Executive Chef

Manufacturers’ Golf and Country Club is seeking a dynamic and highly motivated Executive Chef to lead its culinary program and continue elevating the overall food and beverage experience for the membership. This role offers the opportunity to deliver consistently high-quality dining across both à la carte and banquet operations. Working closely with the leadership team, the Executive Chef will play a key role in shaping and defining the Club’s culinary vision, operational standards, and member engagement. The successful candidate will be a composed and steady leader who brings both intensity and passion to the role, leading by example through a hands-on approach and active presence in the kitchen each day. They will foster a “place of yes” culture, grounded in open communication, trust, and mutual respect, while understanding how to set appropriate boundaries and expectations. This individual will build upon a strong existing team, recognizing its potential while maintaining continuity and driving growth through mentorship and accountability. The Executive Chef will cultivate a culture of professionalism, collaboration, and pride that resonates with both staff and membership. ABOUT MANUFACTURERS’ GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB Manufacturers’ Golf & Country Club, located in Fort Washington just outside Philadelphia, has been a cornerstone of the region’s private club tradition since 1887. Set across more than 200 scenic acres of rolling hills and mature hardwood trees, the Club offers a historic yet welcoming environment where members and guests enjoy exceptional service, strong traditions of fellowship, and a vibrant social community. Manufacturers offer a wide variety of amenities designed to bring members and their families together. From casual dining and elegant private events to seasonal celebrations and recreational programming, the Club delivers a well-rounded country club experience focused on community, hospitality, and active living. MANUFACTURERS’ GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB BY THE NUMBERS: • Approximately 603 Members • Average age of the membership: 55 • Total Annual Gross Volume $13.7M • Annual Food Volume Approximately $1.6M • Annual Beverage Volume Approximately $800k • A la carte 40% Banquets 60% • 2 Kitchens – (Clubhouse & Pool café/seasonally) • Total Number of FB Outlets: 2 plus private dining spaces and banquet spaces • 8-12 Weddings a year • Target food cost: 40% | Annual Kitchen Gross Payroll Approximately $707k • 4 direct/indirect reports (Exec Sous Chef, Banquet Sous, a la carte Sous & Pastry Chef) • The Club uses Northstar • Close Mondays except for scheduled golf events • Closed Christmas Eve, Christmas & New Year’s Day FOOD & BEVERAGE OPERATIONS The Club offers a diverse collection of dining and social venues designed to support both everyday member use and a calendar of events. The recently introduced Fisler’s Bar, complete with an outdoor terrace, serves as a central gathering space, while the Grill Room, featuring wine lockers and seating for up to 75, provides a more intimate dining experience. Additional spaces include a Private Dining Room (PDR) for smaller gatherings and a Ballroom accommodating approximately 160–200 guests, supporting a wide range of member functions and celebrations. Outdoor and seasonal offerings further enhance the Club’s appeal, including a scenic event terrace and the unique “Concert in the Quarry,” which hosts up to 250 guests for memorable large-scale events. The Pool Café, a newer addition, offers grab-and-go options alongside a limited à la carte menu, catering to casual, family-friendly dining. Complementing these venues are event lunches and pop-up experiences at the Paddle e Hut, creating flexible and engaging food and beverage moments throughout the Club’s active lifestyle programming. EXECUTIVE CHEF JOB OVERVIEW The Manufacturers’ Golf & Country Club Executive Chef is responsible for leading all food and pastry production, including for restaurants, banquet functions, and other outlets. The ideal candidate will be a dedicated and accomplished culinary professional who will provide visible and hands-on leadership to the Club’s culinary program. 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. • Lead all culinary staffing functions, including recruiting, hiring, onboarding, scheduling, training, coaching, evaluating, and developing kitchen and pastry team members. 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. • Oversee buffet and food-station design, ensuring visually appealing and efficiently executed presentations. • Lead and support the employee meal program, ensuring quality, consistency, and nutritional value. • 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. 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. Financial • Approve and manage food purchasing, vendor relationships, and product specifications, with emphasis on quality, consistency, and cost control. • 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. • 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. • 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 • Five years’ experience in a similar role with exposure to luxury hospitality, or large multi-outlet operations with both busy a la carte and banquets. • Eight years of food production and management. • Experienced with and embraces new technology, including POS and Microsoft Suite. EDUCATIONAL AND CERTIFICATION QUALIFICATIONS • A bachelor’s 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