Director of Food & Beverage / Executive Chef

Summary

Legends Global, the leader in privately managed public assembly facilities has an excellent and immediate opening for a Director of Food and Beverage/Executive Chef at Ithaca Downtown Conference Center This position is responsible for daily management of the Food and Beverage Department to include concessions, mobile carts, general event catering, culinary, catering sales, menu development, financials, and budgets.

This position directs and coordinates the entire food and beverage operation by performing the following duties personally or through subordinate supervisors: 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Daily management of the Food & Beverage departmental operations and personnel.
• Creates Food and Beverage sales projections and budgets for facility events.  
• Responsible for daily concession food and beverage compliance and service concerns such as, Health Department regulations, Alcohol beverage service guidelines and standards, menu engineering/development and detailed costing for concessions operation.  
• Inspects and tastes prepared food to maintain quality standards and sanitation regulations.  
• Is responsible for the overall direction and coordination of Food and Beverage units. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with LEGENDS GLOBAL's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding; disciplining employees in conjunction with Human Resources; addressing complaints and resolving problems.  
• This position will work with limited supervision and will require the ability to interact with all levels of staff including management. Requires ability to work flexible hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays, in addition to normal business hours. 

• Ordering, receiving and preparing all food items.
• Maintaining food costs and budget goals.
• Produce required product according to Banquet Event Orders for each event.
• Entertain prospective clients of the Conference Center through Chef’s tables.
• Maintains an active role in local hospitality community and professional associations.
• Attend in-house event-related meetings and relays immediate changes with other departments.
• Maintaining all kitchen equipment cleanliness and annual maintenance.
• Participate in promotional media related events to promote the facility.
• Hiring and Training of all kitchen and stewarding staff to in clued “Serve safe” and any Health department regulations.
• Maintain and manage culinary and stewarding personnel to meet labor and production objectives.
• Give oversight and direction to retail production and deliverability.
• Maintain a Health Department score of 90 or higher.

Supervisory Responsibilities       

Directly supervises all kitchen personnel and stewarding department. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with company policies and applicable laws. This includes interviewing, hiring and training all personnel in department.

Qualifications

• Certificate or degree from an accredited culinary school, college or technical school preferred.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in management level position in Food & Beverage or equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Previous experience in overall Food and Beverage operations, sales, inventory control, cost control and food preparation procedures. 
• Previous experience in food purchasing (Catering & Concession), including price negotiations. 
• Excellent knowledge of current culinary and concession trends, presentation, and food quality. 
• Previous experience in standardizing recipes, plating, and costing of menus. 
• Previous experience working with sub-contractor vendors
• Serv Safe food and Serv Safe Alcohol certified.
• Maintain PCI Compliance certification.
• Alcohol awareness certificate and training capabilities.
• Strong orientation to customer service and ability to work with clients and staff members.  
• Results oriented individual with the ability to meet required budgetary goals.  
• Excellent organizational, multi-tasking, planning, written and verbal communication skills. 
• Attention to detail and service oriented. 
• Prior supervisory experience required. 
• Computer skills including proficiency with Microsoft Office programs.  
• Ability to be creative with buffet presentations and maintain a quality product.

Education and/or Experience             

• At least (8) years of culinary experience in a banquet facility producing meals for large events.

Skills and Abilities       

• Advanced oral and written communication skills.
• Strong orientation to customer service and ability to work with other staff members in the facility.
• Results oriented individual with the ability to meet required budgetary goals.
• Excellent organizational, planning, communication and inter-personal skills.
• Ability to undertake and complete multiple tasks.
• Ability to be creative with food presentations and maintain a quality product.
• Must maintain local Health Codes and sanitation HACCP

Computer Skills   

Computer skills to include Excel programs.

Other Qualifications 

• Serve-safe certified

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to move around the facility; to stand for long hours during events; talk and hear. This position may require work inside or outside of the building, as needed by events.  This position requires minimal stooping and lifting.  Substantial standing, walking and manual dexterity to operate office equipment such as a computer is required.

Note: The essential responsibilities of this position are described under the headings above.  They may be subject to change at any time due to reasonable accommodation or other reasons.  Also, this document in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position.

LEGENDS GLOBAL is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, and encourages Women, Minorities, Individuals with Disabilities, and protected Veterans to apply. VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

Annual Salary Range: $78,000 - $90,000 based on experience