Executive Chef

“Invest yourself in everything you do. There’s fun in being serious.” – Wynton Marsalis

At Nocturne, we believe that hospitality is a sacred and noble enterprise.  We are looking for people who find joy in striving for excellence and take great pride in being hospitality professionals. If you have a casual approach to the hospitality business, we recommend saving your time and applying elsewhere, because we only invest in those who invest in themselves as professionals.

Here are the details for our Executive Chef position:

This is a working chef leadership position. It’s a balance between creative menu development and consistent execution. Manage a small culinary team while working closely with the ownership and management team on creating seasonally inspired dishes including a Chef’s Tasting Menu. Our expectations of our team are high, and we expect this leader to share in our goal for quality in all areas of operations.

Duties might include all the details that go into the seamless delivery of the guest experience.  These include, but aren’t limited to:

• Food preparation, butchery, kitchen operation oversight, cooking, and plating
• Build and maintain the culinary team including hiring, training, and disciplinary action of all culinary employees with compliance of all processes and procedures as directed by ownership.
• Scheduling heart of house personnel based on the volume expectations of the restaurant
• Leading pre-shift meetings, all-staff trainings, and departmental meetings in person in order to enhance communications and gain knowledge of products, service and facility.
• Creating, testing, and implementing new menu items including a Chef’s Tasting Menu, private event menus, special event menus, wine tasting dinners, and family meals for staff.
• Taking inspiration from jazz artists, iconic albums, and local farmers. 
• Training line cooks and stewards to meet and exceed all expectations of the customer and their fellow employees
• Ensuring total compliance with all health and safety laws at all times
• Be confident in problem solving in the moment, and able to communicate the fix to others
• Attending to guest requests in a positive and professional manner even if said requests require staff to go out of their way. If we can meet guest requests without sacrificing service then it is required.
• Coordinate and execute off site events as needed
• Ensuring that quality product at the best price is delivered in appropriate quantities and utilized with minimal amounts of waste.
• Maintaining appropriate inventory system (i.e. Craftable) and ensuring all items are stored and labeled in accordance with expectations
• Maintaining and executing prep lists ensuring consistent availability of menu items.
• Ensuring quality control and cost controls in all activities in the heart of house.
• Completing all restocking and cleaning duties by performing opening and closing side work as instructed.
• Maintaining cleanliness standards in order to have a clean, presentable and attractive facility and to satisfy state and local health board requirements.
• Know the basics about our Point of Sale operation and maintenance. 
• Responding to customer inquiries and comments in person by providing timely and knowledgeable information in order to provide quality customer service.
• Presenting a clean and professional appearance at all times.
• Maintaining a professional, fun, and courteous demeanor at all times.
• Performing other duties as assigned, requested or deemed necessary by management. (In other words, as a team player, you might be asked to pitch in for things we haven’t even imagined yet and so we couldn’t include them on this list).
• During the course of your shift, if a ball is dropping, your job is to catch it.

Qualifications

• Must have full understanding of Nocturne’s operations including how music set times impact service, Renditions events, private events, etc. This knowledge can be gained on the job but ideally candidates will have already worked within the Nocturne system before being promoted. 
• Must have a great attitude and high regard for upholding food standards.
• Must have high attention to detail and ability to follow specific standards and procedures with consistency.
• Must have knife skills and general knowledge of butchery, food preparation, and cost reduction processes.
• ·Must have experience in leading others.
• Must be fluent in oral and written English.
• Must have adequate knowledge of MS Excel or Google Sheets for input of recipes, costs, and inventory calculations.
• Must have vision ability to clearly see detailed guest checks, computer print outs, written instructions and to observe entire restaurant in dimly lit conditions.
• ·Must have manual coordination to punch buttons, grasp items in hand, and to balance and carry trays loaded with food and beverages.
• Must have ability to perform multiple tasks at one time.
• Must be able to follow verbal and written instructions, and be able to communicate both verbally and in writing.
• Must be able to perform job duties in crowded and noisy situations, particularly when handling multiple tasks.
• Must have High School Diploma or GED equivalent - a post high-school culinary degree is preferred.

Not required, but nice to have:

• Three or more years of experience as a Chef De Cuisine, Kitchen Manager, or Executive Chef
• Previous experience in full service restaurants
• Knowledge of wine and wine pairings
• Appreciation for agriculture, nature, and sustainability

Materials/Equipment Used

Computerized order machine, touch screens, basic writing materials, restaurant equipment including but not limited to coffee machines, ice machines, beverage dispensers, and dishwashing machines.

Environment

Physically strenuous: prolonged standing, walking, lifting and carrying for 6 - 8 hours per day in an indoor environment.  High noise levels, fast-paced, fun, and rewarding.

Salary range:

Based on experience with a starting range of $65,000 - $79,000