Executive Chef (gn) Hotel am Rhein, North Rhine-Westphalia
We are looking for an Executive Chef to bring structure to the kitchen at a 4-star hotel on the Rhine in North Rhine-Westphalia. The hotel combines classic design with modern comforts, featuring an established Italian restaurant with a view of the Rhine and a banquet area with four salons and three ballrooms.
Culinary-wise, the hotel is embarking on a new direction: The restaurant is being reimagined with a traditional Italian focus, under the guidance of a renowned top chef. The kitchen was completely renovated in May 2026 and is now equipped with state-of-the-art technology.
Your Responsibilities
- Responsibility for the restaurant and banquet operations, including all standard meal service sequences; hands-on management across all positions (breakfast, à la carte, and banquet services running concurrently)
- Responsibility for Quality in the Traditional Italian Reorientation
- Structural Organization of the Division: Processes, Standards, Shift Scheduling, and Financial Management
- Responsibility for revenue and active development of the banquet business, inventory management, cost estimation, and cost control
- Managing 9 to 10 permanent employees plus apprentices; mentoring the recently promoted sous chef to serve as deputy
Here’s what you should bring
- Completed culinary training and several years of experience as a head chef or sous chef
- Proven expertise in banquet services: high-quality large-scale catering, buffets, and set menus for groups of up to three digits
- Proficiency in Italian cuisine or a clear willingness to learn the ins and outs of a traditional Italian concept
- Experience in organization, cost control, and HACCP, ideally involving the development of structural processes during ongoing operations
- Thinking like an entrepreneur: Focus on revenue, not just managing costs
- A go-getter with a knack for organization who can handle multiple tasks at once, and is fluent in German
The house offers
- A culinary reorientation, led by a renowned top chef, as one of the first properties in a hotel group
- Option to bring your own substitute or sparring partner, plus a free breakfast station included in the package
- An apartment or a room in the house is possible; alternatively, a reliable weekly commute arrangement
- Fully renovated, state-of-the-art kitchen; owner-managed group willing to invest
Frame
You’ll start soon, no later than December 2026. Over the first two years, you’ll build up the division in your own way.
We’re not looking for a chef who promises Michelin stars. We’re looking for someone who will help shape a new style of Italian cuisine and whose dishes let guests know that there’s someone at the stove who knows what they’re doing.
Application
Confidential via Walnut Careers. Step 1 is a review of your application materials, including a market and salary assessment, followed by a virtual introductory meeting with Patrick Nottebaum, and, if there is genuine mutual interest, an interview with senior management.