Executive Chef

ABOUT US: Lone Rock Retreat is a mission-driven retreat center supporting education leaders working to ensure every child has access to an excellent education. Located just 40 minutes from downtown Denver and 30 minutes from the Foothills, right off Highway 285, our inspiring natural setting offers a space for reflection, connection, and meaningful impact. WHAT SETS US APART:Unlike traditional hospitality environments, we are not open 365 days a year. We only host groups up to 60 people with a minimum two-night stay. Our calendar aligns with the rhythms of the education community, which often means time off during major holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s - creating a healthier work-life balance for our team. WE TAKE CARE OF YOU: We offer a generous and competitive benefits package designed to support your health,well-being, and future:

• Flexible time off
• 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance, with dependent coverage available
• 13 paid holidays
• Employer-paid long-term disability insurance
• 401(k) with employer contributions up to 4%, fully vested from day one
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• CHAMP Plan™ coverage, a supplemental health benefit with $0-copay unlimited primary and urgent care, 100% preventive care, a Personal Health Assistant, and family access to formulary prescriptions and virtual primary care.
• Savings Spot, our employee discount program on a range of products and services
• Complimentary staff meals during shifts
• Transportation stipend if home adress is 20+ miles from Lone Rock

THE ROLE

The Chef de Cuisine leads the kitchen team in partnership with the Executive Chef, overseeing staff hiring, scheduling, performance, and daily coordination to ensure smooth operations. This role is responsible for training and mentoring kitchen staff, maintaining hygiene and food safety standards, managing supply ordering, and upholding consistent food quality.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Area 1: Leadership

• Leads with care, respect, and professionalism, mentoring their team and fostering a culture of accountability, growth, and collaboration within the Culinary team
• Recruits, trains, and supervises culinary staff, ensuring they meet performance standards
• Coaches performance on a regular basis, providing constant feedback to team members
• Builds cross-functional relationships with other departments and stakeholders to ensure smooth operations
• Works as Manager on Duty, with total campus oversight, on assigned weekends rotated with other property leadership team members

Area 2: Operations

• Manages all kitchen operations, including food preparation, cooking stations, and expediting, ensuring recipes and portion control are followed consistently
• Monitors food quality, presentation, and product standards to ensure an exceptional guest dining experience
• Enforces food safety and sanitation standards, staff presentation and hygiene, and safe, well-maintained equipment use
• Builds preparation and production sheets based on banquet event orders and script sheets
• Checks incoming products for quality and ensures correct storage and rotation
• Identifies maintenance needs and follows up to ensure completion
• Supports menu development, training, and implementation

Area 3: Administrative

• Schedules staff shifts and assignments to ensure adequate coverage and efficient operations
• Oversees and conducts inventory and ensures timely food ordering
• Monitors food costs and waste, identifying opportunities for improvement
• Coordinates and oversees vendor relationships
• Ensures timecards are correct and that team members are taking their breaks
• Assists in approving timecards and requests as needed
• Ensures performance logs are completed and up to date
• Other duties as assigned

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Direct supervision of Sous Chef
• Indirect supervision of all Kitchen staff

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Proven experience as a Chef de Cuisine or senior culinary leadership role in a professional kitchen, with a focus on hospitality or wellness cuisine preferred.
• Demonstrated expertise in menu development, recipe creation, and adapting cuisine to reflect a brand or mission.
• Advanced knife skills and mastery of a wide range of cooking techniques and culinary styles.
• In-depth knowledge of food safety and hygiene practices, including proper handling of dietary restrictions, allergies, and special requests.
• Experience managing inventory, ordering, and food cost controls, including budgeting and waste reduction strategies.
• Ability to read, create, and refine recipes and plating guides to ensure consistency and quality across the kitchen.
• Strong math skills, including the ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, decimals, and percentages, for recipe scaling and cost analysis.
• Proven leadership and staff management experience, including hiring, training, mentoring, and scheduling kitchen personnel.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills to oversee multiple kitchen functions in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to speak clearly, listen attentively, and collaborate effectively with guests, kitchen staff, and retreat leadership, using tact and professionalism.
• A positive, solutions-oriented attitude with a collaborative and team-driven leadership style.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including weekends and holidays, based on retreat schedules.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Ability to work at high elevations, with regular walking and exposure to outdoor terrain
• Works in an indoor kitchen with exposure to heat, moisture, and cleaning chemicals, as well as outdoor exposure to cold, snowy, high-elevation terrain when moving between areas.
• Shares small workspaces with team members, especially during busy service periods.
• Must be able to stand, walk, and remain well-paced and mobile for up to 4 hours at a time, multiple times per shift, including frequent stooping, bending, reaching, and repetitive hand/arm movement.
• Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds
• Must have the visual acuity (including peripheral vision) and hearing (in loud environments) needed to work safely and attentively.
• Exposed to hazards including slipping, tripping, broken glass, hot liquids, and hot food.

Pahara Institute at Lone Rock is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This job description is not intended to be, and shall not be construed as, an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the position. Such duties, responsibilities, and qualifications are subject to change, and additional duties may be assigned at any time, with or without prior notice, at the sole discretion of Pahara Institute at Lone Rock. All team members of Pahara Institute at Lone Rock are expected to assist any guest or team member requiring assistance and to proactively address any situation as necessary to ensure a positive experience for all individuals on the premises.