Executive Chef

Responsibilities

• Lead kitchen operations across hotel restaurant, beach club, and room service
• Create menus inspired by Riviera Maya ingredients — local seafood, tropical fruits, Yucatecan flavors with international technique
• Manage a brigade of 12–25 kitchen professionals
• Source locally from Riviera Maya producers, fishermen, and Yucatán suppliers
• Oversee food cost and kitchen financials
• Engage with guests — boutique hotel guests expect personal interaction with the chef

Requirements

• 7+ years kitchen experience, 3+ as Executive or Head Chef
• Creative menu development portfolio
• Knowledge of Yucatecan and coastal Mexican ingredients
• English conversational — heavy North American and European guest mix
• Comfortable in boutique, non-corporate environment

Benefits

• IMSS, Aguinaldo, vacation + premium
• Staff meals, uniform
• Creative latitude — no corporate menu restrictions
• Close relationship with ownership and F&B team

Work environment

Intimate boutique kitchen. Smaller brigade than Cancún resorts but higher craft expectation per plate. Playa del Carmen's independent hotel scene values authenticity and creativity.

About the role

Creative, personal, owner-connected. This is the opposite of the mega-resort machine. You know every guest by table number and every dish leaves with your personal standard.