Executive Head Chef Resumes & Guide

Whether the next chapter of your career is looking for a first-time Executive Head Chef position, or if you are a seasoned professional looking to change restaurants, looking through few resume examples is the best place to start. Our guide is filled with insightful tips and tricks to ensure that you create the best resume possible to land an interview for every position you apply for.

Executive Head Chef Resumes

(Free sample downloads are at the bottom of this page)

Executive Head Chef Resume Guide

Resume Sections:

  1. Contact information
  2. Profile Summary
  3. Work History 
  4. Achievements
  5. Education 
  6. Skill Section
  7. Certification & Licensing
  8. Extras: Languages/Awards/Publications/Volunteering/hobbies

What to Highlight

As an Executive Head Chef, daily activities such as kitchen organization, ensuring food meets a high quality, dish presentation, and serving food timeously should be tasks that you do in your sleep. Employers want to see further exceptional skills and qualities that make you stand out from other applicants and prove that you are among the best chefs in the field. Below we have highlighted a few areas that will really allow you to stand out:

  • Firstly, employers want to know where you have worked in the past so that they can gauge whether you would be a good fit for their establishment.

Executive Head Chefs can be found in several different establishments, including hotels, leisure resorts, restaurants, cruise ships, and even in the military.

  • Secondly, highlight your work setting and the responsibilities and duties that were required of you. Some Executive Head Chefs do not leave the kitchen and stick to food preparation, menu preparation, and quality control.

Other Head Chefs may be more involved in the restaurant’s finances and the food preparation aspects, especially if it is a smaller joint.

  • Thirdly, depending on where you have worked and where you received training, your cuisine and cooking style will differ from other chefs.

Therefore, it is crucial to clearly highlight the types of cuisine you are most comfortable with and whether you can prepare any menu to fit any establishment.

  • Lastly, it is crucial that you highlight your managerial abilities and competencies that do not relate to cooking and food preparation. As an Executive Head Chef, you will be required to do more than just food preparation, and you need to make it clear that you have effective people skills, strong management qualities, and are well organized.

Being in your establishment's senior management, you are likely to be tasked with financing, pricing, and even recruitment and hiring. If you have had experience with these duties before, ensure that you clarify to the reader. Ensure that you clearly mention that you are aware of and are up to date with the most recent health and safety protocols.

Career Summary & Objective

A career summary or career objective is a short introductory paragraph that should be situated at the very beginning of your resume. This paragraph allows the reader to form a brief idea about who you are and what you have to offer. This is, therefore, a very important section as it can be the difference between the reader reading on or discarding your resume altogether. Avoid including any irrelevant information and keep the paragraph between 5-7 lines in length. Remember, this is just an introduction.

For a Career Summary, follow these steps:

  • Use insightful adjectives such as talented or accomplished.
  • Ensure that you clearly mention your title (Chef, Sous Chef)
  • Highlight your years of experience.
  • Include any goals that aim to enhance the dining experience.
  • Briefly introduce your skills. Examples include management styles and menu creation.
  • Quantify your abilities (5-star reviews, full house)

For a Career Objective, follow these steps:

If you have not yet gained any Executive Chef experience, do not fear that senior chefs are in the same boat as you are. If you are one of these chefs, we recommend that you use a career objective. This will allow you to show off your culinary career goals in an impressive format while still including some impressive accomplishments from your previous positions.

  • Step 1: Utilize powerful adjectives, your current job title, your years of work experience, and your previous industry environment.
  • Step 2: Include your most admirable skills and technical competencies.
  • Step 3: End off with your most impressive credentials about degrees, training, memberships, certifications, and accreditations.

