Executive Chef - High Ridge Country Club

EXECUTIVE CHEF PROFILE HIGH RIDGE COUNTRY CLUB LANTANA, FL THE EXECUTIVE CHEF OPPORTUNITY AT HIGH RIDGE COUNTRY CLUB The Executive Chef opportunity at High Ridge is in one of Lantana, FL's most established communities, and an excellent opportunity for candidates with exceptional culinary talent and leadership. A perfect opportunity to continue their culinary reputation by working at an award recognized club. The clubhouse and kitchen are perfectly positioned for success. An Executive Chef who can see the vision shared by club leadership and committee, while developing events together, will completely align with such a celebrated role. Food and Beverage is a key amenity to all 307 members in the club's diverse dining venues, high-end catering operations, and well-designed kitchen. This position is best suited for candidates with experience in high-quality and high-touch environments frequently enjoyed by Members. Creativity will be required to enhance the club traditions along with new events. ABOUT HIGH RIDGE COUNTRY CLUB Located just south of Palm Beach, it is one of South Florida’s premier private country clubs. Recognized as one of the “10 Best Private Golf Courses in Florida,” High Ridge is known for its exceptional course conditions, natural beauty, and commitment to excellence. The Club operates with a first-class, member-focused philosophy and fosters a welcoming, family-like culture that sets it apart. In 2020, its newly constructed clubhouse was honored as the #1 New Private Clubhouse of the Year by, further elevating its reputation for quality and innovation. Situated in the heart of South Florida, just minutes from the beaches and vibrant lifestyle of Palm Beach County, High Ridge benefits from an exceptional location. The area offers a unique blend of coastal beauty, cultural attractions, upscale shopping, and fine dining, along with convenient access to major airports and business centers. With year-round sunshine and an active outdoor lifestyle, the region provides an outstanding quality of life for both residents and professionals seeking to grow their careers in a dynamic and desirable community. High Ridge offers a full complement of premier amenities designed to deliver an exceptional member experience. The championship golf course is Florida Audubon Certified and thoughtfully maintained to the highest standards. In addition to golf, members enjoy tennis and pickleball programs, an active social calendar, and outstanding dining experiences ranging from casual gatherings to elegant dinner events. The state-of-the-art clubhouse features beautifully appointed dining spaces, event areas, and member lounges that support year-round programming and special events. Every aspect of the Club reflects its dedication to service excellence and operational quality. HIGH RIDGE COUNTRY CLUB BY THE NUMBERS: • Approximately 275 Members | Average age of membership: 74 • Total Annual Gross Volume $15.5M • Annual Food Volume Approximately $1.9M • Annual Beverage Volume Approximately $260k • 1 Kitchens|7,800sq ft • Total Number of FB Outlets: 3 plus private dining spaces and banquet spaces • Around 37k Covers Per Year • 1-2 Weddings a year (member sponsored only) • Target food cost: 52% • Annual Kitchen Gross Payroll Approximately $1.4M • Closed on Mondays during the Off Season (May – October) • 29 direct/indirect reports – including stewarding • The Club uses Jonas Encore POS HIGH RIDGE COUNTRY CLUB WEBSITE: www.highridgecc.com FOOD & BEVERAGE OPERATIONS Dining Room (431 Maximum Occupancy) classic ballroom like space with access to the outside space for catering and views of the grounds. All the dining spaces have direct access to the kitchen for high quality product delivery of the culinary products. Grille Room (120 Maximum Occupancy) modern space directly off the lobby. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner spaces with accessible buffet units, for continental breakfast, lunch, and themed dinner services. This comfortable space has access to the lobby, patio, and is directly across the hall from the dining room. Patio (160 Maximum Occupancy) beautiful, covered space with direct views of the golf course and grounds. This space is flexible with direct access to the lobby and Grille Room dining space. Occupied during the winter months when the weather allows for the best dining experience. Lobby/Bar center piece of the lobby is the designer bar, and comfortable seating surrounding the themed bar space. Perfect for a la carte and catered events, with the bar at a perfect height for food presentations when the catering events are the main experience. Men’s and Women’s Cardrooms are directly off the lobby, with complimentary snacks during the hours of use. Each space is aligned next to the others. Comfortable, bright, and very modern feeling. Boardroom aligned next to the Grille Room with convertible walls to gain access to this space or sustain personalized meetings and celebrations. EXECUTIVE CHEF JOB OVERVIEW The Executive Chef is the culinary leader of our prestigious private country club, known for its refined dining experiences and warm, community-driven culture. This role oversees all culinary operations, from upscale à la carte dining to large-scale