Executive Chef

Executive ChefAramark Healthcare+ is seeking an experienced Executive Chef to lead culinary operations at Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital in Houston, Texas. This key leadership role oversees a team of approximately 40+ culinary employees, including cooks and utility staff, while ensuring excellence in food quality, production, presentation, safety, and service across patient dining, retail, catering, and hospitality operations. The Executive Chef is responsible for leading daily culinary operations, managing food and labor costs, overseeing purchasing and inventory controls, and driving a culture of employee engagement and accountability. This leader will partner closely with hospital and Aramark leadership to deliver exceptional experiences for patients, visitors, and staff while maintaining compliance with all food safety, regulatory, and operational standards. The ideal candidate is a collaborative, hands-on leader who can build strong relationships with team members, recognize and develop talent, and balance operational excellence with a positive workplace culture.Job Responsibilities:Lead and manage all culinary operations for a 386-bed acute care hospital serving patient dining, retail locations, caf operations, Starbucks, catering, and hospitality services.Provide leadership, coaching, and development for chef managers and culinary team members.Ensure excellence in food quality, production, presentation, and customer service.Manage food and labor costs, purchasing, inventory, and waste-reduction initiatives to achieve operational and financial goals.Oversee menu planning, production standards, and recipe compliance to drive consistency and efficiency.Lead catering operations, including executive meetings, physician events, and special functions.Ensure compliance with food safety, sanitation, regulatory, and Aramark standards.Partner with hospital leadership to continuously enhance patient, guest, and retail dining experiences.Foster a culture of employee engagement, accountability, and continuous improvement.Support recruiting, onboarding, training, and retention efforts to build a high-performing culinary team.Qualifications:Progressive culinary leadership experience in healthcare, hospitality, restaurants, contract foodservice, or other high-volume dining environments, with success leading teams and culinary operations.Experience leading, coaching, and developing hourly culinary team members in a fast-paced operation.Strong knowledge of food production, menu development, purchasing, inventory management, and cost controls.Proven ability to manage food and labor budgets while maintaining high standards for food quality, presentation, and customer service.Experience executing catering and special events with strong attention to quality and presentation.Knowledge of food safety, sanitation, and regulatory compliance standards.Strong leadership, communication, and employee engagement skills with the ability to build positive relationships and motivate teams.Experience with forecasting, purchasing, inventory management, and foodservice management systems.Associate degree in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, or a related field preferred; equivalent professional experience will also be considered.