The Executive Chef role at Urbana Country Club is one that offers the opportunity to join a premier family owned club in Central Illinois that strives for excellence. The successful candidate will be a hands-on leader with a proven record of building cohesive and collaborative teams focused on excellence in the delivery of high-quality culinary experiences across all areas of dining at the Club. This opportunity is exceptional and available for a true culinary leader who will be given the creative freedom, resources, staff, and support to conceptualize and innovate, while continuing to elevate the Club’s already esteemed reputation.

ABOUT URBANA COUNTRY CLUB AND COMMUNITY

Located in Urbana, Illinois, the club was established in 1922 and the centerpiece of the club for years has been the 18-hole championship golf course designed by Tom Bendelow in the golden years of golf course architecture. In recent years, the club has invested significant capital funds into the new Resort facility which includes lodging, spa and fitness facilities that are all state of the art and display class and elegance.

URBANA COUNTRY CLUB EXECUTIVE CHEF POSITION OVERVIEW
The Executive Chef at Urbana Country Club (UCC) is responsible for all food production, including that sold in the restaurants, banquets, and other outlets. He or she develops menus, food purchase specifications and recipes, and develops and monitors food and labor budgets for the department.
The Executive Chef maintains the highest professional food quality and sanitation standards and models such standards for his/her team comprised of Sous Chefs, Pastry Chef, Snack Bar, Garde Manager, hot and cold line cooks, stewards, and expediters.

The EC is an energized, positive presence who displays a strong work ethic and impeccable integrity. The position requires a motivating, committed, and dedicated professional who weaves their presence into the fabric of the club with drive and enthusiasm and a “lead from out front” style. They need to recognize that during the height of the season, long workdays are needed to achieve a high level of membership satisfaction and also encourage staff to take time to re-energize and find a balance of dedication to the Club and personal time.

The EC at UCC is a team builder who mentors kitchen staff and develops a pipeline of talented and creative individuals and interns by building a reputation as an excellent learning and training ground for up-and-coming culinarians.

The EC is responsible for ensuring that all food is consistently outstanding – from beloved favorites to creative daily & weekly specials and culinary focused events throughout all dining venues and functions. The EC understands that quality and consistency in producing and delivering popular club events such as wine dinners and member tournaments are just as important to the member experience as producing a la carte service on a day-to-day basis; and is responsible to ensure that his/her team approaches each activity with identical focus.

The next Executive Chef at UCC will be leading a team across multiple dining outlets and should have experience in similar Club or Resort style settings.

Leadership

• Be a positive and collaborative team player who is willing to be “hands on” when necessary but understands when to step back and lead the team.
• Be an active and dynamic recruiter of team members and someone who inherently enjoys developing and building his/her team and leading them to significant, positive membership satisfaction outcomes.
• Involve associates in the decision-making process of how ‘work gets done’ and creates a work environment people want to come to and participate every day.
• Have a passion and aptitude for teaching and training for all food service personnel, working, as necessary, with the staff directly responsible for operations.
• Be a focused and consistent evaluator of personnel, ensuring that standards of conduct and delivery are met; this includes oversight of high standards of appearance, hospitality, service, and cleanliness of the kitchen facilities.
• Establish and consistently enhance operating standards for personnel in areas of responsibility and consistently evaluate knowledge, understanding, and execution to these high standards.
• Conduct and/or oversee training programs for food service personnel on various issues including service techniques, knowledge of menu items and daily specials, sanitation, team building, and conflict resolution; regularly test and evaluate knowledge and understanding of these expectations.
• Work closely with the front of house food and beverage managers to assure a cohesive experience that consistently exceeds the expectations of members and guests.
• Hold daily/weekly staff briefings with direct reports to keep them informed of necessary and relevant activities and expectations at the Club. Assist in planning and be responsible for ensuring special club events are well-conceived and executed.
• Attend food and beverage staff and management meetings.
• Cook or directly supervise the cooking of items that require skillful preparation.
• Engage with, observe, learn, and listen to the members and staff. Earn member trust by instilling confidence through continued enhanced operations, interaction, and visibility.
• Maintain physical presence during times of high business volume.

