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Chef Manager Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

Chef Manager

Lincolnwood, IL · On-site

$70K - $75K/yr

Chef Manager Salary: $70k - 75k a year Hours: Monday to Friday. Weekend and evening availability is needed at some locations. Location: Multiple locations in the Chicagoland area Including Northwest ...

Chef Manager

Chicago, IL · On-site

$60K - $70K/yr

We're looking for Chef Manager who can help us deliver the best customer service and food experiences. Reporting to the General Manager, you'll take a hands-on approach in focusing on team ...

Chef Manager

Chicago, IL · On-site

$60K - $70K/yr

We're looking for Chef Manager who can help us deliver the best customer service and food experiences. Reporting to the General Manager, you'll take a hands-on approach in focusing on team ...

We're looking for Chef Manager who can help us deliver the best customer service and food experiences. Reporting to the General Manager, you'll take a hands-on approach in focusing on team ...

Chef Manager

Chicago, IL · On-site

$60K - $70K/yr

We?re looking for Chef Manager who can help us deliver the best customer service and food experiences. Reporting to the General Manager, you?ll take a hands-on approach in focusing on team ...

Learn directly from an experienced Belmont Village Chef Manager Preceptor at one of our vibrant assisted living and memory care communities, gradually increasing your responsibilities as you grow.

The Traveling Chef Manager position includes the following but is not limited to: * Traveling to different locations and providing necessary culinary and managerial support. * Leading staff with ...

Role Overview Sodexo is seeking a talented and motivated Chef Manager to lead culinary operations at Methodist Hospital Northlake in Gary, Indiana . We are looking for a creative, dependable culinary ...

Chef Manager

Gary, IN · On-site

$53K - $69K/yr

Role Overview Sodexo is seeking a talented and motivated Chef Manager to lead culinary operations at Methodist Hospital Northlake in Gary, Indiana . We are looking for a creative, dependable culinary ...

New

Role Overview Sodexo is looking for a Chef Manager to join our team at Harper College , in Palatine, Illinois. This manager will be responsible for the day-to-day execution of the retail and catering ...

Chef Manager

Palatine, IL · On-site

$53K - $69K/yr

Role Overview Sodexo is looking for a Chef Manager to join our team at Harper College , in Palatine, Illinois. This manager will be responsible for the day-to-day execution of the retail and catering ...

Role Overview Sodexo is seeking a talented and motivated Chef Manager to lead culinary operations at Methodist Hospital Northlake in Gary, Indiana . We are looking for a creative, dependable culinary ...

Role Overview Sodexo is seeking a talented and motivated Chef Manager to lead culinary operations at Methodist Hospital Northlake in Gary, Indiana . We are looking for a creative, dependable culinary ...

Role Overview Sodexo is looking for a Chef Manager to join our team at Harper College , in Palatine, Illinois. This manager will be responsible for the day-to-day execution of the retail and catering ...

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Showing results 1-20

Chef Manager information

See Chicago, IL salary details

$28.8K

$59.7K

$85.5K

How much do chef manager jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 27, 2026, the average yearly pay for chef manager in Chicago, IL is $59,662.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $48,900.00 and $69,400.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the highest paying type of chef?

Executive chefs, also known as head chefs or chef managers, tend to be the highest paid among culinary roles, especially in fine dining restaurants, hotels, and resort settings. They often have extensive experience, leadership skills, and certifications, and their salaries can exceed $80,000 annually depending on the establishment and location.

What is a Chef Manager?

A Chef Manager is a culinary professional responsible for both the preparation of food and the management of kitchen operations. They oversee menu planning, ingredient sourcing, food safety, and staff supervision, ensuring that the kitchen runs efficiently and meets quality standards. Chef Managers often balance hands-on cooking with administrative duties like budgeting, scheduling, and inventory control. Their role is essential in restaurants, catering companies, and institutional kitchens to guarantee consistent and high-quality food service.

What does a chef manager do?

A chef manager oversees kitchen operations, manages staff, plans menus, ensures food quality and safety, and controls inventory and costs. They often require culinary skills, leadership abilities, and knowledge of health regulations to run a successful food service establishment.

What is the highest paid chef position?

The highest paid chef position is typically Executive Chef or Culinary Director, who oversee multiple kitchens or large restaurant groups. These roles often require extensive experience, leadership skills, and advanced culinary knowledge, with salaries reaching six figures or more in high-end establishments or corporate settings.

What Is a Chef Manager?

