EXECUTIVE CHEF OF NUTRITION FOOD SERVICES
- Full-time
- Harborview Medical Center
- posted May 06, 2021
Administrative
Salary is commensurate with education and experience
As the region's only Level I Trauma center, Harborview Medical Center (HMC) is well known for innovations and excellence in trauma care and its centers of emphasis: Trauma, Burn, Neurosciences, AIDS/STD, Center for Advanced Reconstruction and Rehabilitation (CARER), and mentally-and medically- vulnerable populations. In addition to the centers of emphasis, HMC serves a mission population for King County. Harborview employees are committed to the vital role the institution plays in the immediate community, as well as the entire Northwest region. HMC is owned by King County and managed by the University of Washington (UW) and serves as a training site for UW’s School of Medicine. The UW is proud to be one of the nation’s premier educational and research institutions. Our people are the most important asset in our pursuit of achieving excellence in education, research, and community service. Our staff not only enjoys outstanding benefits and professional growth opportunities, but also an environment noted for diversity, community involvement, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits, and natural beauty. Harborview's Nutrition Services Department has an outstanding opportunity for an Executive Chef of Nutrition Food Services. This in this role leads and works in concert with Nutrition and Food Service leaders and staff; delivering outstanding, healthful, nourishing, and flavorful food; exceptional customer service; and is a recognized technical expert and trainer for sous chefs, cooks, and kitchen personnel. The Executive Chef is fully responsible for directing and controlling the Culinary Program at Harborview. The Executive Chef plans, organizes, and directs the culinary program for patient meal services, catering and 3 retail sites exceeding $11M dollars budget annual and is responsible for all operations within the program. The position encompasses a broad range of high level managerial complexities including operations management, change management, human resource management, financial management, inventory control, nutrition, culinary arts, quality control, infection control, marketing, and guest relations. The demands of the program spans 7-days per week and 24- hours per day; the position may require long work days and/or coming into work on short notice, especially in the case of an emergency. This position manages high level risk factors as they relate to health and wellness and with maintaining a safe food program. Work is non-routine in nature and requires independent judgement. Organizes, Directs, Plans, and Controls Culinary Program
• Regularly performs professional level administration and management of the culinary program for patients, 3 retail sites, and catering; exceeding $11M dollars budget annually.
• Develops culinary goals, objectives, policies, procedures, and work rules. For example, develops goals associated with menu patterns, nutritional content of meals, sustainability, use of organic and local foods, and develops work rules related to culinary techniques and delegation of responsibilities.
• Responsible for researching product availability, recommending revisions to contracts, preparing production plans, managing quality, leading the culinary team staff, managing Sous Chefs, and ensuring the program meets budgetary goals and other pillar goals.
• Proposes revisions to the kitchen facilities. Assists with planning renovations of facilities including production, storage, and service facilites. Monitors equipment and arranges for repairs and/or replacement.
• Prepares recommendations for new programs or initiatives that align with, and support HMC goals.
• Ensures safety and sanitation in all aspects of the operation. Monitors sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations.
• Assists with the development of policies and procedures that ensure compliance with regulatory agencies (Joint Commission, Department of Health, etc.). Ensures compliance with all regulatory agencies and HMC and departmental policies and procedures. For example, ensures direct reports comply with requirements for Food Handlers permits, Influenza vaccination, competency testing, and rounding on staff.
• Maintains and completes a variety of records appropriate to the area of assignment, which may include receiving, issuing, production, HACCP, sales, cash control, workload, and patient care records.
• Maintains a professional appearance and high level of personal cleanliness.
• Responds appropriately to emergent situations and contributes to resolving problems.
• Has excellent oral and written communica
tion skills, excellent management and organizational skills, and maintains effective systems of communication, information gathering, and documentation. • Has analytical skills necessary to coordinate, control, and problem solve in a complex operation.
• Works to promote UW Medicine Patients Are First and positive guest relations. Contributes to a culture of diversity and inclusion.
• Works well under pressure.
