Senior Executive Chef , Berkeley Dining

Senior Executive Chef (5232U), Berkeley Dining - 83396

First Review Date: 01/19/2026. Applications will be reviewed until 01/29/2026; please submit by that date for full consideration.

As the Senior Executive Chef for Campus Restaurants, this position oversees and coordinates culinary activities across multiple locations to ensure consistently high food quality, exceptional guest experiences, and operational excellence. This role includes developing and executing diverse menus, managing procurement and inventory, maintaining strict compliance with food safety and allergen guidelines, and driving cost control measures to optimize food costs and ensure fiscal sustainability.

Additionally, this position leads and mentors a large culinary team, offering training and guidance to maintain high culinary standards and improve team skills.

• Lead the culinary operations across multiple locations, ensuring consistency in food quality and service.
• Develop and execute menus across different venues, including daily and seasonal menus, while considering guest preferences and operational needs.
• Audit and ensure compliance with food preparation standards, including sanitation, allergen guidelines, and safety regulations across all locations.
• Oversee catering production and ensure high standards for special events, as needed.
• Adjust production levels as needed to meet demand, ensuring a seamless dining experience.
• Lead recipe standardization across units to maintain consistency and elevate the dining experience in each location.
• Regularly taste and evaluate food quality to ensure high culinary standards are met across all campus restaurant locations.
• May be the vehicle or gas card custodian for a University vehicle which may result in direct responsibility in refueling and maintaining the vehicle per University guidelines and policies.
• Support operations by driving university vehicle to transport, pick‑up and/or drop‑off items such as marketing materials, tabling and events materials, food goods and supplies, kitchen equipment, uniform, and/or shoes, operational materials, or other operational needs that can be transferred amongst the larger department. Driving duties may require timely arrival and departure of Dining location(s) to meet service deadlines and/or needs.

• Manage procurement and inventory processes, ensuring that all locations are properly stocked while minimizing waste and controlling food costs.
• Develop and implement cost control measures to meet fiscal goals for each unit.
• Collaborate with the finance team to align with budget requirements, ensuring financial sustainability across all units.

• Provide leadership to a large and diverse culinary team, offering guidance and fostering a collaborative environment across multiple units.
• Train and mentor culinary staff to ensure they meet food safety, allergen compliance, and quality control standards.
• Develop training programs to enhance team skills in areas such as recipe execution, large kitchen equipment handling, and menu management systems.

• Ensure that every dining location delivers a memorable and high‑quality dining experience, exceeding guest expectations.
• Regularly meet with students and other stakeholders to address allergen and dietary requests.
• Conduct quality control analysis to optimize the overall guest experience.

• Collaborate with marketing and the culinary team to roll out new culinary programs that resonate with the diverse campus community.
• Innovate menu offerings by incorporating seasonal ingredients, trending flavors, and sustainability‑focused initiatives.

• Actively drive continuous improvement initiatives across all culinary operations, leveraging guest feedback, team input, and market trends to refine the dining experience.
• Other duties as assigned and professional development.

• 3+ years of demonstrated experience in a senior culinary leadership role, such as Executive Chef, Kitchen Manager, or…