Executive Chef

Executive Chef

Location: Starkville, Mississippi

Salary: $100,000–$110,000 USD bonus

Opening: Mid-summer 2027

Property: New full-service hotel

Position Overview

An exciting opportunity is available for an accomplished Executive Chef to lead the culinary operations of a new full-service hotel development in Starkville, Mississippi.

The property will feature a full-service restaurant, an indoor/outdoor rooftop bar, a café and creamery, and an exterior event plaza. The Executive Chef will oversee culinary strategy, menu development, kitchen operations and team recruitment, helping to establish distinctive dining experiences and prepare the property's culinary programme for its opening in mid-summer 2027.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead all culinary operations across the hotel's restaurant, rooftop bar, café, creamery and event facilities.
• Develop creative, commercially viable menus that reflect the property's identity and appeal to hotel guests and the local community.
• Oversee menu planning, recipe development, food presentation, portion control and consistency.
• Recruit, train, mentor and develop kitchen leadership and culinary teams ahead of opening.
• Lead pre-opening kitchen preparations, including equipment planning, supplier relationships, inventory systems and operational procedures.
• Manage food costs, labour budgets, purchasing, waste reduction and overall kitchen profitability.
• Establish and maintain high standards of food quality, cleanliness, sanitation and kitchen safety.
• Collaborate with the Director of Food & Beverage to align menus, service delivery, outlet concepts and financial objectives.
• Develop catering and event menus for functions hosted within the property's exterior event plaza and other available spaces.
• Build relationships with local suppliers and identify opportunities to incorporate seasonal and regional ingredients.
• Monitor guest feedback, culinary trends and operational performance to continuously improve the dining experience.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable food safety regulations and workplace standards.

Candidate Profile

• Proven experience as an Executive Chef or in a comparable senior culinary leadership role.
• Background in upscale restaurants, full-service hotels, resorts or multi-outlet hospitality operations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multiple kitchen operations and develop cohesive culinary concepts.
• Strong financial management skills, including food costing, budgeting, purchasing and inventory control.
• Experience recruiting, training and developing culinary teams.
• A creative approach to menu development, with a strong understanding of quality, presentation and commercial performance.
• Excellent organisational, leadership and communication skills.
• Pre-opening experience and familiarity with high-volume event or catering operations are highly desirable.