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 Sea Watch’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.