A chef manager is a supervisor in the kitchen area of a restaurant. As a chef manager, you are responsible for helping the kitchen staff perform efficiently. Your duties include establishing standard menu options and recipes, ordering the food and supplies necessary to make these dishes, and overseeing kitchen and line staff by hiring, firing, and training team members as required. Qualifications for this career include extensive kitchen experience and leadership skills.

What is the difference between Chef Manager vs Sous Chef?

AspectChef ManagerSous Chef
CredentialsCulinary degree or equivalent, culinary certificationsCulinary degree or equivalent, culinary certifications
Work EnvironmentOversees kitchen operations, manages staff, plans menusAssists head chef, supervises kitchen staff, prepares dishes
Employer & Industry UsageHotels, restaurants, catering services, healthcare facilitiesRestaurants, hotels, catering, institutional kitchens
Primary ResponsibilitiesKitchen management, menu planning, staff supervisionFood preparation, supporting head chef, quality control

The main difference between a Chef Manager and a Sous Chef is that the Chef Manager has broader responsibilities including managing the entire kitchen operation, staff, and menu planning, while the Sous Chef primarily supports the head chef with food preparation and kitchen supervision. Both roles require culinary credentials and are common in similar work environments, but the Chef Manager holds a more managerial position.

How does a Chef Manager balance culinary creativity with administrative responsibilities in their daily role?

As a Chef Manager, you will need to juggle hands-on food preparation and menu development with tasks like staff scheduling, inventory control, and budgeting. This balance often means dividing your day between the kitchen and the office, ensuring food quality and safety standards are met while also keeping operations efficient and cost-effective. Collaboration with kitchen staff, front-of-house teams, and suppliers is key to maintaining smooth service and meeting customer expectations. Developing strong organizational and communication skills will help you thrive in this dynamic environment.

How much does a chef manager get paid?

A chef manager typically earns between $45,000 and $75,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and the size of the establishment. They often oversee kitchen staff, manage food quality, and handle administrative tasks, which can influence salary levels.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Chef Manager, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Chef Manager, you need strong culinary expertise, menu planning skills, and experience in kitchen operations, often supported by a culinary degree or relevant certifications. Familiarity with inventory management systems, food safety standards, and cost control software is typically required. Leadership, communication, and time management are crucial soft skills for effectively managing kitchen staff and ensuring smooth service. These skills are vital for maintaining high food quality, operational efficiency, and a positive team environment.
What are the most commonly searched types of Chef jobs in Chicago, IL? The most popular types of Chef jobs in Chicago, IL are:
What are popular job titles related to Chef Manager jobs in Chicago, IL? For Chef Manager jobs in Chicago, IL, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Chef Manager jobs in Chicago, IL look for? The top searched job categories for Chef Manager jobs in Chicago, IL are:
What cities near Chicago, IL are hiring for Chef Manager jobs? Cities near Chicago, IL with the most Chef Manager job openings:
Infographic showing various Chef Manager job openings in Chicago, IL as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 90% Full Time, 8% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $59,662 per year, or $28.7 per hour.
Chef Manager

Chef Manager

QUEST FOOD MANAGEMENT SERVICES LLC

Winnetka, IL • On-site

$60K - $70K/yr

Full-time

Posted 4 days ago


Quest Food Management Services rating

3.4

Company rating: 3.4 out of 10

Based on 6 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

66th of 68 rated caterers


Job description

Our Promise

Balance - Quest fosters a fun, supportive environment that puts people first and strives for both culinary excellence and enduring relationships. Our flexible work opportunities encourage a healthy life balance for all of our valued team members.

Meaning - Quest believes that every aspect of what we do has significance, and therefore, our food is fresh and made from scratch, using high quality and responsibly sourced ingredients. We nourish our communities with wholesome meals and through our genuine and personal connections.

Recognition - Quest provides competitive compensation and benefits, and celebrates the fulfillment of our collective values at all levels of the organization. We support professional growth through training, development and access to highly visible leadership.

Position Summary

The Chef Manager position will assist in overseeing the cafeteria and catering at unit. The Chef Manager position requires experience in the food service industry as well as client relations and leadership skills, and basic accounting practices.

The Chef Manager position will assist in training and development of the staff, so that next level leaders are indentified, groomed, and placed in positions fitting their skills and abilities, as Quest to continues to grow. This will be achieved by team leadership, skill development, 30/60/90 reviews and career path with timelines.

