Executive Chef opportunity with Old Waverly Club – West Point, MS

About the Club:

Since opening in 1988, Old Waverly has earned national recognition as one of the South’s premier private golf destinations. Located in West Point, Mississippi, the Club was created to honor the region’s natural beauty and heritage. The Club offers an exceptional experience defined by world-class golf, gracious service, and a welcoming community atmosphere.

Home to the acclaimed Old Waverly and Mossy Oak golf courses, the property has hosted some of the game’s most prestigious championships, including the U.S. Women’s Open and the U.S. Women’s Amateur. Beyond golf, members and guests enjoy luxury accommodations, exceptional dining, outdoor recreation, wellness amenities, and gathering spaces designed for meaningful connection and lasting memories.

Significant developments are anticipated for the Club, commencing in July 2026. The Club has plans for a new clubhouse at the Mossy Oak course, renovations to the Old Waverly clubhouse, and the construction of a tunnel to conveniently connect both courses. This initiative promises to significantly enhance the overall experience.

Chef Position Specific:

Old Waverly Club is seeking an experienced, creative, and service-driven Executive Chef to lead the Club’s culinary operations. The Executive Chef is responsible for delivering exceptional dining experiences for members and guests while maintaining the highest standards of quality, presentation, sanitation, and operational excellence. This individual should be mature and poised in dealing with people and has a reputation for bringing the team together versus creating a ‘we verse they’ mindset amongst supervisors. The Executive Chef will understand member dining preferences and create menu variety and consistency. He/she is expected to develop the culinary program that will meet and/or exceed members’ expectations. In summary, the Executive Chef understands the private club sector and is driven by pride, member satisfaction and teamwork.

This is an exciting opportunity for a culinary professional who thrives in a collaborative private club environment and is passionate about elevating the member dining experience while developing and mentoring a strong culinary team.

Candidate Qualifications

• The Executive Chef is a team-oriented chef who will work with the team to build upon their skills, be open to feedback, and hold them accountable. A Chef who sets high expectations for the team and drives them to get there.
• Be a leader in the kitchen who will inspire the team to always look for improvement.
• Be responsible for providing overall leadership and management for all food production and presentation. He/she demonstrates good judgment, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• The Executive Chef is enthusiastic about all things culinary and can produce a quality product and get it out of the kitchen with a sense of urgency on a consistent basis. Working knowledge of food and wine pairings is a plus.
• Develop standard recipes and techniques for food preparation and presentation that help ensure consistent high quality. Work to minimize food costs; exercises portion control for all items served and assists in establishing menu selling prices.
• Provides mentoring leadership and foster a culture of continuing education and development of future, up-and-coming culinarians. He/she will develop an annual training plan for the culinary and steward departments to include safety, food handling, food storage, and cleanliness as required by the health department.
• Evaluates job performance of culinary staff; coaches and counsels to ensure staff are on track. Rewards and disciplines staff in a fair and appropriate manner.
• The Executive Chef has management and administrative skills with the ability to communicate with staff, other department heads, and membership.
• Participates in the Budget Process and work alongside the Food & Beverage Manager, B&C Coordinator, General Manager, and CFO to develop the budget.
• Maintains visibility to the membership by walking through the dining rooms during meal service. In addition, he/she is expected to provide articles for the monthly newsletter, and commentaries at Wine dinners and other club events. The Executive Chef is available for consultation on menus for private and/or Club events.

A Note From the General Manager

Old Waverly has long been a treasured Club of the South. As host to several major USGA events, the Club has 750 members who enjoy both the Old Waverly and Mossy Oak courses. Roughly 80% of the members are national members, living 40+ miles from the Club. Most of the business comes from members bringing guests to the Club to stay, play, and dine. With proximity to Mississippi State, many members use the Club as a retreat when visiting for sporting events. The members of the Club are extremely proud of Old Waverly and its history. They are appreciative and excited about the Club’s future.

The Club is fully private and under new ownership. Major capital projects are underway, including the new Mossy Oak Grill and Pavilion. Phase two will involve a major renovation of the existing clubhouse, including a new kitchen.

The ‘Best Advice’ I can give the new Executive Chef is to arrive with a plan to evaluate and learn. Engage the team and gain insight into how they’ve viewed past performance. From there, implement policies and procedures that will align your team with your goals.

Initial Focus

1. Team Building & Leadership – Lead and support the team with respect. Build and develop a strong culinary team that is quality driven and works with a sense of urgency. The new Executive Chef will serve as a teacher and mentor and help in staff development. Inspire the team and help build a strong culinary culture driven to excellence.
2. Set New Standards of Excellence – Evaluate and set appropriate and enhanced standards of operation, execution, and delivery within the culinary operation. Work closely with the General Manager to ensure a cohesive experience. The goal is for the Club to become the members, Number #1 Dining Destination.
3. Create New Menus – The new Executive Chef needs to be creative in their menu writing in all areas and balance the menus between old Club favorites and the latest in cuisines that can compete with the finest restaurants. He/she should use local sustainable products when possible and adhere to purchasing the highest quality products.
4. Audit the Operation – The new Executive Chef is expected to evaluate current operations, products, and purchasing and determine if the Club buys the right products. Provide recommendations for enhanced systems, controls, products and in all areas.

Additional Information

• Annual food sales are $1.5 MM; Total F&B Sales are $2.5 MM.
• The Club currently has a 38% food cost and the food cost budget at 38% with a sales mix of 65%, A La Carte and 35% Banquet.
• There are ten (10) culinary employees and four (4) stewards supported by a $500,000 labor budget.
• There are two (2) Sous Chefs and a Pastry Chef. The Chef does the Purchasing.
• The Club will have three (3) kitchens, two (2) at Old Waverly and one (1) under construction at Mossy Oak. Management rates the condition of all kitchens as a 4 out of 5.
• The Club has two (2) Clubhouses, with 750 members whose average age is 60.
• The Club operates for twelve (12) months annually and closes on Mondays and two weeks in January. The busy months are March through June and September through November.
• The Executive Chef reports to the General Manager and works closely with the Food & Beverage Manager, B&C Coordinator, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Human Resources Manager and Sr. Director of Member Services.
• The previous Chef was with the Club for thirteen years.

Dining

Magnolia Room – Formal with 100 seats, serving dinner only Tuesday through Saturday.
Murphys/Locker Room – Casual with seats 70, serving lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday.
Camerons – Casual with 30 seats, serving dinner only Tuesday through Saturday.
Garden Room – Casual with 50 seats, serving dinner only Tuesday through Saturday.
MO Grill (under construction) – Casual with 24 seats, serving Breakfast & Lunch Tuesday through Sunday.
Terrace – Casual with 40 seats, serving lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday

Private Parties – The Club has two (2) private rooms seating up to 50.
The largest sit-down event the Club can hold is 150 members and/or guests.

The Club offers a competitive base salary and benefits package including a 401k plan, health, life & dental insurance, ACF Dues and Conference and dining allowance. Relocation is available. Interested individuals should send resumes, a well-conceived cover letter, and supporting information (a digital Portfolio is encouraged).