Junior Executive Chef

Description

Our brand-new Central Kitchen is the heartbeat of Naval Academy Hospitality, with passionate team members and state of the art equipment to operate our Drydock Restaurant, Banquet Services, Grab and Go program, and commissary preparation. We’re searching for a Junior Executive Chef ready to jump into a leadership role that blends hands-on culinary excellence with operational precision. You’ll work directly with our Executive Chef to shape systems, mentor cooks, and define what modern high-volume hospitality should look like : chef driven; scratch made menus. If you thrive in fast paced, high-standard environments and want to help build a lasting legacy, then this is your next move. Scheduling five days per week, which may include weekday and weekend shifts, mornings, evenings, and holidays.

Under the direction of the Deputy Director of Retail Dining & Hospitality and / or the Senior Executive Chef, the Junior Executive Chef is responsible for assisting in the planning, organizing, and directing of daily food production, functions, including presentation, service, safety and sanitation practices for any of the establishments under the Hospitality purview.

Key Responsibilities

The Junior Executive Chef supports the Executive Chef in managing all culinary operations within the Central Kitchen, serving as the primary leader in daily production, quality assurance, and team development. This position ensures that food quality, consistency, and safety standards are maintained across multiple outlets including Drydock Restaurant, Grab-n-Go, Catering, and the Commissary Production Program. Assist the Executive Chef in overseeing all Central Kitchen operations and production teams.

• Supervise, train, and evaluate sous chefs, line cooks, and stewarding teams to maintain performance standards.
• Enforce discipline, consistency, and accountability across all kitchen personnel.
• Maintain a professional culture that reflects organization values—Preparation, Execution, Reflection, Accountability, and Excellence.
• Direct day-to-day kitchen operations including prep, production, packaging, and distribution to multiple outlets.
• Coordinate and schedule staff to meet daily production goals and special event needs.
• Ensure all recipes, portion sizes, and plating guidelines are followed consistently across outlets.
• Oversee inventory, product rotation, and daily usage to maintain tight cost control and minimize waste.
• Verify that all food is prepared, held, and transported within safe temperature ranges.
• Conduct daily quality control checks of finished products before release to outlets.

To learn more about the responsibilities and qualifications for this role, please visit our website and review the official vacancy announcement.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

1. Incumbent must have four years of equivalent culinary experience (Sous Chef or higher) in a restaurant, catering or hospitality industry; or must have completed five years of education beyond high school; or 1 year equivalent to a GS-5 / NF3 level. Education in Culinary Arts or related focus preferred.

2. Incumbent must possess excellent communication and problem-solving skills, with the ability to coordinate effectively across culinary, stewarding, purchasing, and catering teams. Strong ability to lead, motivate, and discipline culinary staff while fostering a culture of accountability and pride.

3. Proficient in organizing workflow, managing par levels, and implementing standard operating procedures that support consistency and efficiency. Experience using food inventory software is preferred.

4. Skilled in menu scaling, recipe standardization, and production flow management for both retail and catering operations. Experience using recipe creation software is preferred.

5. Describe the techniques or practices you use to maintain flavor balance, consistency, and presentation quality in demanding or multi-unit environments.

AAWDC is a nonprofit corporation that provides innovative, high-quality workforce development services to Anne Arundel County businesses and residents.  We are the bridge between understanding the workforce and talent development needs of local and regional businesses and preparing individuals to meet their full career potential.

Our Business & Industry Solutions team provides various services to the local business community, and one of them is recruitment assistance. Therefore, the job postings in this section are not directly associated with our organization ; instead, they are featured here as a service for one of our business partners.