Examples

Executive Head Chef Summary 1
"Passionate ACF certified Executive Head Chef, with nine years of culinary working experience in five-star hotel establishments. Highly accomplished in creating innovative recipes and implementing cost-effective strategies. Business savvy with extensive experience in restaurant operations, including pricing, marketing, budgeting, and business management. Won Chef of the Year Award for innovated food design at the ACF annual gala of 2017."
Executive Head Chef Summary 2
"Diligent and talented Executive Head Chef with four years of Cordon Bleu training and six years of working experience focusing on fusion cooking. A proven track record for imagining unique menus and bringing them to life, complementing seasonal changes, and an avid vlogger of the most recent fusion cooking trends across worldwide. Excellent leadership skills and a proven track record of managing kitchens with over 40 members of staff. Currently completing a master’s degree in culinary management."
Executive Head Chef Summary 3
"Executive Head Chef propelling culinary expertise within Michelin star restaurants for the last decade. Graduated cum laude from the Bavin School of Culinary Design. Proven track record of adjusting taste and ingredients to accommodate a diverse client palate base from various cultural groups. Currently mentoring four junior chefs in the art of organic cooking techniques and limited carbon footprint restaurant management."
Executive Head Chef Summary 4
Personable line cook with 5+ years of expertise in a fast-paced kitchen environment. Achieved region-best culinary satisfaction rating according to national food critic (5-Star Rating). Looking to advance my culinary career by joining the Bahari Restaurant team as their new executive head chef."

Employment History

To gain Executive Head Chef's title, you need to obtain a minimum of eight years of working experience. Once you have obtained this title, do not expect restaurants to open their doors for you simply, this is an incredibly competitive industry to work in, and you need to be able to prove you are better than the rest.

One of the best ways to do this is by listing your stellar experience that highlights your expertise. Remember to include verbiage and keywords from the job description to ensure your resume reflect exactly what the employer is looking for.

When you list your work experience, do so in reverse chronological order. This allows your most recent and often most impressive work experience to be viewed first. See the examples below:

Executive Head Chef at Gordon Ramsey 2.0

(March 2017 – December 2021)

Responsible for training, developing, and motivating culinary and kitchen staff to ensure food preparation and serving standards were met in a boutique Michelin Star Restaurant on the East Coast.

  • Responsible for developing and testing menu items as well as pricing the different dishes.
  • Played a central role in creating new dishes that were in line with industry trends and organized tastings for select patrons to gain their opinions.
  • Responsible for ensuring health and safety guidelines were met both in the kitchen and in the dining area.
  • It was inspected every dish before it was served to ensure it met visual aesthetic, flavor, texture, and taste expectations.

Executive Head Chef at Footstone

(February 2014 – January 2017)

Taught the ins and outs of following defined recipes to a group of 13 junior chefs and how to add their own twist to traditional dishes within an academic culinary setting.

  • Directed daily kitchen and dining room operations.
  • Allocated varying tasks and duties to my staff members with specific guidelines regarding preparation time frames, sanitation, and restocking activities.
  • Responsible for the organization of replacement employees when staff is absent or during peak hours.
  • Provided direction and guidance to restaurant workers, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.

Job Descriptions Samples

Below we have listed several examples of job duties and responsibilities that Executive Chefs are likely to do. You can use these in your resume if they apply to you.

Samples:
  • Ensure the creation of a positive working environment in which all employees feel motivated to work hard.
  • Approve all food displays and promotional props placed in the restaurant.
  • Ensure that every employee complies with quality health and safety standards regarding food handling, sanitation, and equipment upkeep.
  • Create an equipment maintenance schedule to ensure that all tools and kitchen equipment are correctly maintained.
  • Review stock level reports regularly to determine food and beverage requirements for the upcoming week.
  • Monitor staff to ensure proper grooming and personal hygiene rules are followed.
  • Inspect storage areas regularly and allocate relevant tasks such as sanitizing cold rooms, cleaning fridges, labeling, removing of old stock, and cleaning other storage areas to the Kitchen Hands.
  • Create signature dishes that require technical flair and expertise.
  • Develop food preparation schedules a day in advance for the morning staff to ensure that they know what they need to prepare for the lunch and evening shifts.
  • Analyze daily sales reports and discuss issues with the restaurant owners.
  • Identify the more popular dishes on the menu and the less popular dishes that could be changed or swapped out.
  • Budget accordingly, monitor cash flow and maintain sustainable profit levels.

Accomplishments

You may very well be on your way to being the next Gordon Ramsey or Nigella Lawson. Still, if you cannot successfully display your skills and accomplishments in your resume, the employer will just see you as any other applicant. Your accomplishments section is where you can really knock the reader's socks and prove you are a highly qualified Executive Chef.

However, there is one very important thing to remember: you need to quantify your statements. Without quantification, the reader has nothing to measure you against. Do not fear, though, and we will show you how you can easily quantify your accomplishments.

Quantification 101

Essentially, quantification is simply the process of adding numbers and figures to your statements so that the reader can ascertain how you were able to make a meaningful impact in your previous positions. Include values, reviews, ratings, volumes, frequencies, and time frames as evidence to your claims.

NOT quantified examples:

  • Achieved an increase in gross revenue within the first few months of employment due to a revamp of menu items and the inclusion of signature dishes.
  • Selected by World Food Magazine as one of the new chefs to watch.
  • Significantly saved food expenditure costs for the year by sourcing meat and fresh produce from local suppliers and farmers, which cut down on transportation costs.
  • Responsible for a kitchen setup that serves many meals.
  • Trained servers and waiters on upselling and cross-selling skills, increasing sales.

Improved Accomplishment Statements:

  • Achieved $1.5 million in gross revenue within the first three months of employment due to a revamp of menu items and the inclusion of signature dishes.
  • Selected by World Food Magazine as one of the chefs to keep track of for the 2021 year and then came third in the publication’s New Chef of the Year competition.
  • Saved 35% in food costs for the year by ordering meat and fresh produce from local vendors and farmers, cutting transportation expenses, and improving delivery times.
  • Responsible for a kitchen setup that, on average, serves over 1000 meals daily.
  • Coached servers and waiters on upselling and cross-selling which increased sales by 28%.
  • Worked at four restaurants that received 3-star Michelin star ratings during my time of employment.

Education

Your education section is one of the most crucial sections in your resume. Potential employers pay special attention to this section, and it can be the difference between you landing your dream job and not. It should come as no surprise that you stand a better chance at landing interviews if you are more qualified.

However, even for those who are less qualified, simply listing your information professionally will significantly increase your selected chances.

This section begins with your most impressive formal degrees and diplomas and then lists any certifications, accreditations, or memberships you have obtained. Remember to include any short courses you have completed and any qualifications you are in the process of completing. Below are examples to help guide you:

Examples of an Executive Head Chef’s Education Section:

2020 – Master of Science in Culinary Arts, The Culinary Institute of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA.

2019 – Certified Executive Head Chef, American Culinary Federation, Brentwood, CA.

  • 2500 hours of practical training completed.
  • 190 culinary credits obtained.

2018 – Italian Cooking Fundamentals Course, Skirball Cultural Center, Springfield, LA.

2017 – Executive Head Chef Boot Camp for Policy and Change, James Beard Foundation, Manhattan, NY.

2015 – 2016 – Traineeship in Professional Cookery, Failte Institute, London, England.

2013 – 2014 – Associate's Degree in Hospitality Management, California Culinary Academy, San Francisco, CA.
Course Curriculum: , Pastry Making, Nutrition, Meat, Fish & Poultry Science , Meat, Food Safety Management, Hospitality Management, Baking Techniques

2013 – Certified Member, American Culinary Foundation (ACF), Online.

2012 – Platinum Accredited Member, American Personal & Private Chef Institute & Association, Online.

2010 – Advanced Certificate in Pastry Arts & Baking, Institute of Culinary Education, Boston, MA.

Skills

The best way to really capture the reader’s attention is to ensure that your resume reflects exactly what the job description is looking for. You may not have all the skills and qualities outlined in the description.

However, ensure that the ones you do have are highlighted and easy to find. Being a successful Executive Head Chef is no walk in the park. This job requires you to have advanced culinary skills , strong management skills, and operational skills to ensure the restaurant you are working at is running smoothly and the food you serve meets a high standard.

When listing your skills and qualities, we recommend avoiding using bullet points and rather using a skills matrix table.

The two main benefits include saving space and allowing your skills and qualities to be more accessible. Utilize one table for technical skills, another for your interpersonal skills, and lastly, one for your equipment competencies.

