (e.g., Aramark, Sodexo, Compass Group).
Strong financial acumen with experience managing multi-million-dollar budgets and controlling food and labor costs.
ServSafe Manager certification is required.
Ability to travel frequently to client sites across multiple states.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build and maintain strong client relationships.
Benefits:
A competitive base salary in the $120,000 range, commensurate with experience.
Additional performance-based bonus eligibility.
A full portfolio of top-tier benefits, including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) and vacation plan.
All business and travel expenses are fully covered.
Call to Action: To learn more about this senior culinary leadership opportunity, please send a professional resume to Tom Bull at (link removed)> All resumes are treated with complete confidentiality. Tom Bull is an award-winning executive recruiter specializing in the restaurant, foodservice, and hospitality sectors.
Company Overview: Our client is a premier foodservice management company with a significant presence in the contract dining sector. They are seeking a senior-level Corporate Chef to provide strategic culinary leadership across their portfolio of external accounts, with a primary focus on higher education dining. This role is integral to maintaining culinary excellence, fostering client satisfaction, and driving operational performance.
Job Summary: The Corporate Chef will direct all culinary operations within the contract foodservice division. This senior leadership position requires a hands-on approach to managing multi-million-dollar accounts, ensuring consistent quality, and upholding client-established standards. The ideal candidate brings extensive experience from a major contract provider, such as Aramark, Sodexo, or Compass Group, with proven success in the college and university dining environment.
Responsibilities:
Oversee culinary standards and quality assurance programs across multiple client sites in various states.
Lead menu development, including innovative cycle menus tailored to the specific needs of higher education accounts.
Conduct training and professional development for on-site culinary teams to ensure operational consistency and talent growth.
Support business development by providing culinary expertise during the RFP process and leading new account openings.
Collaborate with procurement teams to align vendor programs and purchasing strategies with culinary goals.
Ensure strict adherence to all food safety, sanitation, and allergen management protocols.
Manage food and labor costs within multi-million-dollar account budgets, implementing strategies to optimize financial performance.
Serve as a primary culinary point of contact for clients, participating in business reviews and strengthening partnerships.
Qualifications:
A minimum of 7-10 years of progressive culinary leadership experience within the contract foodservice industry.
Demonstrated experience managing culinary operations for higher education/college dining accounts is required.
Proven track record with a major contract foodservice provider (e.g., Aramark, Sodexo, Compass Group).
Strong financial acumen with experience managing multi-million-dollar budgets and controlling food and labor costs.
ServSafe Manager certification is required.
Ability to travel frequently to client sites across multiple states.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build and maintain strong client relationships.
Benefits:
A competitive base salary in the $120,000 range, commensurate with experience.
Additional performance-based bonus eligibility.
A full portfolio of top-tier benefits, including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) and vacation plan.
All business and travel expenses are fully covered.
Call to Action: To learn more about this senior culinary leadership opportunity, please send a professional resume to Tom Bull at (link removed)> All resumes are treated with complete confidentiality. Tom Bull is an award-winning executive recruiter specializing in the restaurant, foodservice, and hospitality sectors.