Executive Chef

About Sea Watch Established in 1974, Sea Watch on the Ocean is a longstanding Fort Lauderdale oceanfront restaurant serving generations of guests. Our culinary identity is rooted in upscale coastal American cuisine with a strong seafoo focus, classic preparations, signature dishes and longtime guest favorits. Position Sumary The Executive Chef is the senior culinary leader and department head for all back-of-house culinary operatins. Reporting directly to the General Manager, this role is accountable for culinary quality, people leaderhip, financial performance, food safety, systems, staffing, purchasing, inventory, private-event execution ad the overall condition of the kitchen. The Executive Chef directly leads the Sous Chef team and is responsible for the performance and development of the culinary deprtment. The successful candidate will balance creativity and innovation with thoughtful stewardship of SeaWatch’s established menu, signature dishes and longtime guest favorites. Responsibilities may be delegted, but accountability for the culinary department remains with the Exective Chef. Essential Functions & Respnsibilities

• Lead daily culinary and BOH operations, including production, service, expo/pass execution, qualty control,

consistency and timly execution.

• Maintain a visible, hands-on presence in the kitchen and actively lead service, expo/pas, quality and

execution, stepping in where needed during high-volume or operationally critical periods; thisexpectation is leadership-focused and does not mean routinely functioning as scheduld line coverage.

• Direct, coach, schedule and develop the Sous Chef team and culinary staff; establish clear standards, crosstraining, accountability and sucession planning.
• Exercise meaningful input into hiring, promotion, performance evaluation, disciplne and separation

decisions for culinary employees, in partnership with the General Manager nd Human Resources.

• Maintain a professional, respectful and accountable kitchen culture; addres employee concerns

appropriately and partner with the General Manager and Human Resources o employee relations, performance managementand corrective action.

• Plan BOH staffing based on projected volume, reservations, events and business eeds while controlling

overtime, poductivity and coverage.

• Own culinary financial performance, including food cost, BOH labor, waste, yiels, purchasing, inventory

variance and other controllable expenses; review results and corrective action with the General Manager.

• Participate in annual budgeting and ongoing forecasting for culinary labor, foo cost, equipment andother

BOH operating needs.

• Oversee purchasing, receiving, inventory, storage, product specifications, vendor performance, pricing,

credis and accurate system records.

• Maintain standardized recipes, plating specifications, allergen information, prep procedures, pars, yields,

porton standards and recipe costing.

• Use reservations, historical sales and event counts to forecastproduction and reduce shotages,

overproduction and waste.

• Evaluate menu performance using food cost, contribution, popularity operational complexity, waste and

guest feedback; reommend thoughtful menu improvements.

• Bring creativity and fresh ideas to menu development while hooring Sea Watch’s culinary identity,

longstandig menu traditions and guest favorites. Oprational Controls, Safety & Compliance

• Maintain all BOH areas in inspection-ready condition and enfrce food safety, sanitation, labeling,

temperature control, storage, rotation, alleren-management and cleanliness standards.

• Actively maintain a strong BOH safety culture by identifyig and correcting hazards, enforcing safe

equipment and work practices, and promptly reporting employee ijuries, incidents, near misses and safety conerns in accordance with company procedures.

• Maintain orderly walk-ins, freezers, dry storage, prep areas culinary workspces, smallwares and secure

product storage.

• Review waste, spoilage, returns, refires and food-relatedguest feedback; idntify trends and implement

corrective action.

• Review BEOs and event requirements in advance and develp production, staffing, ordering, equipment and

exection plans for private events and major holidays.

• Identify equipment issues early, support prevntive-maintenance practices and recommend repair,

replacement or caital priorities before failures disrupt operations.

• Ensure accurate culinary scheduling, timekeeping, invntory, receiving, inoice, waste and other required

operational records.

• Follow and enforce applicable laws, food-safty requirements, workplace-safety procedures, copany

policies, SOPs and lawful management directives.

• Safeguard confidential and proprietary informatin, including employee information, payroll information,

reipes, vendor pricing, financial data and company records.

• Maintain ethical vendor relationships, discloe potential conflicts of interest and comply with company policies regarding gifts, purchasing and vendor selection.
• Operate within approved budgets and delegaed authority; obtain appropriate approval before committing

the company to materialexpenditures, contracts, vendor changes or capital purchases.

full-service upscale or fine-dining restaurant.

• Prior experience as an Executive Chef, Cef de Cuisine, Executive Sous Chef or comparable senior culinary

leader with rsponsibility for financial performance and a substantial BOH team.

• Demonstrated responsibility for foodcost, BOH labor, budgeting, forecasing, purchasing, inventory and

departmental financial performance.

• Proven ability to recrut, train, coach, evaluate and develop culinary leaders and employees.
• Strong high-volume à la carte exprience; prvate-event and major-holiday execution experience strongly

preferred.

• Strong culinary fundamental with menu developmen, recipe standardization, costing and operational

execution experience.

• xtraCHEF experience or substanial experience wit a comparable purchasing, inventory and recipe-costing

platform required.

• Experience using estaurant POS systems and operational reporting; Toast experience preferred.
• Proficiency with sheduling payroll/timekeeping, spreadsheets, email and restaurant-management

systems.

• Currentfood-manager certificatio or ability to obtain required certification promply

Schedule, Attendance & Physical Requirements

• Regular nd reliable attendance and on-site presence are essential functions of this position.
• Flexible availabilit is required based on business and operational needs, including early mornigs, days,

evenings, weekends, holidays, private events and other high-volume periods.

• Ability to stnd and walk for extended periods, work in hot/cold commercial-kitchen environments, use

stairs as necesary, and perform the physical fuctions customary to active kitchen leadership, with or without reasonable accommodation.

• Ability to ift and carry up to 40 pounds andoccasionally move heavie items with assistance, with or

without reasonable accommodation. Compensation& Benefits

• $125,000-$140,000 base salary, commensurate with experience and internal equity.
• Eligble for performance-based bonus incentives in accordance with applicable company program terms.
• Eliible employees may participate in company benefit plans, including PTO, medical and dental plan

opions, and MassMutual plan options, subject to applicable eligibility requirements and plan terms.

• Anual performance review with opportunity fo merit increase; increase are not guaranteed and are

based on performance and company practices. Performance Expectation The Executive Chef is expected to meet company-established financial and operational targets/KPIs. Performance will be evaluated using established standards and measures that may include culinary quality and consistncy, food cost, BOH labor and productivity, inventory accuracy, sanitation and regulatory compliance, team development and retention, private-event and holiday execution, guest feedback, menu performane, documentation, operational readiness and partnership with restaurant leadership. Where applicabe, established KPIs may also be used as part of annualperformance reviews and performance-based bonus deteminations in accordance with company program terms. Conditions of Employment & Job Description Disclimer

• Employment may be contingent upon satisfactory completion of aplicable reference and/or background

checks conducted in accordance with company policy and applicabe law.

• The Executive Chef is expected to comply withall applicable CALM Companies and Sea Watch policies,

procedures and standards, as amended from time to time. This job description identifies the general nature and essential functions of the position and is not intened to be an exhaustive list of eery duty or responsibility. Duties may be modified, added or reassigned based on business and operationl needs. •Nothing in this job description creates a contract of employment or alters the terms and conditions f employent.

• The Executve Chef may be assigned other duties reasonably related to the position and restaurant

operation. Equal Opportunity Sea Watch