The Chef Manager will lead the team in order to effectively manage all safety and sanitation as it pertains to the account. As a leader on the Quest team, the Chef Manager will lead by example and maintain a professional and reputable work environment by enforcing policy and best practices that brings out a positive employment brand. This position is responsible for leading the Quest nutrition and guest experience efforts, providing vision, leadership and strategic guidance to the company in these areas. Ensures that Quest vision, values and founding principles are effectively communicated and practiced. Manages assigned company location and team members.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

  • Cascades the vision of Quest Food Management Services ensuring the Quest vision, values and founding principles are effectively communicated, understood and practiced.
  • Demonstrates commitment to Quest vision, values and missions through actions on a daily basis.
  • Adhering to all Corporate deadlines in regards to Mealtime, Invoices, Payroll and EOM
  • Continually measure customer satisfaction levels through feedback, so that any issues are resolved immediately.
  • Identify and groom next level personnel to grow with company. Develop career paths including training schedules and timeframes.
  • Purchases inventory levels of cafeteria and catering service.
  • Manage signage and implement Quest promotions and marketing schemes that are rolled out each month
  • Manage staff to include selection, work allocation, training, coaching and mentoring, problem resolution, performance evaluation and feedback, and corrective action.
  • Lead development of the food experience offered by Quest, including developing Quest’s food “brand” via recipes, menus, concepts, and merchandising.
  • Lead development of systems and processes to ensure all food experiences are operationally and financially executable.
  • Champion and advance Quest's nutritional standards in recipe, menu, and brand development.
  • Provide expertise in nutrition and wellness throughout Quest, including nutrition counseling for customers, operational advice and guidance regarding dietary needs, and nutrition and allergen information sharing.
  • Support Quest’s purchasing efforts to ensure product selection is aligned with food experience.
  • Lead Quest’s food safety and sanitation efforts, ensuring every meal is served with the highest levels of attention to safety for our guests.
  • Provide leadership in Quest’s corporate marketing and sales strategies.
  • Serve as Quest’s internal subject matter expert on sustainability, identifying ways for Quest to partner with clients to deliver onsite sustainability solutions and participate in industry best practices regarding sustainability.
  • Provide hands-on support as needed for special events and coverage for gaps in management presence at the account level.
  • Provide support in sales and marketing efforts for account retention and acquisition.
  • Maintain Quest high standards with customer service and exceeding our client’s expectations.
  • Consistently thrive to introduce new and exciting concepts to keep the account fresh and exciting.
  • Maintain all SOP standards.
  • Maintain all HACCP standards.

Job Requirements/Specifications

Education and Experience: The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Required:

  • Three years of experience in food service management
  • Experience in developing and managing budgets
  • Experience in food safety leadership within a food service or restaurant environment
  • Experience in building and leading a high performing team
  • Strong client relations experience
  • Proficient in MS Office
  • Strong knowledge of the food service and hospitality industry
  • Requires extensive hours at times and frequent local travel
  • Responsible for meeting and maintaining state and local certification requirements (Food Service Manager)

Essential Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactory. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

  • Demonstrated commitment to Quest vision, values and mission through actions on a daily basis
  • Ability to maintain professionalism and a positive attitude in the workplace
  • Demonstrated skill with developing long-term strategic plans and lead/participate in short-term operational implementation (ability to be both strategic and tactical)
  • Keen analytic, organization and problem solving skills
  • Demonstrated ability to consistently communicate a clear understanding of internal and external customer expectations and adapt as appropriate to exceed their needs
  • Proven ability to focus attention on determining what can be done to make progress
  • Proven skill to anticipates the needs of coworkers and proactively assists them to meet a common goal

Language Skills

  • Ability to read, write and speak English

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a team member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

  • Specific vision requirements include the ability to see at close range, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus
  • While performing the duties of this job, the team member is regularly required to talk and hear
  • Frequently required to stand, walk, sit, kneel, bend, use hands to feel, and reach with hands and arms
  • Regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds
  • Exposure to odors, noise, heat, steam, in/out walk-in freezer, cleaning chemicals and detergent
  • Fine hand manipulation (keyboarding, knife skills)

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those team member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

  • Kitchen environment
  • Noise level is low to moderate

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position. The team member must provide medical evidence for reasonable accommodation


I have read and understand this explanation and job description. Quest business is continuously evolving to meet the needs of our customers – you can expect, anticipate, and assume that your job duties will evolve accordingly as well.

#Questfood



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