Customer Dedicated Executive Chef

Annual Hiring Range:

• $145,000-$150,000/Per Year
• This position is eligible for incentive pay of 20% of the annual base salary, dependent upon successful attainment of company, team, and individual goals.

Benefits

• Paid time off
• 401k, with company match
• Company sponsored life insurance
• Medical, dental, vision plans
• Voluntary short-term/long-term disability insurance
• Voluntary life, accident, and hospital plans
• Employee Assistance Program
• Commuter benefits
• Employee Discounts

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Ensures Gate Gourmet can deliver world class menu development and production services to a strategic customer that reflects the Airlines signature culinary style

• Be the gategroup expert with respect to the customer experience the airline creates and consistently deliver to its passengers through in-flight meals

• Secures the confidence of the customer and strengthen the levels of consistent quality service.

• Assists the customer with the development of food philosophies and standards and ensure gategroup has the capability to deliver consistently against the customers culinary standards

• Builds relationships with Regional Executive Chefs and Airline Unit Chefs to ensure clear communication of expectations and deliverables. Articulate the customer needs with respect to raw materials, identify and secure suppliers to meet the requirements, potentially outside gategroup’s supplier list

• Partners with the Customer Lead Executive Chefs and Regional Executive Chefs to ensure seamless integration of menu requirements into production and ensure menus are consistently executable in-flight via gate gourmet or supplier partner production environment

• Be a trusted point of contact for the customer regarding Menus, Food and Kitchen service requirements.

• Works closely with gategroup’s Total Cost Management (TCM) organization. Assure new specifications, recipes and photos are properly documented and delivered for pricing analysis

• Monitors customer feedback and ensure appropriate corrective actions are taken in a timely manner.

• Measures success based on KPI’s that are mutually agreed by gategroup and the customer including but not limited to margin, customer satisfaction, quality and recipe management

• Travels to designated units and fly specified routes to learn, inspect, audit, train and make recommendations for improvements

• Prepares all culinary aspects of the presentation to the customer during a tender including but not limited to the food presentation, messaging, ingredients and physical appearance of the local kitchen

• Actively participates as a member of the account management team that includes and Executive Management Board sponsor, VP Group Culinary Excellence and Global Account Director making contributions that result in winning, retaining and/or building the business

• Actively participates as a member of the Gate Gourmet global dedicated S.P.I.C.E (Sustaining Progress in Culinary Excellence) program

• Creates a joint responsibility for the customer satisfaction between the local kitchens and the dedicated chef team

• Maintains the standard of skill and service levels of multiple customer dedicated production chefs and support these dotted line reports in the operations at key locations to balance the need to meet the dedicated customers’ requirements

• Develops and refreshes all menus globally in line with the Airlines culinary style to create an appealing customer experience

• Prepares menu and food reports by collecting, analyzing and summarizing food, dining and customer trend data

• Represents the customer and Gate Gourmet at media events, special affairs, inaugural events, food fairs, exhibitions and seminars as requested

• Acts as an Ambassador for gategroup

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Qualifications

Education:

• Apprenticeship, AOS or compatible degree in Culinary Arts and/or Bachelor’s Degree in Business and/or Hospitality

• Catering diploma or City and Guilds, or other appropriate qualification

Work Experience:

• 3-5 years of experience within in-flight catering preferred

• 4 years of Menu Development and operational experience

• Global style, proficiency in fusion cooking

• Previous menu development responsibility in a fine dining environment

• A sound knowledge and experience of Asian cuisines and modern European cuisines

• Working knowledge and experience of HACCP stands and equivalent

• Experience presenting to clients/customers and building/maintaining appropriate relationships

Language / Communication Skills:

• Relationship and Strategic Account Management Skills 

• Capacity to manage the movement and schedules of colleagues and customers globally

• Able to speak publicly and represent Gate Gourmet with confidence and professionalism

• Proficient culinary knowledge of terms, procedures and practices and be able to teach these techniques

• Excellent customer interaction and presentation skills and be able to teach these techniques

• Good interoffice skills, pleasant, professional office demeanor

• Must exhibit patience and “mentor-like” abilities

• English language skills required, additional languages a plus

Job Dimensions

External Relationships:Customer and others as needed

Work Environment / Requirements of the Job:

• Must be able to regularly stand, bend, lift, and move intermittently during work schedules of 10+ hours

• Must be able to withstand a normal production kitchen facility where there may be physical discomfort due to varying temperature and noise levels

• Must be able to lift, push, pull and move product, equipment, supplies, etc., in excess of twenty five (25) pounds

• Occasionally requires working weekends and holidays

Budget / Revenue Responsibility:TBD

Organization Structure

Direct Line Manager (Title):Vice President, Group Culinary Excellence

Dotted Line Manager (Title, if applicable):Global Account Director and Regional Executive Chef

• Thinking – Information Search and analysis & problem resolution skills

• Engaging – Understanding others, Team Leadership and Developing People

• Inspiring – Influencing and building relationships, Motivating and Inspiring, Communicating effectively

• Achieving – Delivering business results under pressure, Championing Performance Improvement and Customer Focus

Demonstrated Values to be Successful in the Position

Employees at gategroup are expected to live our Values of Excellence, Integrity, Passion and Accountability. To demonstrate these Values, we expect to observe the following from everyone:

• We treat each other with respect and we act withintegrity

• We communicate and keep each other informed

• We put our heads together to problem solve and deliverexcellenceas a team

• We have passion for our work and we pay attention to the little details

• We foster an environment of accountability, take responsibility for our actions and learn from our mistakes

• We do what we say we will do, when we say we are going to do it

• We care about our coworkers, always taking an opportunity to make someone’s day better

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the individual(s) assigned to this position.  They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required.  Management reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and to assign other duties as necessary.  In addition, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.