Head Chef

Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin is America's Largest Waterpark Resort! The Wilderness provides a fun, safe, and memorable experience to not only our guests but our employees as well! We are a family-owned resort that takes pride in ensuring guest satisfaction as well as treating our employees like family. We strive for excellence within our resort and hope to create a long-lasting positive influence on the employees that join on our team.

Join the Wilderness Family for a rewarding employment experience! #WeAreFamily

The Wilderness Resort is seeking hardworking, dependable, enthusiastic, customer service driven individuals to join our fast-paced team! Employees have access to great benefits, amenity usage, and so much more!

The Head Chef position is responsible for overseeing daily culinary operations, including managing kitchen staff, ensuring food safety compliance, and maintaining exceptional food quality and service standards. They monitor food costs, conduct vendor negotiations, manage ordering and inventory, and collaborate with leadership to develop and implement innovative menu items and culinary events. Additionally, the Head Chef provides ongoing training, conducts performance evaluations, and supports strategic initiatives to drive efficiency, creativity, and guest satisfaction.

This is a full-time position with day, night and weekend availability. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:  This list of duties and responsibilities is not all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties and responsibilities, as management may deem necessary from time to time. 

Leadership & Staff Management:

• Provide daily supervision, direction, and support to all culinary team members, including outlet cooks, line cooks, prep cooks, and dishwashers.
• Train, schedule, motivate, and discipline kitchen staff as needed to ensure adherence to productivity and service standards.
• Conduct pre-shift meetings to communicate daily specials, new items, current kitchen issues, and FOH recommendations.

Operational Oversight:

• Oversee all kitchen operations to ensure consistent food preparation, quality, and timely service.
• Maintain complete mastery of all culinary duties and positions, stepping into line shifts as needed, especially during low-volume periods to manage labor costs.
• Conduct weekly scheduling and ensure all kitchen positions function efficiently.

Food Quality & Safety:

• Ensure all recipes are properly followed, ingredients are used correctly, and all food safety guidelines and operating procedures are adhered to.
• Regularly taste and inspect food for quality and presentation.
• Ensure compliance with all sanitary and safety laws, as well as Wilderness Resort cleanliness and service standards.

Inventory & Cost Control:

• Manage ordering and inventory of kitchen supplies and ingredients.
• Monitor and control food costs to remain within budget.
• Negotiate with vendors, analyze market prices, and select high-quality products aligned with budgetary goals.

Menu Development & Culinary Innovation:

• Conduct research on current culinary trends and contribute innovative ideas to menu development.
• Collaborate with the Chef de Cuisine and General Manager to propose and implement new menu items, following the company's approval and training processes.
• Define and set product selection standards for food, wares, and supplies; assist in evaluating and selecting vendors.

Collaboration & Strategy:

• Work closely with the General Manager, Restaurant Manager, and Chef de Cuisine to ensure all kitchen roles operate at optimal levels.
• Provide and receive constructive feedback to improve performance and guest satisfaction.
• Participate in developing and executing creative culinary events such as private dinners, catering, and marketing initiatives.
• Collaborate on sales strategies and promotional efforts.

Other Responsibilities:

• Perform additional duties as assigned by management to support the success of the restaurant and resort.

*Wilderness Resort is an Equal Opportunity Employer*