Chef de Cuisine Job Description
Position Summary
15th St Farm is a half-acre regenerative organic educational non-profit farm in the heart of a vibrant downtown in St. Petersburg, Florida.
It is a very rare urban farm featuring a commercial kitchen and an events barn hosting themed field-to-fork dinners for up to 60 guests. The farm grows close to 100 different varieties of herbs, vegetables, fruit, and edible flowers, offering a rich palette of taste, textures, and colors to creative culinary professionals. The uniqueness of our concept has invited high visibility and name recognition. The event menus are preset, and attendance is by reservation only. The farm offers cooking, nutrition, gardening, and wellness classes. We also offer nutrient-dense food programs for underserved women to alleviate postpartum issues, outreach education, and entrepreneurial opportunities for artisanal specialty food products.
Our Chef de Cuisine is a key member of the farm team. They are responsible for leading all culinary operations while delivering memorable dining experiences through innovative, ever-changing, farm-produce-driven cuisine served in a unique physical and social setting to provide enriching culinary, social, and cultural experiences
This role oversees menu development, food quality, kitchen operations, staff supervision, inventory and cost control, food safety compliance, and collaboration with the farm team to maximize the use of seasonal ingredients. The executive chef works closely with the executive director to ensure alignment with the farm’s vision, mission, and goals.
Key Responsibilities
- This is a hands-on culinary position with an unusual potential for creativity, menu planning, and executing memorable events.
- Develop and publish menus a minimum of 45 days in advance to support operational planning, purchasing, and event execution.
- Create seasonal, farm-to-table menus using available farm-grown produce.
- Maintain consistency in food quality, cultivate the “WOW Factor” in presentation and taste across all menus.
- Produce and promote signature items and value-added products, including the farm's house-made sourdough focaccia bread.
- Utilize the wood-fired oven as a feature of the farm-to-table dining experience.
- Optimize collaboration with the Farm Manager to maximize crop use.
- Actively participate in crop planning to identify produce to be used in future menus.
- Leverage farm resources towards zero waste goals and minimize plastic use.
- Produce specialty value-added products to be featured in menus and sold to the public
Kitchen Operations
- Ensure the kitchen is prepared to support all scheduled events and service demands, with particular emphasis on Friday and Saturday dinners.
- Maintain efficient production schedules and staffing levels to meet operational needs and cost projections.
- Oversee food preparation to ensure consistency, efficiency, and guest satisfaction.
Financial Management
Maintain food costs below 22% labor costs BH 18% to achieve budget goals.
Food Safety & Compliance
- Maintain the kitchen in full compliance with all local, state, and federal health department regulations.
- Ensure all sanitation and food safety procedures are consistently followed.
- Must have ServSafe Manager Certification.
- Conduct regular inspections to maintain cleanliness, organization, and compliance.
Leadership & Team Development
- Supervise, train, schedule, and mentor kitchen support staff.
- Enforce kitchen policies, operational standards, sanitation procedures, and performance expectations.
- Foster a positive, professional, and accountable work environment focused on teamwork and continuous improvement.
Key Performance Expectations
- Menus submitted for review and approval by the executive director at least 45 days prior to the event.
- Food cost maintained at or below 22%.
- The kitchen must remain fully compliant with health department standards.
- ServSafe certification.
- Active collaboration with the Farm Manager to maximize utilization of farm produce.
- Focus the "WOW Factor" on Friday and Saturday dinners.
- Use of signature menu items and utilization of the wood-fired oven.
- Professional supervision and development of all kitchen activities.
- Weekly meetings with the executive director to review menus, image and vision alignment.
- Collaborate with the event coordinator, and marketing team.
Competitive compensation will be based on experience. Please send a resume and short description of your interest in this position to Emmanuel Roux at [email protected].
Work Location: In person
