Executive Chef | Growing Restaurant Group - Simone's Central : Job Details

Executive Chef | Restaurant Startup*Relocation Assistance & Sign-On Bonus Available*

Location: Capital Region, NY

Type: Full-Time

About the Role

We re looking for an Executive Chef to join our growing hospitality group. This is a working leadership role for someone who can roll their sleeves up and move between concepts and kitchens with focus and clarity. You ll be working directly with ownership on a wide range of projects from new concept development to daily operations and helping to build out the systems, teams, and culture that will define our next chapter.

This role is project-driven, highly dynamic, and critical to our growth. Your focus will shift depending on what stage each concept or initiative is in. Some projects may require weeks of planning and development; others may need immediate hands-on support. The schedule and responsibilities will evolve accordingly based on what s being built, launched, or refined. You'll be expected to adapt, prioritize, and step in where your leadership is most needed.

This is not a figurehead position. It s for someone who's ready to own outcomes, set standards, and build alongside us.

What You'll Do

• Provide culinary leadership and bring a broad range of hands-on expertise as needed across multiple concepts and locations
• Roll up your sleeves and work a line shift with your crew
• Work directly with ownership on big-picture planning and daily execution
• Lead or support operations depending on project demands
• Set and uphold kitchen systems, standards, and expectations
• Assist with training and development
• Oversee menu development, product testing, and seasonal R&D
• Manage inventory, vendor relationships, ordering, and food cost controls
• Uphold and model best practices for food safety, sanitation, and team culture
• Step into hands-on service when required no job too small, no task off-limits

Who You Are

• A proven culinary leader with experience
• High level of skill across a wide range of culinary disciplines from scratch cooking and butchery to baking, pastry, and open-flame techniques (including wood-fired ovens)
• Focused, organized, and skilled at managing competing demands
• Comfortable leading from the front clear, consistent, and accountable
• A strategic thinker who can also get hands-on when needed
• Calm under pressure
• Collaborative, humble, and invested in developing others
• Food Safety Certified

What We Offer

• Competitive salary with performance-based bonuses
• Tips (when applicable)
• Paid time off, shift meals, and retirement plan
• The chance to help shape multiple kitchens from the ground up
• A team committed to consistency, mutual respect, and building a better culture

• Full-time with evening and weekend availability
• Project timelines and needs will shape your schedule

We're the team behind the local award-winning concept, Simone's Kitchen. What started as a counter-service Mediterranean spot has grown into something larger and more intentional. As we expand into new restaurant concepts and build out a full hospitality group, we're carrying forward the same mindset that made Simone's revolutionary: respect for the craft, clarity in how we operate, and a strong sense of responsibility to the people we work alongside.

We have a keen understanding of the challenges within the restaurant business from toxic workspaces to dysfunctional kitchens and we re committed to building something different. That means calm, focused kitchens. Clear systems. High standards. No yelling, no ego, no wasted motion. Just good people doing good work, consistently.

Every member of our team is held to those same standards of communication, professionalism, and accountability regardless of title or tenure. Whether you're leading a concept launch or working prep on a Tuesday, the expectation is the same: show up with purpose, stay sharp, take care of your team, and do it right.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• 401k
• Potential Bonuses
• Dining Discounts