Sharon Heights Golf - Menlo Park - KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE

Description

EXECUTIVE CHEF PROFILE:
SHARON HEIGHTS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
MENLO PARK, CA

EXECUTIVE CHEF AT SHARON HEIGHTS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
The Executive Chef opportunity at Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club, located in the prestigious Menlo Park community, is an excellent chance for a talented culinary leader to make their mark.

With various dining outlets, including a la carte and poolside dining, the club is looking for a talented culinary leader to elevate the club's offerings, develop and mentor the team, build innovative concepts, while overseeing the high-quality culinary programs, and align with the club's vision for excellence.

Sharon Heights' dining venues and elegant banquet operations provide an inspiring setting for a chef who thrives in high-touch, high-quality environments. Creativity and attention to detail are key, as the club frequently hosts a variety of traditional and themed events. This is an exceptional opportunity for a chef who is ready to bring fresh ideas and elevate the dining experience in a highly regarded setting.

Click here to view a brief video about this opportunity.

ABOUT SHARON HEIGHTS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
Nestled amongst majestic redwoods and venerable oaks in the Bay Area, Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club offers an unparalleled five-star experience for its members and guests. Established in 1962, the Club has become a cornerstone of the Menlo Park community, known for its casually elegant atmosphere where golf, dining, and recreation blend seamlessly.

Sharon Heights is renowned for its commitment to excellence and has solidified its status as a leading private club in the Bay Area and beyond. A variety of projects over the years have focused on giving back and sustainability, including an on-site Recycled Water Plant for the golf course, their "Going Green" initiative, and a 501c3 Foundation to assist team members and their families with education costs.

For its members, Sharon Heights boasts an array of amenities designed to promote a fun and healthy lifestyle. The centerpiece is its 18-hole championship golf course, complemented by a driving range, short game area, and advanced learning tools such as Trackman and V1 video analyses. The Club also offers extensive tennis facilities, including four outdoor tennis courts and two hybrid tennis/pickleball courts. The fitness center at Sharon Heights is a hub for health and wellness, offering a range of group fitness classes, personal training, and small group sessions.

Dining at Sharon Heights is a delight, with two full-service restaurants offering diverse menus. Members can enjoy distinguished wine selections and specialty food and beverage packages, making every meal an experience to savor.

SHARON HEIGHTS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB BY THE NUMBERS:

• 564 Members
• 61 Average Age Members
• Approximately $24M Annual Gross Volume
• $5M Annual F&B Revenue Approximately
• 60 % A la carte - 40 % Catering.
• 56 % Food Cost Target 48%
• 31 FTE Kitchen Staffing (including Chef de Cuisine and Sous Chef)
• 4 - Kitchens (Main, Banquet/Prep, Pool House, Turn Shack)
• 6 Weddings Annually Historical
• F&B closed on Mondays
• 130 FT Employees ǀ 20 Seasonal
• 9 Board Members with 3-year Terms
• The Club is organized as a 501(C)(7) Corporation

SHARON HEIGHTS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB WEBSITE:

EXECUTIVE CHEF - POSITION OVERVIEW
The Executive Chef (EC) at Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club is accountable for directing and maintaining the administration, organization, and development of the culinary department for the Club. Reporting directly to the GM/COO, the Executive Chef is responsible for consistent interaction with the club's members while demonstrating a hands-on leadership style to manage, motivate, and lead his/her team. Stays current on culinary trends and is well-versed in finding creative ways to accommodate a variety of member requests, food allergies, and intolerances. They will demonstrate the ability to provide consistent high-quality presentations across all staff, including recipes, photos, tastings, and training, and ensure all food is consistently outstanding - from standard club fare to innovative offerings and special culinary events throughout all dining venues.

As the face of culinary operations, the Executive Chef must be comfortable conversing and interacting in both the kitchen and dining rooms as they interface with multiple and diverse constituencies (members, staff, vendors, etc.) throughout the day. The EC is responsive to club members' and team members' requests and strives to find creative ways to accommodate reasonable requests, welcoming others' opinions, suggestions, and feedback while maintaining the highest level of quality and standards.

Ultimately, the EC is an important and positive face of culinary operations. They are an integral part of the overall success of the operations and a strong influencer on each constituency with whom they interface. The responsibility to lead this facet of the organization from a passionate, creative, supportive, progressive, and team-focused perspective is of critical importance for long-term success.

