Executive Chef at Sankaty Head Golf Club – Siaconset, MA
About the Club: Sankaty Head Golf Club is a private golf club with tennis and beach facilities that provide its members and their families with first-rate recreational and social activities in an understated and informal atmosphere.
The Club prides itself on the diversity of its membership, drawing on a wide range of Nantucket’s population, from summer residents to year-round Nantucketers. As a friendly refuge from everyday life, the Club and its camaraderie play an important part in the experience of its members. The Club sees itself as an island resource and seeks to be a responsible member of the Nantucket community by sharing its facilities with Island charities and other organizations.
Position Specific: The Sankaty Golf Club is looking to improve upon menu diversity and consistency, staff recruitment/retention and development, and the ability to control costs. Organization skills with a business acumen. Integrity, leadership, and the ability to thrive under pressure is a must. Being a smaller club, SHGC is looking for a ‘hands-on’ Executive Chef who leads by example and fosters growth and development of team members. He/she will be a Chef who will be a great fit with the small close knit management team.
The Chef’s primary responsibility will be to provide a consistent and well-rounded culinary experience for the membership and their guests. The successful candidate will oversee all food-service to allow for the best possible offerings for the membership.
Capital Projects – The Executive Chef would be involved in the annual obligatory capital planning process. In addition, the Club plans to build a new Beach Club due to erosion issues at the current location. This project is in the planning stages and slated for construction in 2027.
Initial Focus:
- Get to Know the Membership and Club – Interact with members by being visible and engaging. Understand the Club’s culture, its history and traditions.
- Create New Menus – Leverage Culinary Expertise and develop menus with emphasis on variety, seasonality and high-quality ingredients. Use culinary repertoire including farm-to-table ethos, commitment to quality, high-level of finesse, respect for club-classics and ability and translate this to members of all ages.Being a coastal club, seafood is a priority.
- Recruitment/Retention of Staff for Upcoming Season – Focus on recruiting, hiring, cross-training, professional development and scheduling. Works “hands on” with the staff and has the ability to mentor, train and lead.
- Cost Control – The new Executive Chef is expected to evaluate current operations and purchasing for enhanced systems, controls, product, and services in all areas.
In The GM’s Own Words: Sankaty Head Golf Club is home away from home for both members and staff. Our members are thrilled to return to the Club each summer and look at it as a second home, many members have multiple meals a day at the Club. It is our intention to always anticipate the needs of our members and provide them with the best possible experience in an understated atmosphere. The Club’s motto is “Simply Sankaty”. 95% of the Club’s staff lives on property, it is a very close community.
Candidate Qualifications:
- The position requires an engaged leader with a strong culinary vision who will drive dining offerings and consistency in a la Carte dining operating with a sense of urgency.
- The Executive Chef should be strong administratively with ability to manage H2Bs, and J1s and the admin work to successfully recruit them and ensure the staff is trained to deliver a high quality product served on a consistent basis.
- The new Executive Chef is enthusiastic about all things culinary with the ability to provide strong and consistent menu items.
- This position must also be very versatile as the club offers banquets, a la carte, and weddings. Any given day may contain a combination of distinctive styles of service, so be flexible and able to quickly adjust and keep the team focused. The club is banquet heavy, so strong attention to buffet displays is essential.
- Overall, the new Executive Chef should understand that the menu is a balance of interesting menu items with consistent club classics. He/she is open-minded to being creative and also should remember that sometimes a simple club sandwich will make the members happiest.
- The Executive Chef is expected to maintain visibility by walking through the dining rooms. In addition is expected to write a newsletter article and provide potential cooking classes.
- The Executive Chef will be expected to meet with the controller monthly for budget review. He/she will also be expected to draft their departmental budget.
- This individual is business-minded and tuned into data management. They demonstrate emotional intelligence and excellent leadership skills while working in a hands-on manner.
Additional Information:
- Annual food sales $1.5 MM; Total F&B Sales $2.1 MM with a sales mix of approximately 60% a la’ carte and 40% Banquets.
- Signature food items include New England Clam Chowder and Sankaty Cookies.
- The Club currently has a 45% food cost with a food cost goal at 40%.
- There are 24 culinary staff and 5 stewards supported by a $655,000 Labor Budget.
- There are (2) Sous Chef’s one for each kitchen and a Banquet Chef. The Executive Chef does the Purchasing.
- The Club supports two (2) Kitchens, one kitchen at the Clubhouse and one at the Beach Club. Management rates the condition as a 3 out of 5. The Clubhouse Kitchen is small. It contains a hot line and combi upstairs (same level as the dining rooms) and a small prep area and walk-ins on the first floor. The Beach Club Kitchen is larger kitchen. There are capital plans to construct a new Beach Club in the next few years due to erosion issues at the current site.
- The Sankaty Head Golf Club has two Clubhouses with 524 members whose average age is 68.
- The Club operates (5) five months annually. Closed for the months of November through May. Busy months are June to September.
- The Executive Chef reports to the General Manager and works closely with the Assistant General Manager, Food & Beverage Manager, Facilities Manager, Membership and Events Coordinator, and Head Golf Professional.
- The departing Chef has been with the Club for seven seasons.
Club Dining:
- Dining: (A La Carte Outlets)
- Sankaty Bar Grab and Go – Casual “Grab & Go” format offering Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner foods seven days per week.
- Clubhouse – Casual Golf Attire with 150 seats, serving Lunch & Dinner, seven days per week.
- The Beach Club – Casual with 175 seats, serving Lunch & Dinner, seven days per week from mid June through September.
NOTE: Sankaty Head Golf Club provides housing to all of the management staff. The Chef will have a 3-bedroom, 2 bath house. SHGC has lodging for the entire staff, including the H2Bs, and J1s and there is no NO charge for housing and all utilities and cable TV are paid for by the club.
The Club offers a competitive base salary, performance bonus and benefits package including a 401k, 100% paid health insurance, ACF Dues and Conference and dining allowance. A (CEC) is preferred. Interested individuals should send resumes, a well-conceived cover letter, and supporting information (a digital Portfolio is encouraged)
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