Hyatt Regency Lake Washington is looking for a Chef de Cuisine to assist the Executive Chef in leading the Italian kitchen and contribute to the overall success of the outlet by delivering excellent culinary standards and supporting the hotel’s operational and financial goals.
What You'll Do
- Lead and oversee the entire kitchen operation of the Italian Restaurant, ensuring high standards of food quality, taste, presentation, and consistency aligned with the hotel’s standards.
- Develop, refine, and update Italian menus—including seasonal dishes, signature creations, and promotional items—with a strong emphasis on authenticity and innovation.
- Supervise daily food preparation, cooking processes, and kitchen workflows to ensure smooth, efficient, and timely operations.
- Provide hands‑on leadership, coaching, and development to the kitchen team while fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.
- Review recipes, analyze food and labor costs, and contribute to menu engineering to optimize profitability.
- Participate in planning menus, managing surpluses, analyzing dish performance, and ensuring variety, creativity, and popularity of menu items.
- Monitor kitchen inventory, control food purchasing, supervise receiving quality, and ensure proper stock rotation (FIFO) to minimize waste.
- Inspect and maintain kitchen equipment to ensure proper function and safety, reporting issues promptly.
- Ensure full compliance with hygiene, sanitation, and food‑safety standard (ISO22000), and lead the team during audits and corrective actions.
- Collaborate closely with the Restaurant Manager, F&B leaders, Service Team, and Engineering to ensure seamless operations, coordinated service, and equipment maintenance.
- Engage with guests during tastings, special events, or menu presentations to enhance guest satisfaction and collect feedback.
- Stay updated on local and international culinary trends to keep the restaurant competitive and aligned with guest expectations.
- Perform other duties as assigned by the Executive Chef / Executive Sous Chef.
What We're Looking For
- Diploma or Bachelor’s degree in Culinary Arts or a related field.
- 5 - 7 years of experience in Italian cuisine, with at least 2 - 3 years in a supervisory or Chef de Cuisine capacity.
- Strong knowledge of authentic Italian cooking techniques, ingredients, and regional specialties.
- Good command of English.
- Excellent leadership, communication, and team development skills.
- Creative ability to craft signature dishes and seasonal menus.
- Strong understanding of kitchen operations, cost control, inventory management, and procurement.
- Ability to work under pressure in high‑volume environment.
Nice to Have
- Proficiency in international food‑safety standards; ISO22000 experience is an advantage.
Team & Environment
You will assist the Executive Chef in leading the Italian kitchen and report directly to the Executive Chef / Executive Sous Chef.
Work Mode
This role is onsite at the Hyatt Regency Lake Washington.
