SUMMARY
The Chief Steward is responsible for the operational infrastructure of the culinary environment, ensuring kitchen facilities, sanitation programs, equipment assets, vendor services, and support workflows operate reliably and safely to enable world-class culinary execution. This role leads the Stewarding/Sanitation function, owns preventative maintenance programs in partnership with Facilities and external vendors, and drives Life-Safety and regulatory compliance for the culinary footprint. The position also partners on annual and long-term capital planning and aligns storage, purchasing SOPs, and BOH readiness to service commitments.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Operations Infrastructure & Compliance
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Strategic ownership of equipment lifecycle & preventative maintenance, vendor management, and life-safety compliance
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Lead the BOH operational infrastructure for all culinary venues, ensuring systems, equipment, and sanitation programs enable safe, efficient production.
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Own the preventative maintenance (PM) calendar for culinary equipment with internal Facilities and approved external vendors; maintain service logs and PM compliance KPIs.
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Serve as culinary operational POC for Life-Safety and regulatory compliance, coordinating inspections, corrective actions, and documentation.
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Partner with Executive Chef and Director of Purchasing to uphold storage and inventory SOPs
Vendor & Asset Management
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Source, schedule, and manage external vendors for equipment service, deep cleaning, grease trap/hood service, dish machine chemicals, and related BOH services; evaluate quality, cost, and SLAs.
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Maintain an accurate asset register for major culinary equipment and recommend repair/replace decisions based on lifecycle, cost, and operational risk.
Capital & Financial Planning
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Capital planning input and infrastructure alignment with Chef, Facilities Director and CFO; BOH readiness leadership beyond daily sanitation.
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Develop annual capital requests and contribute to the 10-year culinary infrastructure program with Chef, Facilities Director, and CFO; prepare justifications tied to risk, compliance, efficiency, and guest experience.
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Track BOH operating expenses related to sanitation programs, chemicals, and vendor services; identify savings opportunities without compromising standards.
Sanitation & BOH Readiness
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Lead the Stewarding/Sanitation team: staffing, scheduling, training, performance management, safety, and audit cadence; maintain departmental logbook and action plans.
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Establish and enforce BOH opening/closing and deep-clean SOPs; execute weekly/daily audits and corrective coaching with clear metrics.
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Oversee BOH readiness for events and service: plateware/smallwares par levels, warewashing throughput, linen logistics, and breakdown standards in partnership with Culinary and Banquets.
Cross-Functional Leadership & Safety
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Coordinate with Culinary, Service, Banquets, and Facilities to minimize downtime and disruptions; serve as BOH operations liaison for new projects and seasonal transitions.
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Lead safety talks and ensure compliance with Club, state, county, and city health codes; maintain required certifications and ensure team certifications are current.
People & Culture
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Build a safety- and hospitality-first culture for BOH; recognize performance, coach in the moment, and address conduct/performance issues with progressive discipline in conjunction with HR.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education & Experience
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High school diploma or GED required; additional education in Business, Operations, Culinary, Engineering Technology, or Hospitality Management preferred.
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5+ years in culinary/BOH operations within club/hotel/resort or equivalent multi-venue environment, with 2+ years leading stewarding/sanitation or BOH support teams.
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Demonstrated experience managing equipment service vendors and running preventative maintenance programs in a foodservice environment.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
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Strong knowledge of sanitation, HACCP/food safety, chemical programs, and life-safety systems relevant to commercial kitchens.
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Familiarity with capital planning, asset lifecycle, and basic budgeting/ROI considerations.
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Competent with scheduling, audit tools, and basic office software; able to build dashboards for PM compliance and sanitation KPIs.
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Effective communicator and cross-functional collaborator; able to influence without authority and uphold standards consistently.
Licenses/Certifications
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Valid Driver’s License (clean record).
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Current Food Handler/Sanitation certification; additional safety certifications (e.g., ServSafe, OSHA-10) preferred.