Technical Culinary and kitchen operations skills

Food Safety & SanitationFood Service ManagementSanitation StrategiesInventory Rotation
Sampling & TastingInventory ControlBatch CookingPastry & Baking
Dish AssemblyMenu DesignDecoration Template DesignFood Sciences
Kitchen Process FlowEquipment MaintenanceFood Cost ControlKnife Techniques
Butchery SkillsLocal Food CultureCordon BleuSeasoning & Spicing
Food QualityRecipe CompilationHeat ControlGreen Cooking Styles
Ingredient SelectionPlating TechniquesInternational Cooking TrendsKitchen Planning
Well-tuned PalettePortion Sizing, Precision, PresentationSchedulingRegulatory Compliance & Documentation

Interpersonal, managerial, and leadership skills

Staff Development & TrainingBudgets & Financial ManagementDisciplinary ProceduresWork Schedules
EloquentFirst AidCollaborationProblem Solving
DisciplinedProductivity MetricsPerformance EvaluationsMultitasking
Station ControlCalm & PatientCreativityDetail Orientated
EnthusiasticStress ToleranceAccountabilityPrioritization
DiplomaticVerbal Communication SkillsIncentive & Recognition ProgramsDecisive
ResourcefulHiring & RecruitmentTactful & DiscreetJudgement Skills
AnalyticalDriven & Goal OrientatedOrganizedTask & Process Orientated

Instruments, tools, and equipment skills

Serrated 10 Inch KnifeCake TesterBaby/Mini/Small Offset SpatulaDisher
Plastic Bowl ScraperShort Serrated KnifeMicroplane Cheese GraterRiedel Decanter
Zalto Bordeaux GlasswareInduction BurnerSearzallLodge Cast Iron Pans
Durand CorkscrewGesshin Sharpening StonesAluminum Cream GunGravy Separator
Pastry TamperRavioli MakerMandolineDispenser Funnel
Pudding SteamerPotato ChipperPotato RicerMeat Thermometer
Rolling PinSous VideLemon ReamerMortar & Pestle
Industrial Hand BlenderSpatulaTweezerSushi Roller

Qualification & Certification samples for an Executive Head Chefs

Certified Executive Head Chef (CSC) Certified Chef De Cuisine (CCC)Certified Culinarian (CC)
Certified Secondary Culinary EducatorMember Craft Guild of ChefsCertified Master Chef (CMC)
The Research Chefs Association CertificationCertified Master ChefWorldChefs Global Certification for the Hospitality Industry
Diploma in Professional CookeryCertified Executive Chef (CEC) Certificate in Food Hygiene
Advanced Food Hygiene: Level 4 Bachelor in Culinary ArtsSERV Safe
Member Culinary CorpsBaking and Pastry Specialist CertificateFood Handler’s Permit

Optional Extras for Your Resume

An optional extras section can be very useful if there is information that you wish to include that further highlights your exceptional abilities. Examples include anything from special abilities, impressive certificates, and even your hobbies and interests.

In today’s day and age, technology is being integrated into almost every occupation. Unfortunately, writing recipes on napkins or in little black books will not cut it anymore.

You, therefore, need to utilize an optional extras section to highlight your competency with computers and technology.

  • Examples you could include are your ability to design a menu, financing, food costing, and payroll applications. The software you are likely to use includes Touch Bistro Avero, Promodo Synergy suite, and Marketman.
  • A final area that you can include is any of your social media platforms that further highlight your ability. Include the hyperlink to your Facebook or Instagram page.

Download Executive Head Chef Templates in PDF

Professional information on Executive Head Chefs

Sectors: Restaurants, Hospitality, Food & Beverage, Tourism, Culinary, Hospitality, Events, Education, Government
Career Type: Operational, Technical,Functional, Professional, Strategic
Person type:  Executive, Supervisor, Overseer, Director, Facilitator, Designer, Implementer, Creator, Manager
Education levels: From Post School and upwards
Salary indication: $ 71 066 per annum (Salary.com)
Labor market: Average of 6% between 2029 – 2029 (BLS)
Organizations: Restaurants, Cruise Liners Hotels, Bars, Private Companies, Schools, Spas, Catering companies, Nightclubs, Film Sets, Hospitals, Television Studios, Resorts, Convention Centers, Spas, Private Homes, Catering Companies, Royal Kitchens, Fast Food Establishments, Military Facilities