Quest Food Management Services is looking for an Executive Chef to join our team!

Quest Food Management Services, Inc. is a privately owned, full-service, food service management company located in Lombard, Illinois with annual sales over $65 million. Founded in 1985, Quest has served schools (elementary, middle, high schools, college/universities) throughout Chicagoland guided by its mission to provide the communities we serve with fresh, high-quality food, exceptional responsiveness, and intensely personal service.

It has been Quest’s team members who have been the cornerstone of our growth. Quality people, quality food, and quality clients are our recipe for success. Led by our vision to create the most enduring relationships in the industry by what we do and how we do it; with integrity, responsiveness, accountability, respect, and excellence.

Position Summary

The Executive Chef is responsible for managing all culinary functions for a school dining account which include the overall operation and maintenance of kitchen and storage facilities. Accountable for the cleanliness and sanitation of the Back of the House (BOH). Additionally, this position is responsible for safeguarding culinary standards across all sites within the account, providing support, training, and culinary leadership as needed.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Cascades the vision of Quest Food Management Services ensuring the Quest vision, values, and founding principles are effectively communicated, understood, and practiced.

• Demonstrates commitment to Quest's vision, values, and missions through actions on a daily basis.

• Manage staff to include selection, work allocation, training, coaching and mentoring, problem resolution, performance evaluation, and feedback, and corrective action.

• Measure customer satisfaction levels and resolve any service issues immediately.

• Handle all BOH financials and provide input with budget development and forecasting.

• Manage BOH headcount and labor dollars.

• Manage food cost controls and control expenditures for the account.

• Plan and create all menus.

• Cost out recipes for all locations.

• Purchase and manage all inventory including paper, supplies, and chemicals.

• Roll out new culinary programs in conjunction with marketing and culinary strategies on a monthly basis.

• Anticipate trends and roll out new concepts and ideas.

• Stay abreast and current with product mix and rotate new items to keep grab-and-go operations fresh.

• Oversee all safety and food safety for the account.

• Act as a liaison with the client.

• Oversee equipment maintenance and work with clients on preventive maintenance policies.

• Follow HACCP guidelines to ensure safe food practices.

• Follow all Quest policies and food safety guidelines.

Job Requirements/Specifications

Education and Experience: The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience

• Minimum three years of culinary and management experience • Strong management and client relations skills

• Solid knowledge of financials

• Proficient in MS Office

• Responsible for meeting and maintaining state and local certification requirements (Food Service Manager)

Essential Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactory. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• Proven skill to execute hands-on culinary preparation and presentation

• Demonstrated ability to empower and strengthen the team, delegate authority

• Demonstrated ability to consistently communicate a clear understanding of internal and external customer expectations and adapt as appropriate to exceed their needs

• Proven skill to anticipates the needs of coworkers and proactively assist them to meet a common goal

• Demonstrated ability to understand and determine priorities, effectively manage time and develop work plans in order to accomplish tasks and/or projects

Language Skills

• Ability to read, write and speak English

There are full-time and part-time positions available. For more information about Quest Food Management Services, please visit our website at [ Link removed ] - Click here to apply to Executive Chef />

Quest Food Management Services is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.