Executive Chef

Imagine standing where dawn first breaks over Napa Valley-where the sun's earliest rays illuminate vineyard rows and endless possibility unfolds. This is The Elene, Greek for "shining light."

Opening July 2026, The Elene is a 50-room luxury resort where elegance meets intimacy in Wine Country's most elevated form. We're not building another hotel. We're creating a place where comfort invites you to be exactly who you are-where culinary artistry, radical connection, and the soul-stirring beauty of Napa converge into something genuinely transformative.

Under the culinary direction of an acclaimed chef, our food and beverage program celebrates landscape and community through Italian technique and Napa terroir. A chef-driven restaurant. An artisan cafe pulsing with morning energy. Poolside moments enhanced by thoughtful service. Event spaces that hold everything from intimate gatherings of 40 to vineyard-view celebrations for 250.

But the real magic? It's in how we frame nature. How we build opportunities for unprecedented fun and vulnerability. How we prioritize human connection over flash and formality. With a stabilized Average Daily Rate exceeding $900, The Elene represents conscious luxury at its finest-deliberate, impactful hospitality where excess has no place and every detail serves the guest experience.

The Elene joins the distinguished Mosaic Hotel Collection-a family of Northern California boutique properties including El Dorado Hotel in Sonoma, North Block Hotel in Yountville, The Madrona in Healdsburg, Olema House in Point Reyes, and Campos Polanco in Mexico City. Under the stewardship of Palisades Hospitality Group, each Mosaic property reflects an authentic connection to the place. The Elene will illuminate Napa Valley's essence like nowhere else.

This is a once-in-a-career opportunity to build something extraordinary from the ground up. To be part of a pre-opening team that doesn't just serve guests-we create the conditions for magic to happen. For friendships to grow. For people to feel alive and present. For moments that linger long after departure.

If you're drawn to hospitality as craft, inspired by the wine country's natural beauty, energized by the challenge of opening a world-class property, and ready to help us bring the first light to Napa's newest destination-let's talk.

We're looking for collaborators who are considered in their approach, human in their interactions, and alive with curiosity. People who understand that real luxury is quality time and meaningful exchanges. Who knows that the best hospitality suggests rather than prescribes.

Ready to find your light at The Elene?

The Executive Chef is the culinary leader responsible for all food production, kitchen operations, and culinary team development across The Elene's multiple outlets. Reporting to the Managing Director and working in close partnership with Consulting Chef, the Executive Chef ensures exceptional food quality, operational excellence, financial performance, and team leadership worthy of a world-class Napa Valley property.

This position requires a sophisticated culinary professional who can execute at the highest level, lead with warmth and accountability, manage complex operations efficiently, and build a culinary team culture rooted in craft and hospitality. This is a hands-on leadership role requiring both strategic thinking and daily presence on the line.

This is a pre-opening position requiring 16+ weeks of intensive work before opening, followed by hands-on leadership through ramp-up and stabilization. Please see the complete Job Description attached for full details.

Required:

• Minimum 5 years progressive culinary experience in high-end restaurants or luxury hotels
• Minimum 2 years as Executive Chef, Chef de Cuisine, or Senior Sous Chef in upscale environment
• Proven ability to execute refined, ingredient-driven cuisine at high volume
• Strong understanding of Italian cuisine, techniques, and ingredients (given concept partnership with Matthew Accarrino)
• Demonstrated financial acumen: food costing, inventory management, P&L…