Direct-hire recruiting
Executive Chef Recruiters
An executive chef has two jobs that pull in opposite directions: create food guests come back for, and run a kitchen that hits cost and labor targets every week. Plenty of chefs can do one. The ones worth hiring do both, and keep a crew together while they do it.
We recruit executive chefs for full-service restaurants, resorts, boutique hotels and private clubs. We look past the plating photos to how a chef runs the kitchen on a Tuesday, not just a tasting night.
What to look for
What a great executive chef brings
Food that fits the concept
They cook for your guests and your brand, not for their own resume.
Cost discipline
They cost every recipe, manage ordering tightly and hit food-cost targets consistently.
Kitchen leadership
They build sous chefs, keep line cooks and run a kitchen without yelling.
Consistency
They write recipes and systems so the dish tastes the same on their day off.
Safety and sanitation
They pass inspections because the habits are daily, not because of a scramble.
For employers
Hire an executive chef
To hire an executive chef, define the job first: a chef who cooks and leads one kitchen, a chef who runs several outlets, or a culinary leader for a resort or club. The title is the same, but the work isn't.
What an executive chef owns
- Menu development and costing
- Kitchen operations, food safety and sanitation
- Food cost and kitchen labor
- Hiring and developing sous chefs and cooks
- Purchasing and vendor relationships
What to screen for
- Business results: food cost and labor percentages, not only dishes
- Comparable kitchen: size and volume similar to yours
- Range: banquet or multi-outlet experience if you need it
- Bench strength: sous chefs they've developed
- A tasting: a working interview or tasting, set up with clear expectations
How our search works
We recruit employed managers at comparable properties through direct outreach, screen each one against your brief, and send you a short list of vetted candidates. You pay nothing until you hire. Our fee is 18% of first-year base salary, with a $9,000 minimum, and every placement carries a six-month (180-day) replacement guarantee. See how much hospitality recruiters charge to compare.
Related reading: How to hire a food and beverage director · How much do hospitality recruiters charge? · 2026 hospitality manager salary guide
Submit a searchWhere we recruit
We recruit nationwide, in all 50 states. Browse our market pages:
Compensation
Executive chef salary in 2026
- Base pay range (10th–90th percentile)
- $55k – $107k
- Average base
- $77,077
- Annual bonus
- $1k–$17k
See every role in our salary guide.
Our process
How we recruit executive chefs
We talk through your menu, volume, outlets, team size and what you need most right now: a creative reset, tighter costs or a stable kitchen culture. We put that in a written profile so every candidate is measured the same way.
Then we approach employed chefs and strong executive sous chefs at comparable operations. We verify their numbers, talk to people who have worked for them and confirm why they'd move. You meet a short list ready for a tasting, and we help manage the offer and transition.
Every placement is a permanent, direct hire on your payroll. You pay a contingency fee only if you hire our candidate, and every placement carries our six-month replacement guarantee.
Open now
Executive chef jobs open now
No openings right now — submit a search or send us your resume.
FAQ
Executive chef recruiting FAQs
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Ready to hire?
Tell us about the role. A recruiter will call you within one business day.
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