Heartwood Hospitality Hiring for Executive Chef Job at New London, NH Full Time

Executive Chef

• Location: New London, New Hampshire
• Properties: Inn at Pleasant Lake / Oak & Grain Restaurant; The New London Inn / TBD New Restaurant

Your Destination
Located in New London, New Hampshire, a small yet vibrant community 90 minutes from Boston are The New London Inn and Inn at Pleasant Lake, about 1.5 miles apart. Each property has its own restaurant, each cherished by the community and sought after by visitors and destination seekers.

Oak & Grain Restaurant sits on a 4.5 acre property on Pleasant Lake, complete with 2 dining rooms, a charming barn, and an expansive event lawn. The dining experience is experiential and memorable, offering both a la carte dining and a 5-course tasting menu. The daily breakfast offering gives each guest at the Inn an opportunity to jump start their date with a wholesome, delicious offering.

The restaurant at The New London Inn is about to begin a several month makeover and reconcept, launching as a fresh new face on the New England dining scene. The time is perfect to come aboard and help us to make this restaurant the greatest neighborhood restaurant, one that every community longs for.

Why Choose Us
To us, genuine human connections make people’s lives better, and we live for those moments and relish in those opportunities. Not just for our guests, but for each other, especially those who work here. We are a family that values each and everyone’s own unique superpowers and strive to put people in positions to best harness them.

We detest soulless, generic hospitality that makes people feel like an afterthought and celebrate that we are in the ‘business’ of creating remarkable, memorable, “unreasonable” hospitality. No one thing we do in our day is more important than making each and every guest, and our fellow team members, feel seen and heard.

Your Job, in our Words
We recognize that Executive Chef is not just a title given, it is earned through dedication, sacrifice, a willingness to both teach and learn, a commitment to excellence and a talent for the culinary craft. One that comes with great responsibility, which should be equally celebrated and rewarded. It is a role that requires juggling finely tuned consistency with developing fresh ideas, while keeping things familiar, unpretentious and crave worthy.

Our appreciation for the many dynamic contributions of the Executive Chef has led us to crafting an operating model that places the chef as a “co-captain” of our business, a partner to the General Manager, helping to bring alignment on the strategies to exceeding the business’s goals.

As the new Executive Chef, you’ll be responsible for overseeing an enthusiastic and friendly team, ensuring we offer our guests a top-notch dining experience. We’re looking for an experienced chef who is committed to the creation and execution of exceptionally crafted food, motivated by an unwavering sense of hospitality, and driven to ensure each guests’ experience guarantees their return. One whose competitive spirit fuels a need to maintain a well-organized, profitable operation, sustained through clearly mapped out systems and expectations. Above all else, they will inspire and mentor our team to achieve greatness, every day.

For all the exceptional skills you bring to the table, you’ll receive highly competitive pay and benefits, all while collaborating with a team of motivated-to-make-it-happen coworkers who share a passion for memorable experiences and caring service. In joining you’ll become part of the Heartwood Hospitality and Verdigreen Hotels’ family of places to stay, dine, celebrate and seek adventure — with many opportunities for professional and personal growth.

You Matter
It all runs from you. The spirited, passionate, authentic you – with your distinct background, gifts, experiences, and unique persona – is fully welcome, and important here. Because we know that when people can be themselves at work, they shine. We also know that work is not life, but that the best work enhances life. So your work-life balance is important to us. You should honor your day off, make it holy. And when you are present, be present. Guests feel it; staff feels it, you’ll feel it too.

What You’ll Do
Use your experience and knowledge of food industry trends, classics, and seasonal ingredients to create an exciting, innovative, and delicious seasonal menu! Lead daily operations with efficiency, integrity, patience, awareness, and compassion. You’ll own team leadership, communication, training, development, and problem resolution all the while providing outstanding service to our guests along the way. You’ll act as an advocate for the restaurant, be a creator of ridiculously personal experiences, and develop relationships with guests that will compel them to return.

Some of your responsibilities include:

• Serve as a Department Head to provide leadership and set standards of culinary excellence
• Work with Property leadership and Ownership in planning, implementing, and supporting new concepts and activations
• Develop fresh and on-concept menus, accompanied by finely tuned recipes, costed to ensure target margins across multiple concepts and venues, as well as banquet and catering events.
• Make sure all food products are consistently prepared and served according to recipes, portioning, and cooking standards.
• Actively contribute to a work environment that emphasizes positivity, balance, enthusiasm, exceptional service, and teamwork
• Hire, train and supervise staff that will be an asset to the team
• Develop and mentor future leaders through example and accountability
• Establish on-going training for front and back of house team members
• Stay current on developing trends in the restaurant industry
• Create, institute and uphold systems to ensure smooth, consistent operations
• Support exceptional front-of-house guest service through training, education, and effective communication
• Participate in on-site and off-site property marketing events and trade shows
• Collaborates with other Departments to ensure a seamless guest experience
• Set cleaning standards, maintain clean working environments, and ensure kitchen staff maintains sanitation levels.
• Ensure all equipment is kept in excellent working condition through personal inspection and by following the restaurant’s preventative maintenance programs.
• Establish order guides, direct product ordering, and collaborate with local vendors and producers to select best product-for-value needs based on menu, seasonality, and market demand
• Monitor inventory and purchasing supplies and food from approved vendors
• Direct and assist staff in meal preparation, creation, plating, and delivery
• Identify and introduce new culinary techniques
• Responsible for meeting financial targets while achieving food quality and service objectives.
• Fully understand and follow all regulations that pertain to health, safety, and labor requirements of the restaurant, employees, and guests.
• Schedule labor while ensuring that all positions are staffed when needed while maintaining labor cost objectives.
• Lead and participate in ongoing service education through facilitating daily line-ups, quarterly menu meetings, and new back and front of house training programs.
• Interview, hire, and train employees; plan, assign, and direct work; appraise performance; reward and discipline employees; address complaints and offer positive solutions to issues.
• Be knowledgeable of restaurant policies regarding employees and together with the Human Resources Representative administer prompt, fair, and consistent corrective action for any and all violations of company policies, rules, and procedures.

What You Bring

• 2 or 4 year degree in Culinary Arts or Hospitality Management is preferred.
• Minimum 3 years of experience as an Executive Chef, preferably leading large, fast-paced, multi-outlet kitchens.
• Passionate about industry trends and techniques and knowledgeable of product, presentation, quality, and preparation, menu concept, design, food costing, and people management.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills that foster positive working relationships with all teammates.
• Able to work with PR and Marketing in the creation of campaigns and budgets.
• Flexible schedule, available to work weekends, nights, mornings, and holidays when needed.
• Food Handler Certification, Alcohol Awareness Certification (if applicable).
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, restaurant POS system, inventory management and/or procurement software experience, payroll and timekeeping software, business & accounting software may be required.

Differences make a difference. We are committed to creating a culture that reflects the diversity of our hotel and restaurant guests. With that goal in mind, we encourage each of our employees to understand, accept, and celebrate differences among people. That includes different personalities, lifestyles, work styles, education, and experience. We also welcome and embrace people of all races, ethnicities, ages, religions, physical abilities, sexual orientation, gender identities and genders.

Be Your Best Self. Make Every Moment Count.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $100,000.00 – $150,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Food provided
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Experience level:

• 5 years

Pay rate:

• Yearly pay

Shift:

• 10 hour shift

Supplemental pay types:

• Bonus pay

Weekly day range:

• Weekend availability

Work setting:

• Casual dining restaurant
• Fine dining restaurant
• Hotel
• Upscale casual restaurant

Work Location: One location