Position: Culinary Director/Executive Chef – Full-time/ Exempt

Department: Nutrition Services

Reports to: VP, Football Operations

Location: Arizona Cardinals (Tempe, AZ), NOTE: The location for this position will transition to North Scottsdale in 2028 upon completion of the new Arizona Cardinals Football Club facility.

Format: In-person 

NOTE: Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa (including F-1, H1B, OPT, CPT, etc.).

Cardinals Organizational Summary:   

The Arizona Cardinals Football Club is a professional football team within the National Football League (NFL). We compete in the National Football Conference (NFC) West division and call State Farm Stadium, in Glendale, Arizona, our home.

As one of the oldest pro football franchises in the U.S., the Club has established itself as a sport and cultural hallmark within Arizona, as well as a trailblazer for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiatives and firsts around the League.  Our vision is to build a leading sports organization that competes for championships, drives business results, creates loyal fans, develops proud employees, and inspires hope in our community. We are relentless in our pursuit of greatness on and off the field, while positively impacting our people, our fans, and our community.

If you want to join an organization that values putting the team first, doing what is right, growing with positivity, valuing every voice, while driving performance, we would love for you to join our team. Learn more about the Arizona Cardinals and see what’s happening . 

Job Summary:

As a member of the Nutrition Services Department, the Culinary Director will be tasked to evolve, grow, and produce a culinary experience suited for world-class athletes in a state-of-the-art Headquarters and Training Facility.

This person will lead and inspire a best-in-class, end-to-end culinary operation serving Arizona Cardinals players, coaches, and staff. This role is responsible for the strategic oversight, management, execution, and presentation of all culinary programs, including daily performance nutrition, business operations meal service, and special events, with a strong emphasis on fresh, locally sourced, and sustainably produced ingredients.

Primary Job Duties:

The Culinary Director/Executive Chef role will have the daily responsibilities including, without limitation, to the following:

• Mentor and develop the culinary staff skills to expand the scope of menu capabilities.
• Lead menu development for all team meals based on dietary needs, seasonality, and overall kitchen flow of hot and cold service lines, product availability, and ingredient utilization.
• Research recipes and development of new culinary trends. Integrate into menus as appropriate for team dietary needs and preferences.
• Create process for evaluating menu costing, product and expense fluctuations, and inventory tracking.
• Work collaboratively with Team Dietitian on objectives for goals, approach, and structure of meal service operations with a focus on sports performance nutrition.
• Oversee Manager, Culinary Operations related to purchasing, inventory, monthly budget review, staff scheduling and hours and quarterly inspection of all kitchen assets with Sr. Director of Facility Operations.
• Other duties as assigned.

Performance Nutrition

• Strong culinary fundamentals with the ability to adapt recipes for high-performance fueling standards.
• Focus on enhanced flavor profiles to elevate all menu items.
• Participate in planning training camp, extended stay, and international meal service operations, as needed.
• Execute team meals during training camp at the team headquarter hotel.
• Eliminate the use of pre-made and/or pre-cut ingredients and source fresh, minimally processed ingredients.

Business Meal Program

• Develop menus to include high-quality meals, snacks, and treats focusing on nutrition and quality to fuel the Club business operations office.
• Create quarterly "New Menus" rollout guidelines. 
• Implement procedures for serving food, as well as storing food within coolers (including labeling, dating, rotating, and screening products to meet food safety and organizational standards).
• Demonstrate creativity and variety within menu items balancing simple, elevated, and refined recipes.
• Create quality inspection procedures and guidelines for (daily, weekly) management and inventory of Business Meal Program (Grab & Go) for discarding / returning prepared items that do not meet organizational standards.

Culinary Team Development

• Implement and manage Culinary Skills Training and Education Program to hone and develop BOH Team towards advancement/cross training of line cooks into multiple roles.
• Manage back-of-house culinary staff, hiring appropriate personnel, conducting regular performance reviews, and, if necessary, terminating staff in conjunction with human resources.
•  Adaptable and service-minded when dealing with high-profile internal stakeholders and special requests day-to-day.
• Establish relationships with quality, nutritional-minded vendors to procure seasonal, local and sustainable ingredients.
• Implement a food production plan that focuses on conservation, limiting waste, and repurpose.
• Install guidelines for recipe adherence, food construction oversight, productive sequence, presentation, temperature checks, and cleaning standards of the service line.
•  Install procedures for serving food, as well as rotating and storing food within coolers, freezers, dry storage, etc. utilizing a FIFO-approach (including labeling, dating, rotating, and screening products to meet food safety and organizational standards).
•  Implement guidelines for discarding or returning products that do not meet organizational standards.
• Develop cleaning programs to ensure all kitchen and service areas are pristine, organized and maintained.

Qualifications/Requirements

• Education: Hospitality degree or accredited culinary degree, or equivalent experience
• Certification: Certified Executive Chef (CEC) strongly preferred
• Experience: At least seven (7) years of Executive Chef experience preferably with a resort, full-service hotel, or large corporate dining environment 
• Strong understanding of macronutrients and the ability to translate nutrition prescriptions into high quality food
• Able to lead an energetic staff to work collaboratively to accomplish team goals and objectives
• Skilled with use of Microsoft applications, such as Office, SharePoint, MS Teams, etc.
• Attention to detail; timekeeper and controller of kitchen operations
• Organized and professional approach when presenting ideas and plans to leadership for departmental improvements
• Self-motivated, outgoing, goal oriented and high energy
• Demonstrate a growth mindset and learning attitude
• Poised under pressure; ability to work positively and prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced, deadline driven environment
• Understands the importance of teamwork and adherence to department guidelines
• Management style demeanor to handle various requests and be solution-oriented
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to identify strengths of the staff, delegate responsibilities appropriately and manage disputes or conflicts in a mature and professional manner
• Required to work team events during evenings, weekends, holidays, variable schedules, off-site and out of state when necessary
• Up-to-date with all required certifications including ServSafe Manager Certifications
• Skilled at interacting effectively with all levels of management and staff, vendors, guests, and visitors
• Must be able to lift 50lbs on a regular basis
• Must be able to stand and/or exert well-paced mobility for periods of 8-10 hours in length. 
• Experience working with knives and participating in kitchen set-up
• Proven experience to appropriately work with and around confidential information in compliance with HIPPA guidelines and maintains a professional attitude around professional athletes in their work environment
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holidays; hours may vary depending on business needs
• Must complete all pre-employment forms and successfully pass a background check

Cardinals Benefits/Perks Summary:

The Arizona Cardinals Football Club has developed a comprehensive benefits package that provides economic and inclusive benefits to full-time employees. The Cardinals benefits offer care, protection, and support for employees and their loved ones. The Cardinals organization encourages an environment that is conducive to living a healthy, productive, and flexible lifestyle.

Benefits and Perks include, but are not limited to:

• Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance options; effective the first day of hire
• 401 (k) retirement option with employer match contribution
• Paid Time Off Accruals (including sick time accruals)
• Paid Time Off for most Federal holidays
• Time off for Maternity, Paternity, Military, and Bereavement
• MDLIVE: 24/7 medical support
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) & Health Care Saving Account options
• Discounts on Cardinals gear & paraphernalia
• Tuition reimbursement & Professional Growth opportunities
• Daily free lunch
• Complimentary season tickets
• Subsidized gym memberships 

The Arizona Cardinals Football Club is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.

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Equal Opportunity Employer
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