Operations

• Develop and maintain standard recipes and techniques for food preparation and presentation that help to assure consistent, high quality and minimize food costs; exercises portion control for all items served and assists in establishing menu selling prices.
• Evaluate food products to assure that quality standards are consistently attained.
• Ensure that high standards of sanitation, cleanliness and safety are always maintained throughout all kitchen areas. Establishes controls to minimize food and supply waste and theft.
• Safeguard all food-preparation employees by implementing training to increase their knowledge about safety, sanitation, and accident-prevention principles.
• Establish and maintains a regular cleaning and maintenance schedule for all kitchen areas and equipment.
• Maintain safety training programs; manages OSHA-related aspects of kitchen safety and maintains MSDSs in easily accessible location.

Membership

• Have a heart of hospitality, embrace, appreciate, promote and elevate the warmth and culture of the Club.
• Be highly visible and engaged with Membership throughout the F&B outlets at the Club.
• Welcome, encourage and engage in regular feedback from members.
• Be responsive to members’ requests for menu selections, event planning, etc., and strive to find creative ways to accommodate reasonable requests.
• Consistently elevate and innovate around comfort stations and signature offerings at the Club.
• Consistently innovate, elevate and build on a core selection of Club favorites and signature dishes.
• Create a menu that the Membership has a hard time choosing from with regular features and specials.

Financial

• Clearly understand the metrics for successful attainment of financial goals and objectives in F&B operations, and consistently review these expectations with his or her direct reports to ensure understanding and ‘buy-in’ from those contributing to their attainment.
• Plan menus with the Food and Beverage Managers and General Manager for all food outlets in the club and for special occasions and events. Schedule and coordinate the work of chefs, cooks, and other kitchen employees to assure that food preparation is economical and technically correct and within budgeted labor cost goals.
• Consistently monitor payroll and labor resource allocations to ensure they are in line with financial forecasting and goals.
• Ensure effective and efficient staffing and scheduling for all facilities and functions while balancing financial objectives with member satisfaction goals.
• Embrace the use of systems (including regular inventory processes) and technology to assist in the management of the kitchen and the financial performance of the operation.
• Prepare necessary data for applicable parts of the budget; project annual food, labor and other costs and monitor actual financial results; take corrective action as necessary to help assure that financial goals are met.
• Review and approve product purchase specifications.

INITIAL PRIORITIES

• Evaluate current operations and set appropriate and necessary standards of operation, processes, execution, and delivery within the culinary operation, taking ownership for the entire experience from production to final delivery of the end product, while working closely and positively with the front-of-house team.
• Oversee the set up and implementation of the new kitchen and related equipment. Develop updated workflow processes and procedures to maximize storage, prep, production, and member satisfaction.
• Be visible, meet, engage with, and learn the Memberships names and preferences and dining requirements.
• Learn about, evaluate and continue to develop, train, and mentor the culinary team while promoting fairness and consistency within.
• Provide new innovative and exciting culinary experiences for Members and guests in both a la carte dining and Member events.
• Collaborate with all managers from other departments and team on elevating the variety of F&B offerings club wide.
• Meet budgeted food and labor cost goals by proactively monitoring and controlling food and labor costs in coordination with the General Manager and Club Controller.
• Explore and, where appropriate, secure local food sourcing, including farms and local/regional producers.

The successful candidate:

• Has a degree in Culinary Arts and/or other Hospitality Management focus.
• Has Five years food production and management experience.
• Has achieved Executive Chef Certifications in various forms.
• Has exceptional leadership skills.
• Has experience planning and monitoring all food-production-related costs.
• Successful experience developing food purchase specifications and standard recipes.
• Has a proven track record of maintaining food quality and sanitation standards.
• Is a known and respected leader and team player, within the kitchen, with the FOH team and with all Club and team members.
• Is experienced with technology including POS systems such as Northstar, and Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, Cheftech, etc.

Salary is open and commensurate with qualifications and experience. Urbana Country Club offers an excellent bonus and benefit package including professional development opportunities.