District Executive Chef - NY, NJ, CT

The District Executive Chef (DEC) supports 8–10 cafés by providing café management teams with the tools, training, and leadership necessary to ensure every savory kitchen team member delivers on Tatte’s commitment to uncompromising quality and craftsmanship. The DEC continuously educates, trains, and supports each café team member in understanding and adhering to food quality and safety standards, while mentoring café and kitchen leaders to grow and develop their teams and build a strong kitchen culture across savory operations.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: (included but not limited to):

• Train all café team members (managers, supervisors, hourly) in food safety & sanitation, food quality, and professional development of café kitchen leaders and cooks.
• Support building and training teams for new café openings (NCO).
• Build trust with all team members through clear, honest communication and feedback.
• Partner with District Managers to select, develop, and manage kitchen leaders, including succession planning.
• Maintain food quality standards for savory operations, ensuring adherence to recipe specifications.
• Oversee the roll-out of new savory menu items.
• Implement and maintain all café kitchen systems.
• Support food safety and sanitation procedures across café kitchens.
• Assist kitchen leaders with monthly inventory management, purchasing, storage, and waste reduction.
• Teach ServSafe, Food Handler, and other required classes.
• Ensure all supervisory and management team members maintain current licenses and certifications.
• Certify kitchen team members for Pro Team roles, station lead roles and MITs (Managers in Training).
• Investigate food quality and safety issues within cafés.
• Collaborate with the VP of Culinary Operations & Commercialization and other stakeholders to develop and iterate food quality and safety best practices.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

 QUALIFICATIONS:

Required

• 2–4 years as a District Executive Chef managing 4+ high-volume, full-service and/or polished fast-casual restaurants.
• Flexible schedule based on business needs, including days, nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Ability to work 10+ hour shifts; stand, sit, squat, or walk for extended periods.
• Ability to grasp, reach overhead, push, lift, and carry up to 50 lbs.
• Demonstrated success in guest service excellence and supporting P&L management (sales, inventory, variances, labor tools/systems, operations financial reporting).
• Proven leadership skills in selecting kitchen leaders, and motivating, training, and coaching savory operations teams.
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail.
• High School diploma or equivalent required.

Preferred Skills

• S. in Culinary Arts, Food Services Technology/Management, or related field, OR A.S. in Culinary Arts or Culinary Certificate with required experience.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook).
• Experience with UltiPro Onboarding & Recruiting, Toast POS, CrunchTime, and Teamworks (highly preferred).
• Current ServSafe, Allergen, and ChokeSaver certifications.
• Proven experience successfully navigating the New Café Opening (NCO) process.
• Demonstrated oversight and management of café operations with comparable or higher sales volumes.
• Established presence and operational experience within the Tri-State market.
• Possesses reliable personal transportation or the ability to efficiently travel between multiple café locations to provide on-site leadership and support.

OUR BENEFITS & PERKS: 

• Competitive pay (ranging from $100,000-$122,250/year, depending on experience) + Quarterly Bonus Program
• Paid vacation & sick time
• 401(k) with company match
• Free Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Flexible schedule with no late nights
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Complimentary meals and drinks
• Exciting career growth potential

Please note that Tatte is an E-Verify Employer.