New Opening Executive Chef

Following 20 years at Woodberry Kitchen, James Beard award-winning chef Spike Gjerde is embarking on a new chapter: the ecco/project evolves WK's intense commitment to direct purchasing from small, regenerative farms in the Mid-Atlantic to create new food businesses that overlay an approach to local sourcing with beloved global cuisines. Our focus is on driving measurable economic value to regenerative, local agriculture– strengthening a regional food system, contributing to positive environmental outcomes, and a vibrant Baltimore city.

Our first restaurant, La Jetée, is an all-day Provençal French restaurant featuring Chesapeake Bay fish and shellfish. We are searching for an Executive Chef to lead the culinary program at our second restaurant, opening in January 2025 with a focus on the culinary traditions and techniques of pinxtos bars in Spain. The project includes oversight of a small but mighty kitchen, supporting a 40 seat bar & restaurant, and a 60 seat event space in the heart of Mount Vernon.

This right candidate has 2-3 years of kitchen management experience at the Chef or Sous Chef level, preferably in thoughtful independent restaurants, and has a stated interest in working with local ingredients & farmers instead of broad-line distributors. Experience with Spanish cuisine is preferred. 

Responsibilities:
• Daily kitchen management for a 7-day restaurant and events operation.
• Supporting Spike's vision for the culinary programs including recipe development and documentation, creating and maintaining kitchen standards, kitchen organization, and constant improvement.
• Ensure nightly service & execution meets established standards.
• Manage a small but effective team of line cooks, prep, and dishwashers. 
• Effectively manage labor and food costs.
• Manage purchasing and prep lists to support the operation, including following sourcing rubrics, and working with the variability and availability of our products.

Qualifications:
• Ability to stand for 10-12 hour shifts.
• Experience with kitchen management job functions.
• Ability to use digital systems: Google Suite, Tripleseat, and scheduling platforms.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills.