Job OverviewThe Chef de Cuisine is a creative, organized, and hands-on culinary leader responsible for the daily operation of the assigned kitchen and dining outlet. This position leads the culinary team at Jonathan Club Downtown Los Angeles in delivering consistent, high-quality food and exceptional service that reflect Jonathan Club's standards and traditions.
Working closely with the Executive Chef / Director of Culinary Operations, the Chef de Cuisine manages food and labor costs, maintains the highest standards of cleanliness and food safety, and creates a positive and professional kitchen environment. This role requires strong culinary knowledge, attention to detail, effective communication, and the ability to lead by example in a fast-paced, member-focused environment.
The Chef De Cuisine is responsible for the following: - Leads the daily culinary operations of the assigned kitchen, ensuring consistent food quality, flavor, presentation, timing, and member satisfaction
- Provides hands-on culinary leadership by preparing food, overseeing service, expediting orders, and supporting team members during busy periods
- Selects, trains, coaches, evaluates, schedules, and provides daily direction to cooks and other assigned culinary team members
- Conducts pre-shift meetings to communicate menus, specials, member requests, allergies, safety expectations, operational priorities, and service standards
- Creates effective schedules based on business levels, Union contract, employee availability, labor budgets, and applicable collective bargaining agreements
- Monitors food and labor costs, purchasing, inventory, waste, portion control, product rotation, and departmental expenses to support established financial goals
- Maintains appropriate inventory levels and ensures that all food products are properly labeled, dated, stored, rotated, and protected from waste or contamination
- Ensures compliance with all federal, state, and local food-safety, sanitation, health, workplace-safety, and employment requirements
- Partners closely with Food and Beverage, Stewarding, Purchasing, Banquets, Catering and Special Events, and other departments to support smooth and successful operations
- Models and promotes a culture of professionalism, teamwork, respect, accountability, creativity, and exceptional member service
- Addresses employee performance and conduct concerns in partnership with culinary leadership and Human Resources, following Club policies and applicable agreements
- Participates in manager meetings, training programs, safety initiatives, and the Manager on Duty program as assigned
- Works at either Club location and maintains a flexible schedule that may include early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays based on business needs
Qualifications- Minimum of five years of progressive culinary experience in a luxury hotel, private club, resort, or high-volume full-service restaurant environment
- Minimum of three years of experience supervising, training, and developing a professional culinary team
- Strong knowledge of culinary techniques, menu planning, recipe development, food presentation, kitchen operations, and current dining trends
- Demonstrated ability to maintain consistent quality while managing food costs, labor expenses, inventory, purchasing, and waste
- Strong understanding of food safety, sanitation, allergen awareness, workplace safety, and applicable health regulations
- Excellent organizational, leadership, communication, training, and problem-solving skills
- Experience working in a unionized culinary environment and interpreting collective bargaining agreements is preferred
- Professional appearance and the ability to communicate respectfully and effectively with members, employees, managers, vendors, and Club leadership
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office, point-of-sale systems, scheduling software, inventory systems, and food-cost management tools
- Current food-safety manager certification or the ability to obtain certification within the required period
- Ability to stand for extended periods, work in hot kitchen environments, and safely lift or move up to 50 pounds
- Ability and willingness to work a flexible schedule, including mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and special Club events
Salary Range: $95,000/year - $105,000/year 
