Fort Lauderdale
About Sea Watch Established in 1974, Sea Watch on the Ocean is a longstanding Fort Lauderdale oceanfront restaurant serving generations of guests. Our culinary identity is rooted in upscale coastal American cuisine with a strong seafo o focus, classic preparations, signature dishes and longtime guest fa vor i ts. Position S umary The Executive Chef is the senior culinary leader and department head for all back-of-house culinary ope ratins. Reporting directly to the General Manager, this role is accountable for culinary quality, people l e aderhip, financial performance, food safety, systems, staffing, purchasing, inventory, private-event ex ecu tion ad the overall condition of the kitchen. The Executive Chef directly leads the Sous Chef team and is responsible for the performance and development of the culin a ry deprtment. The successful candidate will balance creativity and innovation with thoughtful steward shi p of SeaWatch’s established menu, signature dishes and longtime guest favorites. Responsibilities may be delegted, but accountability for the culinary department remains wit h the Exective Chef. Essential Funct i ons & Respnsibilities • Lead daily culinary and BOH operations, including production, service, e xpo/pass exe cution, qualty control, consis t ency and timly execution. • Maintain a visible, hands-on presence in the kitchen and actively lead ser vice, expo/pas, quality and execution, stepping in where needed during high-volume or operationally critica l periods; thisexpectation is leadership-focused and does not mean routinely fun cti oning as scheduld line coverage. • Direct, coach, schedule and develop the Sous Chef team and culinary staff; establish clear standards, crosstraining, acco u ntability and sucession planning. • Exercise meaningful input into hiring, promotion, performanc e e valuation, disciplne and separation decisions for culinary employees, in partnership with t h e General Manager nd Human Resources. • Maintain a professional, respectful and accountable ki tchen culture; addres employee concerns appropriately and partner with the General Manager a nd Human Resources o employee relations, performance managementand corrective action. • Plan BOH staffing based on projected volume, reservation s , events and business eeds whil e c ontrolling overtime, poductivity and coverage. • Own culinary financial performance, including food cos t , BOH labor, waste, yiels, purchasing, inventory variance and other controllable expenses; review res ults and corrective action with the General Manager. • Participate in annual budgeting and ongoing forecast i ng for culinary lab or, foo cost, equipment andother BOH operating needs. • Oversee purchasing, receiving, inventory, sto ra ge, product specifications,ven dor performance, pricing, credis and accurate system records. • Maintain standardized recipes, plating specif i cations, allergen information,pr ep procedures, pars, yields, porton standards and recipe costing. • Use reservations, historical s a les and event counts to forecastproduction and reduce shotages, overproduction and waste. • Evaluate menu performance using fo od cost, contribution, popularity operational com ple xity, waste and guest feedback; reommend thoughtful menu improvements. • Bring creativity and fre s h ideas to menu development while hooring Se a W a tch’s culinary identity, longstandig menu tradit ions and guest favorites. Oprational Controls, Safety & Compliance • Maintain all BOH area s in inspection-ready condition and enfrce food safety, sanitation, labeling, te mpe rature control, storage, rotation, alleren-management and cleanliness standards. • Actively maintain a strong BOH safety culture by identifyig and correcting hazards, enforcing safe equipment and work pr actices, and promptly reporting employee ijuri e s, incidents, near misses and safety conerns in accordance with company procedures. • Maintain orde rly walk-ins, freez ers, dry storage, prep areas culinary workspces, smallwares and secure product storage. • Review wast e, spoilage, r etur ns, refires and food-relatedguest feedback; idntify trends and implement corrective action. • Review BE Os and event requirements in advance and develp pro duction, staffing, ordering, equipment and exection plans for private events and major holidays . • Identify equipment issues early, support prevntive-maintenan ce practices and recommend repair, replacement or caital priorities before failures disrupt operations. • E n sure accurate c ulin ary scheduling, timekeeping, invntory, receiving, inoice, waste and other required operational re co rds. • Follow and enforce applicable laws , fo od-safty requirements, workplace-safety procedures, copany policies, SOPs and lawful management directi ve s. • Safeguard confidential and proprietary informati n, including employee information, payroll information, reipes, vendor