What are the responsibilities and job description for the Executive Chef position at Asado Life?
Executive Chef — Asado Life in St. Augustine
Asado Life is seeking an experienced, highly driven Executive Chef to lead our culinary program with precision, creativity, and strong operational discipline. This role is ideal for a chef who thrives in a high-volume, polished hospitality environment and has a genuine passion for live-fire cooking, exceptional ingredients, and guest-facing culinary experiences.
The Executive Chef will oversee daily kitchen operations, menu execution, team development, ordering, food and labor cost controls, banquets, catering, and elevated dining experiences across a dynamic, high-volume restaurant setting.
What We’re Looking For
The ideal candidate brings strong leadership, refined culinary technique, and the ability to execute consistently at scale. Candidates should have:
- 5 years of culinary management experience at a fine dining or elevated hospitality level
- Exceptional communication and leadership skills
- Strong computer literacy and administrative organization
- Manager Food Safety Certification
- Advanced proficiency in subprimal meat butchery and seafood fabrication
- Experience in a multi-unit or complex operational property
- Strong knowledge of inventory management, ordering, pars, and cost control
- A passion for live-fire cooking and ingredient-driven cuisine
- Comfort cooking in front of guests and engaging with them professionally
Key Responsibilities
The Executive Chef will be responsible for leading the kitchen with consistency, accountability, and attention to detail. Responsibilities include:
- Maintaining a pristine, clean, organized, and highly functional semi-open kitchen
- Creating exciting, well-presented weekly specials designed for high-volume execution and consistency
- Executing polished lunch and dinner services for 200 guests while maintaining excellent food quality, presentation, and timing
- Leading high-level banquets and catering events for up to 200 guests
- Executing multi-course tasting menus for intimate groups of 8–20 guests
- Managing and mentoring a culinary leadership team, including AM Sous Chef, PM Sous Chef, Banquet Chef, and Kitchen Commissary Manager
- Coordinating with the commissary kitchen manager to establish daily prep needs, production standards, and par levels
- Developing and implementing daily and weekly operating procedures, including prep sheets, order guides, cleaning lists, closing checklists, and training materials
- Leading employment actions including interviewing, hiring, corrective action, terminations, and documented training procedures
- Managing responsible and strategic ordering practices to reduce waste and avoid excessive on-hand inventory
- Maintaining food and labor costs at effective, profitable levels
- Upholding Asado Life’s standards for hospitality, cleanliness, consistency, and culinary excellence
About the Role
This is a leadership position for a chef who can balance creativity with execution, hospitality with discipline, and culinary ambition with financial responsibility. The Executive Chef will play a key role in shaping the guest experience, mentoring the culinary team, and ensuring that Asado Life’s food program operates at the highest level every day.
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Food provided
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person