Executive Chef – Upscale American Cuisine
Recruiting Partner: Aimee Krisfalusi
Washington, District of Columbia | Hospitality Operations | Not Remote | $100,000 to $130,000 | Job ID: 181571
Job Summary
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Executive Chef – Elevated American Cuisine
An iconic, destination dining establishment in the heart of Georgetown is seeking an accomplished Executive Chef to lead its culinary program and kitchen operations. This is a high-profile opportunity for a polished, hands-on culinary leader who combines a passion for elevated American cuisine with strong business acumen, operational discipline, and a genuine commitment to developing people.
The ideal candidate has demonstrated success leading a high-volume, upscale restaurant, understands the financial drivers behind a successful kitchen, and knows how to build a culture of excellence, accountability, and respect.
The Opportunity
As Executive Chef, you will have full responsibility for the culinary operation, including food quality, kitchen performance, staffing, training, menu execution, food and labor costs, inventory, and compliance.
You will partner closely with restaurant leadership to deliver an exceptional guest experience while ensuring the kitchen operates efficiently and profitably.
What You Will Do
- Lead all culinary operations, maintaining exceptional standards for food quality, consistency, presentation, and execution.
- Own kitchen performance, including food and labor costs, inventory, ordering, waste control, staffing, scheduling, and P&L results.
- Lead menu development, seasonal refinement, and culinary innovation while maintaining the restaurant's established identity.
- Build, train, coach, and retain a high-performing culinary team through hands-on leadership and clear accountability.
- Establish kitchen systems and processes that support consistency, efficiency, and scalability.
- Monitor food quality, portioning, temperatures, preparation, presentation, and execution across all meal periods.
- Partner with restaurant leadership to align culinary operations with guest experience and overall business objectives.
- Use financial and operational data to identify opportunities to improve profitability and performance.
- Ensure compliance with all health, safety, sanitation, and food-handling requirements.
- Maintain a professional, respectful, and collaborative kitchen culture.
What We Are Looking For
- 2–3+ years of Executive Chef experience in an upscale, high-volume restaurant; experience overseeing an operation of approximately $8M+ in annual revenue is highly desirable.
- Strong command of elevated American cuisine and contemporary culinary techniques.
- Demonstrated experience managing food and labor costs, inventory, purchasing, and kitchen P&L performance.
- Strong understanding of kitchen systems, technology, food costing, and inventory management platforms such as MarginEdge, CTUIT, or similar systems.
- Proven ability to recruit, develop, motivate, and retain culinary talent.
- A polished, hands-on leader who can maintain high standards without losing sight of people and culture.
- Calm, confident, and decisive in a high-volume environment.
- Strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and other business systems.
- A genuine passion for hospitality and delivering memorable guest experiences.
Why This Opportunity
- Competitive base salary plus quarterly performance bonus eligibility
- Five-day workweek designed to support work-life balance
- 100% company-funded pension with vesting after one year
- Immediate 401(k) participation
- Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life, and disability benefits
- Generous paid time off and leave programs
- EAP and other wellness resources
- Tuition reimbursement and professional development opportunities
- Access to employee discounts, shift meals, and more
- Long-term career growth with an established and respected hospitality organization
This is an opportunity for a seasoned culinary leader to take ownership of a high-profile operation, lead an accomplished team, and play a meaningful role in the continued success of an established destination restaurant.
JOB ID: 181571
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Aimee Krisfalusi
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Additional Information
At Goodwin Recruiting, our clients seek qualified candidates, and that is what we deliver. A person’s age, gender, race, color, marital or family status, national origin, disability, religion, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity has no bearing on whether they are able to do the job. We evaluate the knowledge, skills, and abilities that meet the requirements of the position and aim to open doors and change lives. We work hard to identify a broad slate of candidates for each of our clients, with many hiring success stories to share.
