Job Description

Do you thrive in a fast-paced kitchen environment and want to advance your culinary career in a leadership role?

Sodexo's Campus Segment is seeking an Executive Chef 2 to support the vibrant and growing dining program at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU)

Home to more than 10,000 students, CCSU offers a diverse culinary landscape that includes Memorial Hall Café, the newly opened Hilltop Café, Starbucks, multiple retail venues, and our newest concept, ZIME. This role is crucial in leading culinary operations and ensuring exceptional quality across both residential and retail dining.

What You'll Do

• Lead daily culinary operations across multiple dining venues, ensuring consistent, high-quality food production.

• Oversee menu execution, recipe adherence, production planning, and food presentation.

• Provide hands-on leadership in a high-volume environment, modeling culinary excellence and strong kitchen standards.

• Manage ordering, inventory control, forecasting, and cost management to meet financial goals.

• Ensure compliance with food safety, sanitation, and HACCP standards.

• Develop, train, and mentor kitchen staff; foster a positive, inclusive, and collaborative team culture.

• Partner closely with client leadership to drive customer satisfaction and enhance the student dining experience.

• Support labor management, payroll processes, and scheduling for back-of-house teams.

• Collaborate with front-of-house teams to support seamless service for residential dining, retail, and catering operations.

• Engage in new concept rollouts, seasonal menu changes, and culinary innovation across campus.

• Navigate and support union workforce environments, following collective bargaining guidelines.

What We Offer

Compensation is fair and equitable, partially determined by a candidate's education level or years of relevant experience. Salary offers are based on a candidate's specific criteria, like experience, skills, education, and training. Sodexo offers a comprehensive benefits package that may include:

• Medical, Dental, Vision Care and Wellness Programs
• 401(k) Plan with Matching Contributions
• Paid Time Off and Company Holidays
• Career Growth Opportunities and Tuition Reimbursement

More extensive information is provided to new employees upon hire.

What You Bring

• Proven experience as an Executive Chef or senior culinary leader in high-volume dining (campus, corporate, healthcare, or hospitality).

• Strong culinary foundation with excellent cooking, production, and menu development skills.

• Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and develop a diverse team; experience with union environments highly preferred.

• Exceptional organizational and communication skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.

• A commitment to food quality, safety, sustainability, and student-centered service.

• Ability to innovate, adapt, and thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

• Proficiency with administrative and operational responsibilities including ordering, inventory, budgeting, and payroll oversight.

• A passion for delivering an outstanding dining experience and maintaining strong client relationships.

Who We Are

At Sodexo, our purpose is to create a better everyday for everyone and build a better life for all. We believe in improving the quality of life for those we serve and contributing to the economic, social, and environmental progress in the communities where we operate. Sodexo partners with clients to provide a truly memorable experience for both customers and employees alike. We do this by providing food service, catering, facilities management, and other integrated solutions worldwide.

Our company values you for you; you will be treated fairly and with respect, and you can be yourself. You will have your ideas count and your opinions heard because we can be a stronger team when you’re happy at work. This is why we embrace diversity and inclusion as core values, fostering an environment where all employees are valued and respected. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to individuals regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, disability, sexual orientation, military status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. If you need assistance with the application process, please complete this form.

Qualifications & Requirements

Minimum Education Requirement - Associate's Degree or equivalent experienceMinimum Management Experience - 2 yearsMinimum Functional Experience - 2 years work experience in food or culinary services including restaurants, fast food, vending, catering services, institutional services, mall food courts, etc.