Executive Chef - Luxury Resort
Salamander Middleburg | Middleburg, VA
Salary: $140,000 annually
Full-Time | Executive Leadership
Salamander Middleburg is seeking an accomplished and passionate Executive Chef to lead the culinary operations of our luxury resort in Middleburg, Virginia.
This is an exceptional opportunity for a seasoned culinary leader with luxury hotel or resort experience who brings creativity, operational excellence, strong financial acumen, and a proven ability to develop and inspire high-performing culinary teams.
As Executive Chef, you will provide strategic and hands-on leadership for all culinary operations across the resort, including restaurants, banquets, catering, in-room dining, and special events. You will be responsible for delivering exceptional food quality, consistency, presentation, profitability, sanitation, and guest satisfaction while creating memorable culinary experiences reflective of Salamander's luxury standards.
What You'll Do
• Provide leadership and strategic direction for all resort culinary operations.
• Lead, mentor, develop, and inspire the culinary leadership team and kitchen professionals while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Create innovative, seasonally inspired menus that enhance the guest experience and respond to current culinary trends.
• Maintain exceptional standards for food quality, taste, presentation, consistency, and execution across all culinary outlets.
• Oversee culinary operations for restaurants, banquets, catering, in-room dining, special events, and other resort food experiences.
• Manage food costs, labor, purchasing, inventory, productivity, and operating expenses to achieve established financial goals.
• Manage culinary budgets and P&L performance, identifying opportunities to improve profitability while maintaining luxury standards and product quality.
• Establish and maintain effective purchasing, inventory, portion-control, and cost-control practices.
• Partner closely with the Executive Committee, Food & Beverage leadership, and other department leaders to support resort objectives and deliver a seamless guest experience.
• Recruit, train, coach, and develop culinary talent while building a strong leadership pipeline and maintaining appropriate staffing levels.
• Maintain strong relationships with suppliers, vendors, and local partners to ensure quality products, consistency, and responsible purchasing practices.
• Ensure compliance with all food safety, sanitation, health, licensing, and workplace safety requirements.
• Maintain a visible, engaged leadership presence throughout the culinary operation and consistently reinforce luxury service and culinary standards.
What We're Looking For
• Minimum of 5 years of experience as an Executive Chef in a luxury hotel or resort environment.
• Proven success leading complex, high-volume culinary operations, including upscale or fine-dining restaurants and banquet/event operations.
• Strong culinary creativity with demonstrated experience in menu development, seasonal programming, and elevated food presentation.
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing food and labor costs, budgets, forecasts, purchasing, inventory, productivity, and P&L performance.
• Demonstrated ability to recruit, develop, motivate, and retain high-performing culinary teams.
• Strong leadership presence with the ability to establish accountability and maintain consistently high standards.
• Excellent communication, organizational, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with executive leadership and operational departments.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience preferred.
• Culinary degree or formal culinary training preferred.
• Experience in a Forbes Five-Star, AAA Five Diamond, or comparable luxury hospitality environment strongly preferred.
At Salamander Middleburg, culinary excellence is an integral part of the guest experience. The Executive Chef will have the opportunity to shape the resort's culinary vision, elevate dining experiences, develop talented culinary professionals, and make a meaningful impact within a highly regarded luxury hospitality environment.
We offer:
• $140,000 annual salary
• Comprehensive benefits package
• Leadership opportunity within a luxury resort environment
• Professional development and career growth opportunities
• The opportunity to lead and influence a diverse resort culinary operation
Physical Requirements
This position requires the ability to work in a fast-paced culinary and hospitality environment, stand and walk for extended periods, bend, reach, and perform other functions associated with kitchen operations. Must be able to lift and/or move up to 75 pounds as required.
If you are an accomplished Executive Chef who is passionate about culinary excellence, luxury hospitality, team development, and creating exceptional guest experiences, we invite you to apply and bring your leadership and culinary vision to Salamander Middleburg.
