Head Chef

Head Chef – Culinary Production & Development

MyoMeals | Franklin Park, IL

Salary: $75,000 annually + performance-based bonus opportunities

Job Type: Full-Time

Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM

Location: Franklin Park, Illinois

Job Overview

MyoMeals is seeking a passionate, experienced, and hands-on Head Chef to lead our culinary operations as we continue expanding our high-protein meal preparation business.

At MyoMeals, we believe healthy eating should never come at the expense of great flavor. Our mission is to create restaurant-quality, protein-focused meals that customers genuinely look forward to eating.

As our Head Chef, you'll play a key role in shaping our culinary program, developing innovative recipes, and leading a kitchen focused on quality, consistency, and efficiency.

Unlike a traditional restaurant kitchen, our operation specializes in high-volume meal production. We're looking for someone who understands how to transform creative culinary ideas into standardized, scalable recipes while maintaining exceptional taste and presentation.

The ideal candidate is an experienced culinary leader who enjoys being hands-on in the kitchen, takes ownership of their work, and thrives in an organized, fast-paced production environment.

Key Responsibilities

Culinary Leadership & Menu Development

• Lead daily kitchen operations, ensuring meals are prepared to the highest standards of flavor, quality, and consistency.
• Develop and refine creative, protein-focused recipes that align with the MyoMeals brand and customer preferences.
• Standardize recipes, cooking techniques, and preparation procedures to ensure consistent results across large production batches.
• Conduct regular food tastings and quality assessments to maintain culinary excellence.
• Develop cooking methods that preserve flavor, texture, and quality throughout refrigeration, freezing, and reheating.
• Stay current with culinary trends, ingredients, and techniques to introduce exciting new menu offerings.

Food Production & Operational Efficiency

• Oversee high-volume food preparation and cooking while maintaining accuracy, consistency, and production deadlines.
• Plan and execute production batches based on forecasted meal quantities and ingredient requirements.
• Scale recipes efficiently while maintaining proper cooking yields, portion specifications, and product quality.
• Develop and maintain detailed recipe costing, ingredient specifications, and Bills of Materials (BOMs).
• Monitor food costs, ingredient utilization, and production waste to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Coordinate ingredient availability and purchasing requirements with production leadership to prevent shortages and unnecessary overproduction.
• Collaborate with the Production Lead to optimize kitchen workflows, improve efficiency, and support production goals.

Kitchen Management & Food Safety

• Maintain a clean, organized, and efficient kitchen environment.
• Ensure proper food handling, ingredient storage, sanitation, and compliance with applicable food safety regulations.
• Establish and maintain standardized kitchen procedures that support safe and consistent food production.
• Monitor equipment usage, ingredient quality, and cooking processes to ensure operational excellence.
• Work closely with the Food Safety & Quality Assurance team to ensure all prepared components meet established standards before meal assembly.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, train, and motivate kitchen employees to maintain high standards of culinary execution.
• Provide hands-on guidance in cooking techniques, recipe preparation, food safety, and production efficiency.
• Foster a positive, accountable, and team-oriented kitchen culture.
• Collaborate with production and operations leadership to identify challenges, implement improvements, and support company growth.
• Take ownership of kitchen performance while encouraging continuous improvement and innovation.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of professional culinary experience, preferably in high-volume catering, commissary kitchens, meal preparation, or food manufacturing.
• Previous experience as a Head Chef, Executive Chef, Sous Chef, or similar culinary leadership position.
• Strong culinary knowledge with excellent cooking skills and a passion for creating flavorful, high-quality meals.
• Experience developing recipes, scaling production batches, and maintaining consistent food quality.
• Strong understanding of food costing, ingredient yields, inventory management, and waste reduction.
• Ability to lead and develop kitchen employees in a fast-paced production environment.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Knowledge of commercial kitchen sanitation, HACCP principles, and food safety regulations.
• Comfortable working with recipe costing software, spreadsheets, and production documentation.
• Culinary degree or equivalent professional experience preferred.
• ServSafe Manager certification preferred.

Compensation & Benefits

• Annual Salary: $75,000
• Performance-based annual bonus opportunities of up to $6,000.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, subject to plan eligibility.
• 10 days of paid time off annually.
• Company-observed holidays off.
• Consistent Monday–Friday schedule, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM.
• Occasional Saturday availability may be required for production or quality-related issues.
• Opportunities for professional growth and advancement within a growing company.

Why Join MyoMeals?

At MyoMeals, we're building something beyond a traditional meal prep service.

We're creating a food brand centered around bold flavors, quality ingredients, and meals that make eating well both convenient and enjoyable.

As our Head Chef, you'll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the direction of our culinary program. From developing new dishes to improving how thousands of meals are produced each week, your creativity, leadership, and expertise will help shape the future of our company.

We're looking for someone who takes pride in their craft, enjoys building efficient kitchen operations, and wants to grow alongside an ambitious team.

Pay: $75,000.00 - $81,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Food provided
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person