events, while honoring the preferences and traditions of our membership. The Executive Chef will shape the club’s culinary identity, elevate standards of excellence, and collaborate closely with all departments to deliver exceptional member experiences. Reports to the Club’s General Manager. The Executive Chef (EC) at High Ridge Country Club is responsible for the day-to-day leadership and execution of all culinary operations, including the primary dining outlet and select banquet and private event functions. In this close-knit club environment, the EC is a hands-on leader who is deeply involved in menu development, food purchasing specifications, and recipe execution, while ensuring consistent quality, strong cost controls, and adherence to the highest standards of food safety and sanitation. Working closely with the culinary team and the club’s leadership, the Executive Chef leads, mentors, and develops the kitchen staff through active presence on the floor and in the kitchen. The EC establishes clear standards, systems, and expectations, fostering accountability, teamwork, and pride in execution. Through strong communication, approachability, and a commitment to excellence, the Executive Chef plays a visible and integral role in delivering a memorable and consistent dining experience for the Club’s members. Leadership • Take full ownership of the culinary team; build trust by engaging, observing, learning, and listening to their wisdom, experience, and needs. • Earn members' trust by instilling confidence through continued enhanced operations, interaction, and visibility. • Create a fun, collaborative work environment while being "hands-on" when necessary but understanding when to step back and lead the team. • Involve team members in the decision-making process of how "work gets done" and create a work environment of mutual respect in which people want to come to and participate every day. • Work closely with the front-of-house leadership and broader club leadership team to ensure a cohesive experience that consistently exceeds expectations for Members and guests. • Be an active and dynamic recruiter of team members and someone who inherently enjoys developing and building his/her team and leading them to significant, positive membership satisfaction outcomes. • A passion and aptitude for teaching and training all food service personnel, working as necessary with the team directly responsible for operations to create a learning culture of development. Operations • Be a collaborative team player who is willing to be “hands-on” within the operations daily, while training the team to take ownership and step back when appropriate. • Develop and maintain standard recipes and techniques for food preparation and presentation that help to ensure consistency, high-quality, and minimize food costs. • Be well-versed in menu development and execution of various cuisine types and styles. • Attend Food and Beverage, Leadership, Financial, and other Meetings and represent the culinary team as a senior leader at the club. • Establish controls to minimize food and supply waste and theft. Safeguard all food-preparation employees by implementing training to increase their knowledge about safety, sanitation, and accident prevention principles. • Maintain safety training programs. Manages OSHA-related aspects of kitchen safety and maintains MSDSs in an easily accessible location. • Incorporates Jewish culinary traditions and holiday observances into menu planning where appropriate. • Participates in member events, tastings, and culinary showcases to enhance engagement and satisfaction. Membership • Have a heart of hospitality, embrace, appreciate, promote, and elevate the warmth and culture of the Club. • Be highly visible and engaged with Membership throughout the F&B outlets and events, have an intuitive feel for where to be and when. • Welcome, encourage, and engage in regular feedback from Members. • Be responsive to Members’ requests for menu selections, event planning, etc., and strive to find creative ways to accommodate reasonable requests with a “can-do” approach • Consistently innovate, elevate events, and build on a core selection of club favorites and signature dishes. • Create seasonally appropriate menus that the Membership has a hard time choosing from, with regular features and specials. • Cultural awareness and sensitivity, particularly regarding Jewish culinary traditions and dietary considerations. Financial • Clearly understand the metrics for successful attainment of financial goals and objectives in F&B operations and consistently reviews these expectations with his or her direct reports to ensure understanding and ‘buy-in’ from those contributing to their attainment. • Oversee the pricing of menus for all outlets in the club and for special occasions and events. Schedule and coordinate the work of chefs, cooks, and other kitchen employees to ensure that food preparation is economical and technically correct, and within budgeted labor cost goals. • Embrace the use of systems (including regular inventory processes) and technology to assist in the management of the kitchen and the financial performance of the operation. • Monitor payroll and labor resource allocations to ensure they are in line with financial forecasting and goals. • Maintain strong relationships with local vendors and identify new vendors to ensure the best prices for the best quality products. INITIAL PRIORITIES OF THE EXECUTIVE CHEF • Set a Culture of Quality and Pride: Establish clear expectations around food quality, cleanliness, and execution, and ensure that member favorites and special offerings are prepared with care, consistency, and attention to detail. • Focus on Consistency and the Fundamentals: Prioritize doing the basics well every day, strong organization, sound systems, and reliable execution, so members can count on a consistently positive dining experience. • Get to Know the Members: Take time to understand member preferences, dining habits, and traditions, maintaining popular staples while building trust through responsiveness and familiarity. • Introduce Thoughtful Creativity: Refresh menus and features in a way that feels approachable and appropriate for the Club, balancing creativity with comfort and familiarity. • Lead and Develop the Team: Serve as a hands-on leader and mentor, supporting staff development through coaching, training, and clear expectations while fostering a positive, collaborative kitchen culture. • Be Present and Approachable: Maintain a visible, welcoming presence in the kitchen and dining areas, building strong relationships with members, staff, and leadership. • Provide Steady, Practical Leadership: Offer calm, organized leadership within a smaller operation, working closely with the front-of-house and management team to support teamwork, communication, and shared goals. CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS • Ten years’ experience in a similar role with exposure to luxury hospitality, or large multi-outlet operations with both busy a la carte and banquets. • Ten years of food production and management. • Experience working with or knowledge of Jewish cuisine, holidays, and dietary customs (kosher familiarity is a plus, though not required unless specified by the club). • Knowledge and experience in multiple culinary techniques and traditions, including Classical French, Modernist/Contemporary, Mediterranean & Middle Eastern, Italian, Asian, American Regional & Contemporary, Baking & Pastry, and Banquet & High-Volume. • Strong business acumen with experience managing budgets, vendors, and operational systems. • Proven track record of strong budgetary and operational management skills with significant experience in recruiting, staffing, training, and supervising large groups of employees. • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills are required in the job. • Proficiency in written and oral business communications is desired. • Experience creating and managing private tournaments for men’s, ladies', and children's is desired • Experienced with and embraces new technology, including POS and Microsoft Suite. EDUCATIONAL AND CERTIFICATION QUALIFICATIONS • A secondary education degree is preferred with a focus on Hospitality Management or Culinary. • In lieu of the degree, substantial culinary or hospitality experience will be considered. • Has achieved or is working towards Certified Executive Chef (CEC) certification through the American Culinary Federation (ACF) or Pro Chef II certification through the Culinary Institute of America. • Food Safety Certified EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. SALARY AND BENEFITS Salary is open and commensurate with qualifications and experience. The club offers an excellent bonus and benefits package, including association membership. INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO APPLY Please upload your resume and cover letter, in that order, using the link below. You should have your documents fully prepared to be attached when prompted for them during the online application process. Please be sure your image is not present on your resume or cover letter; that should be used on your LinkedIn Profile. Prepare a thoughtful cover letter addressed to Mr. Ryan Artim, General Manager/CEO, High Ridge Country Club . Clearly articulate your alignment with this role, why you want to be considered for this position at this stage of your career, and why HRCC and the Lantana, FL area will benefit you, your family, your career, and the Club if selected. You must apply for this role as soon as possible, but no later than April 13th. Candidate selections will occur in mid-April, with the first Interviews expected in late April and the second interviews a short time later. The successful candidate should assume his/her role in late May . IMPORTANT: Save your resume and letter in the following manner: “Last Name, First Name - Resume” & “Last Name, First Name - Cover Letter High Ridge CC” (These documents should be in Word or PDF format.) Note: Once you complete the application process for this search, you are not able to go back in and add additional documents. Click here to upload your resume and cover letter. If you have any questions, please email Bethany Taylor: bethany@kkandw.com LEAD SEARCH EXECUTIVES Annette Whittley, CCM Search Executive O: (833) KKW-HIRE, ext. 721 M: (561) 827-1945 annette@kkandw.com Lawrence McFadden, CMC, ECM Search Executive O: (833) KKW-HIRE, ext. 715 M: (239) 963-6888 lawrence@kkandw.com