Executive Chef Seattle Aquarium

Oak View Group is the global leader in venue development management and premium hospitality services for the live event industry. Offering an unmatched 360degree solution set for a collection of worldclass owned venues and a client roster that includes the most influential highest attended arenas convention centers music festivals performing arts centers and cultural institutions on the planet.

OVGs hospitality divison is searching for a Executive Chef to oversee all food & beverage preparation operations at the Seattle Aquarium in Seattle WA. The Executive Chef will be a champion OVG representative in all our sustainability initiatives at the Aquarium including:

• Zero waste by 2025
• 80 of purchases meet Seattle Aquariums sustainable purchasing policy including zero singleuse petroleum based plastic.
• Participation in regenerative working group.
• Fully electric appliance kitchen.

The Executive Chef has the primary duty of managing the culinary team and reports to the General Manager. The Executive Chef is responsible for overseeing the direction of the kitchens daily activities in accordance with Oak View Group and Seattle Aquarium policies and objectives to ensure guest satisfaction profitability and a positive productive and compliant work environment. The Executive Chef is solely responsible for the effective management and operation of the culinary team including event planning support scheduling food preparation and production food cost control compliance with food safety and sanitation policies cleaning kitchen safety employee training and supervision and any other tasks assigned by the General Manager. The Executive Chef must provide a high level of oversight culinary proficiency and operational/personnel support to ensure the smooth running all food outlets and events.

The Executive Chef will actively supervise coach counsel direct train and mentor culinary employees in meeting company quality standards and will independently initiate and authorize all employment actions such as hiring termination suspension discipline promotion and transfer. The Executive Chef will actively and independently manage all aspects of employee relations to ensure a positive harmonious compliant and cooperative work environment.

This is a key position for the effective and profitable operation of the business. The Executive Chef must maintain excellent attendance and be available to work a variable eventdriven schedule which varies with evenings and weekends. Open availability professional presentation outstanding interpersonal skills and selfdirection required.

This role will pay a yearly salary of $85000 to $95000.

For FT roles: Benefits: Health Dental and Vision insurance 401(k) savings plan 401(k) matching and paid time off (vacation days sick days and 11 holidays).

This position will remain open until April 18 2025.

Oak View Group is the food services and hospitality partner of the Seattle Aquarium. The Seattle Aquarium is a conservation organization working to regenerate the health of Earths one ocean. The Seattle Aquarium thoughtfully brings the ocean to life for the public with experiences that inspire awe empathy and conservation action. The Aquarium is the ninth largest aquarium in the U.S. by attendance and proud to be accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Since opening the Aquarium has hosted over 27 million visitors and provided marine conservation education to two million school children. The Aquariums new Ocean Pavilion opening in 2024 will be a central feature on the new Seattle waterfront.

• Research and development of menu items to reflect the spirit and uniqueness of the Seattle market.
• Focus on Seattle and Washington state vendors prioritizing local and seasonal ingredients to support restaurant and concession business;
• Responsible for managing developing and mentoring staff of 20 fulltime and part time culinary employees including initiating employment actions such as hiring firing and disciplining.
• Ensures event staff are aware of workplace expectations; provide ongoing assistance training and mentoring to event staff; promote a positive enthusiastic and cooperative workplace environment by working sidebyside with staff; reinforce procedures and practices through repetition; lead by example and provide ongoing constructive feedback.
• Responsible for ensuring that budgeted food percentages are achieved through effective control measures including portion controls kitchen timings food inventory rotation measures receiving and food storage procedures inventory controls effective purchasing procedures kitchen security procedures and waste control.
• Controls labor costs through effective scheduling of kitchen staff crosstraining and development of employees; responsible for monitoring breaks and break documentation for kitchen staff and the daily approval of break documentation.
• Ensures that the purchasing and preparation of all food products meet OVG standards of quality and consistency. Responsible for the development of menus ensuring quality consistency and style of concept are maintained. Monitors production of food preparation ensuring recipe specifications portion controls and kitchen timings are met. Monitors all food served relative to appearance temperature sanitary and quality standards.
• Supervises all line setup prep and breakdown activities. Responsible for inservice delegation of tasks to line personnel.
• Coordinates the storage maintenance and repair of all kitchen equipment to ensure operational readiness.
• Coordinates the delivery and setup of catered services and food service areas as needed.
• Arranges and manages kitchen staff skills training and development including departmental orientation of new employees. Provides leadership and support to the entire kitchen staff; builds morale and encourages empowerment of staff.
• Maintains a positive and compliant employee relations climate. Responsible for staffing training evaluation and counseling of kitchen staff. Promotes support and communication with entire staff. Positively interacts with front of house staff. Rapidly solves problems.
• Ensures compliance with health sanitation safety and employment regulations by clearly communicating and reinforcing standards and procedures to kitchen staff.
• Ensures proper kitchen record keeping and administrative requirements including food inventories and invoicing of food products. Responsible for organizing employee work schedules ensuring appropriate coverage for all kitchen areas staff compliance with venue uniform policy.
• Promotes teamwork among staff through effective communication follow through and goal setting. Leads by example and thorough instruction to effectively obtain quality management of product service and philosophy of concept.
• Responsible for overseeing the production of Staff meals ensuring that they are on time healthy and substantial per meal calendar.
  

• Minimum of 23 years kitchen management experience in a fullservice restaurant or events venue.
• Demonstrated and verifiable track record of meeting projected costs.
• Professional appearance and presentation required.
• Knowledge of and skill in using computer software including MS Word/Excel/Outlook.
• Maintains a current Food Handlers card and alcohol service permit if required by state or local government.
• Working knowledge of employee scheduling in a hospitality environment.
• Ability to obtain and maintain certification in a nationally recognized sanitation program.
• Technical proficiency and experience demonstrating verifiable knowledge of food preparation methods.
• Ability to positively interact with diverse personalities including coworkers subordinates guests and purveyors in a variety of work situations. Must have active listening and effective communication skills.
• Ability to develop resultsoriented staff through effective training evaluation motivation coaching and counseling. Ability to assist others in developing needed skills for effective job performance.
• Ability to positively distribute responsibility to others to meet objectives and achieve desired results.
• Ability to recognize problems and to creatively and expeditiously find solutions.
• Ability to set priorities and use initiative; solid decisionmaker.
• Ability to be detailoriented multitask and effectively prioritize in a continuously changing environment.
• Ability to be selfdirected while working in a teamoriented environment.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule; able and willing to work nights weekends and long hours.

At OVG we understand that to continue positively disrupting the sports and live entertainment industry we need a diverse team to help us do it. We also believe that inclusivity drives innovation strengthens ourpeople improves ourservice and raises ourexcellence. Our success is rooted in creating environments that reflect and celebrate the diverse communities in which we operate and serve and this is the reason we are committed to amplifying voices from all different backgrounds.

Oak View Group is committed to equal employment opportunity. We will not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on any legally recognized basis (protected class) including but not limited to veteran status uniform service member status race color religion sex national origin age physical or mental disability genetic information or any other protected class under federal state or local law.