• Collaborates regularly with Retail, Foodservice and Clinical Managers on development of new programs, innovations, policies and procedures within the scope of the department Financial and Resource Management
• Assists in developing budget goals and operational strategies to meet financial objectives. Proactively assesses and recommends opportunities to gain cost savings while enhancing quality. • Has decision-making authority to allocate resources. • Develops strategies to optimize use of labor and other resources; decides how to balance the use of ready-prepared foods versus in-house prepared foods.
• Establishes par stocks and oversees strategies to maintain sound food stores and to minimize loss and theft. • Coordinates activity between sous chefs, supervisors, cooks and service staff to optimize culinary excellence at point of service.
Advanced Culinary Arts
• Ensures culinary excellence in the planning, preparation, and service of foods. Has exemplary taste testing skills and effectively teaches tasting skills to team members along with techniques to manage flavor profiles to obtain desired outcomes. Trains all staff on elements of food quality.
• Establishes quality standards and systems for assessing food quality and professionally resolves concerns when products do not meet standards. Builds quality control systems that effectively embrace both creativity and standardization.
• Develops and describes methods and metrics that identify customer preferences. Designs menus and recipes to reflect preferences. Provides healthful, creative and popular food choices.
• Develops and uses satisfaction metrics to ensure competitive excellence in culinary operations. • Continually checks production and makes necessary adjustments in work procedures and work pace to ensure accomplishment of target standards and goals. • Frequently tastes food throughout production and service to ensure flavor and quality meet and exceed standards. • Monitors and ensures high standards in food presentation, packaging, plating, and garnishing. • Has knowledge of nutrition values in food and collaborates regularly with registered dietitians. • Participates in continuing education and professional organizations related to this field. Personnel Management • Leads and models best practices in personnel management. Embraces and promotes adherence to protocols adopted by HMC and UW Medicine in personnel management. Builds mutually respectful and productive relations with labor unions. • Leads efforts to advance employee engagement and to build expert teams. • Directly supervises operations including 3 Sous Chef 2Foodservice Supervisor 2, 3 Stockroom Attendants and 25 Cooks. • Recruits, screens and hires staff. Conducts timely annual performance evaluations and recommends corrective action when appropriate. • Follows procedures and standards for timely coaching and corrective action. • Provides training and direction to supervisory, stockroom attendant and cook staff. May provide training and precepting to students, interns and/or other professional staff. • Determine production schedules and staff requirements necessary to meet established goals and ensure timely delivery of services. • Ensures that employees comply with standard procedures and other instructions. • Participates in employee rounding and service recovery. Marketing • Develops strategies to promote and communicate culinary excellence and wellness. • Conducts presentations for internal customers and develops messages for external marketing..
The Executive Chef Program impacts all 4 of the UW Medicine Pillar goals: Serving the Patient/Family Providing the Highest Quality Care Becoming the Employer of Choice Practicing Fiscal Responsibility Providing a high level of culinary expertise while maintaining efficiency, contributes to the successful achievement of the UW Medicine goals and objectives. The culinary experience in the hospital is often seen as a reflection of the quality of services that can be expected at the medical center. As a result, the culinary program impacts the overall reputation of the medical center. Furthermore, the ramifications of errors related to food-borne illnesses are far-reaching with regards to institutional reputation, public relations, and expense. The program is the site of graduate level educational programs affiliated with the University. As a result, the program and the Executive Chef impact the teaching missions of both the medical center and the University of Washington. Lastly, the Executive Chef is a key player in ensuring that both the medical center and the University fully support strategies associated with Environmental Sustainability. The Executive Chef makes independent decisions affecting waste streams, use of organic and local products, and delivers wholesome and nutritious foods to almost 3,000 people, daily.
Minimum requirements:
• Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, Food Service Management, or related field, or Associate Degree in Culinary Arts from an accredited program. Additional advanced degree in culinary-related field may substitute for professional experience requirement
• Three (3) years of pertinent professional management experience including managing high volume food production operations
• Culinary leadership and knowledge of flavor profiles and techniques to achieve desired outcomes.
Additional requirements:
• Hospital food service experience
• Registered Dietitian Nutritionist or advanced degree in nutrition-related field
• Knowledge of food science and infection control. Possession and maintenance of: Food Handler Permit Serv Safe Certification (RDN may be substituted for this certification)