KEY PRIORITIES FOR SUCCESS

• Create and update menus (restaurant and banquet) often, incorporate daily specials, and develop recipes to control & ensure consistency. Creativity (not just variety), flexibility, and adaptability are essential for success.
• Hands-on team builder who mentors kitchen staff and develops a pipeline of talented and creative individuals. Building a reputation as an excellent learning and training ground for up-and-coming culinarians, with culinary institutions, and maximizing creative staffing initiatives (in cooperation with Human Resources).
• Partners with the Front of House team to bring everyone along in the vision for new menus and initiatives, fostering unity, enthusiasm, and understanding through hands-on training and shared goals.
• Show a genuine interest in the future and personal growth of the staff. Treat all employees with respect, empathy, and dignity, valuing each person for their unique strengths.
• Competent in organizational skills, time management, sound judgment, problem-solving, and decision-making,
• Communicates proactively and considers the culinary function of the club to be one of many intertwined areas of operations, working together for the overall success of the club.
• Lead the HOH initiatives relative to accident prevention, training, and retention of staff, as well as sanitation and safety standards.

FOOD AND BEVERAGE OPERATIONS
The Lounge, seating 75 with an additional 100 on the terrace, the lounge overlooks the golf course and serves a more informal lunch and dinner.

The Main Dining Room, which is adjacent to The Lounge, also with a stunning golf course view, seats 80 and shares the terrace (seating 100) with the Lounge. The Main dining room serves a more upscale casual lunch and dinner, with noted formal nights for a more traditional club dining experience.

The Pool House seats 95 and serves guests poolside, along with a more casual dinner 3 days per week. Recent theme nights have included Taco Tuesdays, which have been very popular with Membership.

The Ballroom also has a golf course view and a capacity of 300 some of the busy holiday events, such as Mother's Day, Easter, and July 4th, are hosted here with diverse and extensive buffet offerings. Other meeting spaces includethe Oak Room and Board Room.

The Club has a Men's Grill which seats with terrace), same hours as the Lounge and Main Dining Room.

The Turn Shack offers golfers and other members a casual lunch or grab-n-go area; the turn seats 15-20 ppl.

INITIAL PRIORITIES OF THE NEW EXECUTIVE CHEF

• Build a partnership with the GM/COO and other senior staff members to ensure complete alignment and develop a clear, uniform vision for the new food and beverage experience.
• Further develop and refine the member Service Model that will guide the food style, creativity, and concepts consistent with the Service Model, and develop written standards and procedures. This includes but is not limited to ordering guidelines, inventory management, SOPs, checklists, systems, and staff training.
• After understanding the market and member dining preferences, create menus with food cost analysis and plating guidelines for each restaurant and members' private entertainment.

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS

• Has a proven track record of high-level, resort, hotel, or country club dining expertise. 8+ years of culinary experience and 5+ years in a managerial role.
• Has exceptional experience with providing high-quality a la carte and banquet food offerings.
• Has experience working with local and seasonal produce and makes connections with vendors.
• Has strong financial acumen, experienced in budget management and forecasting, as well as managing food and labor costs daily.
• A strong relationship builder with a history of collaboration with their GM, CFO, Clubhouse Manager, F&B Managers, and other leaders.
• Acutely aware of the delicate menu balance that exists between offering standard club fare for tenured members and providing innovative options for members that belong to a younger demographic.
• Finally, the ideal candidate should be at an appropriate point in his or her professional trajectory - accomplished, yet well-positioned to learn and grow and reach the pinnacle of his or her career while in the club's employ.

EDUCATIONAL AND CERTIFICATION QUALIFICATIONS

• A culinary arts degree from an accredited school is preferred.
• Certified Executive Chef (ACF) or Pro Chef (CIA) certification is preferred.
• Certification in food safety is mandatory.

SALARY AND BENEFITS
Salary is open and commensurate with qualifications and experience. The club offers an excellent bonus and benefits package, including association membership. Salary Range: $200,000 - $250,000.

INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO APPLY
Please upload your resume and cover letter in that order using the link below. You should have your documents fully prepared to be attached when prompted for them during the online application process. Please be sure your image is not present on your resume or cover letter; that should be used on your LinkedIn Profile.

Prepare a thoughtful cover letter addressed to Aaron Grant, Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club General Manager/COO. Clearly articulate your alignment with this role, why you want to be considered for this position at this stage of your career, and why SHG&CC and the Menlo Park, CA area will benefit you, your family, your career, and the Club if selected.

You must apply for this role as soon as possible. The new candidate should assume his/her role in December or January.

IMPORTANT: Save your resume and letter in the following manner:
"Last Name, First Name - Resume" &
"Last Name, First Name - Cover Letter - SHARON HEIGHTS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB"
(These documents should be in Word or PDF format.)

Note: Once you complete the application process for this search, you are not able to go back in and add additional documents.

If you have any questions, please email Bethany Taylor:

Lead Search Executives:

Annette Whittley, Search Executive

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Lawrence McFadden, CMC, Search Executive

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