Executive Chef Chef Jobs in Waterloo, IL (NOW HIRING)

Cobalt Smoke & Sea is an established, upscale restaurant in Creve Coeur entering an exciting new chapter. Our concept combines coastal cuisine, modern American cooking, live-fire and smoked elements, seasonal ingredients, thoughtful cocktails, and warm, polished hospitality.

We are looking for an Executive Chef who wants more than a kitchen-management position. This is an opportunity to help shape the culinary identity of Cobalt, build a respected kitchen culture, develop emerging culinary talent, and create one of the most compelling chef-driven dining experiences in the St. Louis area.

The right candidate may be an experienced Executive Chef or an accomplished Chef de Cuisine, Executive Sous Chef, or senior culinary leader who is ready to take the next step.

The Executive Chef will have meaningful creative authority over Cobalt’s culinary program while working closely with engaged ownership to maintain strong financial and operational standards.

We want a chef who can:

• Create food that gives guests a reason to return
• Develop seasonal menus that balance creativity and accessibility
• Maintain consistency during every service
• Build and mentor a strong kitchen team
• Establish relationships with local farms, producers, and specialty vendors
• Manage food cost, labor, purchasing, inventory, and waste
• Help develop chef’s dinners, wine dinners, special events, and off-menu features
• Build systems that allow the restaurant and its culinary team to grow

This is not a corporate position with a predetermined menu. We are looking for a culinary leader with a point of view who also understands that creativity and profitability must work together.

• Lead all back-of-house operations
• Develop and execute seasonal lunch, dinner, brunch, happy-hour, and special-event menus
• Create standardized recipes, portions, plating guides, and preparation procedures
• Cost all recipes before they are placed on the menu
• Maintain food quality, presentation, consistency, and ticket-time standards
• Recruit, train, schedule, supervise, and mentor the kitchen team
• Develop sous chefs, line cooks, prep cooks, dish staff, culinary students, and apprentices
• Establish daily prep lists, production systems, station standards, and opening and closing procedures
• Manage food purchases, vendor relationships, inventory, waste, and product rotation
• Maintain food cost and kitchen labor within approved targets
• Conduct regular inventory counts and review purchasing variances
• Coordinate closely with front-of-house leadership
• Train service staff on new dishes, ingredients, preparation methods, allergens, and suggested pairings
• Maintain excellent sanitation, food-safety, and health-department standards
• Oversee kitchen equipment care and preventative maintenance
• Participate in marketing, food photography, community events, and guest-facing culinary experiences
• Help establish culinary-school relationships, internships, and apprenticeship opportunities

During the first 90 days, the Executive Chef will be expected to:

• Learn the existing operation, menu, team, vendors, and guest expectations
• Evaluate current kitchen staffing and systems
• Establish clear standards for preparation, execution, cleanliness, and accountability
• Complete recipe costing and plating documentation
• Develop a seasonal menu plan that supports the Cobalt Smoke & Sea identity
• Implement reliable inventory, purchasing, waste, and labor-control systems
• Build trust with both the kitchen and front-of-house teams
• Present a long-term plan for team development and culinary growth

• Significant progressive experience in professional kitchens
• Prior experience as an Executive Chef, Chef de Cuisine, Executive Sous Chef, or senior Sous Chef
• Experience in upscale casual, fine dining, private club, boutique hotel, or chef-driven restaurant environments
• Strong scratch-kitchen background
• Experience creating seasonal menus and daily features
• Strong seafood, sauce, meat, pasta, vegetable, and modern American cooking skills
• Understanding of live-fire, wood-fired, smoked, or charred cooking techniques is a plus
• Demonstrated ability to manage food cost, purchasing, inventory, labor, and waste
• Experience recruiting, training, mentoring, and retaining kitchen employees
• Calm, organized, and professional leadership style
• Ability to hold high standards without creating a hostile kitchen environment
• Strong communication and problem-solving skills
• Comfortable working directly with ownership
• Food Protection Manager certification, or the ability to obtain it promptly
• Culinary degree is welcomed but not required

The successful candidate will be:

• Creative without being impractical
• Confident without being arrogant
• Financially disciplined without sacrificing quality
• Hands-on and willing to work alongside the team
• Passionate about teaching and developing people
• Organized enough to build repeatable systems
• Comfortable receiving and giving constructive feedback
• Interested in building something meaningful over the long term