pricing, financial data and company records. • Maintain ethical vendor relationships, di sclo e potential conflicts of interest and comply with company policies regarding gifts, purchasing and vend o r selection. • Operate within approved budgets and delegaed authority; obtain a ppr o priate approval before committing the company to materialexpenditures, contracts,vendor changes or capital purchases. Req ui red Qualifications • Minimum 5 years of prog ressive culinar-management experience in a high-volume, multi-illion-dollar, full-service upscale or fin e- dining restaurant. • Prior experience as an Executive Chef, Cef de Cuisin e, Executive Sous Chef or comparable senior culinary leader with rsponsibility for financial performance a n d a substantial BOH team. • D emon strated responsibility for foodcost, BOH labor, budgeting, forecasing, purchasing, inventory an d departmental financial performance. • Proven ability to recrut, train, coach, evaluate and deve lop culinary leaders and employees. • Strong high-volume à la carte exprience; prvate-event and major-holiday ex ec ution experienc e st rongly preferred. • Strong culinary fundamental with menu developmen, recipe standardization, costing an d operationa l execution experience. • xtraCHEF experience or substanial experience wit a comparable purchas in g, inventory and recipe-costing platform required. • Experience using estaurant POS syste ms and oper ational reporting; Toast experience preferred. • Proficiency with sheduling payroll/ti m e keeping, spreadshee ts, email and restaurant-management systems. • Curr entfood-manager certificatio or ability to obtain required certifi c ation promply Preferred Qualifications • Significant seafood-focused culinar experience., • Experie nc e leading an established and long-tenured culinary team. • Culinary degree or fomal cul i nary training; equivalent professional exper ience will also be considered. • Mulilingual ability, particularly Haitian Creoleand/or Spani sh , is considered a plus. Schedule, Attendance & Physical Requirements • Regular nd reliable attendanc e a nd on-site presence are essential functions of this position. • Flexible a vailabilit is required based on business and operational needs, including early mornigs, days, eveni ng s, weekends, holidays, private events and other high-volume periods. • Ability to stnd and walk f or extended periods, work in hot/col d commercial-kitchen environments, use stairs as necesary, and perform the physical fuctions customar y to active kitchen leadershi p, w i th or without reasona ble accommodation. • Ability to ift and carry up to 40 pounds andoccasionally m ov e heavie items with assistance, with or without reasonable accommodation. Compensat ion& Benefi ts • $125,000-$140,000 base salary, commensurate with experience and internal equity., • Eligble for performance-based bonus incentives in accordance with applicable company program terms. • Elii ble employees may participate in company benefit plans, including PTO, medical and dental plan opions, and MassMutual plan options, subject t o ap p licable eligibility requ irements and plan terms. • Anual performance review with opportunity fo merit increase; increase a re not guaranteed and are based on performance and company practices. Performance Expectation The Executive Chef is expected to meet company-established financial and operational targets/KPIs. Performance w il l be evaluated using established standards and measures that may include culinary quality and consistnc y, food cost, BOH labor and productivity, inventory accuracy, sanitation and regulatory compliance, team development and retention, private-event and holiday execution, guest feedback, menu perform a ne, documentation, operational readiness and part ner s hip with restaurant leadership. Where applicabe, e s tablished KPIs may also be used as part of annualperformance reviews and performance-based bonus d eteminations in accordance with company program terms. Cond itions o f Employment & Job Description Disclimer • Employment may be contingent upon satisfactory completion of aplicable reference and/or background checks con ducted in accordance with company policy and applicabe law. • The Executive Chef is expected to comply withall a pplicable CALM Companies and Sea Watch policies, procedures and standards, as amended from time to t ime. This job description identifie s the general nature and essential functions of the position and is not intened to be an exhaustive li st of eery duty or responsibility. Duties may be modified, added or reassigned based on business and ope rati onl needs . -Nothing in th i s job description creates a contract of employment or alters the terms and conditions f emplo yen t. • The Executve Chef may be assigned other duties reasonably related to the position and restaurant operation. Equal Opportunity Sea Watch