Executive Chef (USA Operations)

Armstrong Collective is the parent company of Rocky Mountaineer and Canyon Spirit, creating unforgettable rail journeys through some of the most breathtaking landscapes in Western Canada and the American Southwest. Guided by our values - Create Meaningful Moments, Be One Team, and Achieve Extraordinary Outcomes - we show up every day with pride, ownership, and a shared commitment to excellence. We work hard, support one another, embrace new possibilities, and celebrate growth, all in a respectful and inclusive environment where integrity, collaboration, and passion for the guest experience lead the way.

Purpose

The Executive Chef reports directly to the Director, RTR Guest Experience, with a dotted-line accountability to the Director, Culinary Strategy. This role is accountable for leading and executing all Canyon Spirit onboard culinary operations through others, ensuring that the culinary program delivers exceptional, consistent, and safe guest experiences while supporting business objectives.

The Executive Chef provides clear direction, builds leadership capability, and aligns people, partners, and processes to translate culinary vision into reliable execution within a mobile, safety-critical environment. The role partners closely with Culinary Strategy, Operations, Catering, Procurement, and Guest Experience to ensure seamless delivery from concept to service.

This position is deemed Safety Alert. This position requires the incumbent to periodically access an active railway area where impaired performance could result in a significant incident affecting the health and safety of team members, guests, the public, property, or the environment.

Key Accountabilities

Culinary Program Leadership & Ownership

Lead and continuously evolve the onboard culinary program, ensuring alignment with brand standards, guest expectations, and operational realities.

Translate culinary strategy into clear, achievable standards, processes, and expectations for onboard execution.

Provide direction and oversight for menu development, costing, and seasonal refreshes in partnership with Culinary Strategy and catering partners.

Hold teams and partners accountable for consistent food quality, presentation, and service delivery across all departures.

Represent the onboard culinary function as the senior decision-maker for special events, charters, and brand activations.

Team Engagement & People Leadership

Lead, coach, and develop a team of 20+ culinary professionals, including direct leadership of the Chef de Cuisine.

Create a high-performing, inclusive, and accountable team culture aligned to company values and business priorities.

Set clear expectations, provide regular feedback, and address performance issues promptly and constructively.

Build leadership capability within the team to support succession planning, continuity, and operational resilience.

Partner with Training to design, deliver, and evaluate onboarding and seasonal training that supports consistent standards and safe execution.

Support recruitment and onboarding of talent to ensure the team is well-equipped to deliver against operational and guest experience goals.

Lead communication and coordination with Planning & Logistics and onboard leadership to ensure effective schedule and resource management.

Empower team members to take ownership of outcomes while maintaining appropriate oversight and accountability.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Leadership

Act as the primary liaison between onboard culinary operations and internal partners including Procurement, Marketing, Sales, Product, Rail Operations, GEC, and Destinations.

Lead collaboration with catering partners to ensure accurate provisioning, quality standards, and operational readiness.

Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance efficiency, consistency, and service delivery across onboard culinary operations.

Lead and communicate change initiatives that impact onboard teams, ensuring understanding, engagement, and effective adoption.

Champion strong working relationships and effective communication across departments and external partners to support shared outcomes.

Safety, Compliance & Risk Leadership

Lead and reinforce a strong onboard safety culture, including timely incident reporting and follow-through.

Provide oversight and accountability for onboard food safety programs, audits, and regulatory compliance.

Support Workplace Health & Safety Committee activities and onboard safety training participation.

Ensure adherence to emergency preparedness and response plans, modelling calm, decisive leadership when required.

Guest Programs & Experience Delivery

Use guest feedback, data insights, and team input to identify opportunities to improve service delivery and elevate guest experiences.

Balance innovation with operational feasibility to ensure new programs can be executed safely and consistently.

Oversee all documentation related to onboard culinary programs, service standards, recipes, station guides, and safety procedures.

Act as key contact and project lead for culinary-related events, activations, and special programs onboard or off the train.

Fiscal Accountability

Ensure accurate guest and crew information is provided to catering partners to support correct provisioning.

Guide the Chef de Cuisine in effective ordering, inventory control, and waste reduction practices.

Oversee onboard inventory, portion control, ratio loading, and cost management to meet or exceed financial targets.

Identify and act on opportunities for cost savings and operational efficiencies without compromising quality or safety.

Annual Planning & Strategic Contribution

Lead goal setting and action planning for the onboard culinary team, aligned with broader business objectives.

Champion the Onboard Environmental Program and responsible sourcing practices.

Strengthen partnerships with catering providers to support long-term performance, reliability, and mutual accountability.

Experience

5–8+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience

Proven experience leading teams of 20+ and developing people leaders

Experience managing budgets, costs, and operational performance through others

Experience in luxury, mobile, or remote culinary environments preferred

Skills

Strong leadership presence and ability to influence across functions

Clear communicator capable of leading through change

Organized, execution‑focused leader with strong follow‑through

Data‑informed decision‑making and continuous improvement mindset

Compensation

The base salary offered for this role is $105,000 - $115,000 per annum and can vary based on job-related expertise, qualifications, experience and internal equity.

Eligible for Armstrong Collective’s Bonus Program

Eligible Benefits

All team members regularly working 30 hours per week will be eligible for our group benefits plan, which includes:

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance

Short term disability, long term disability, and Accidental Death & Dismemberment policy

Travel emergency assistance

Business travel accident insurance and business travel emergency medical insurance

Vacation, Sick-time, Company holidays

We use E-Verify as part of our hiring practices to comply with having a lawful workforce.

Please ensure to opt-in for text messages when you apply in order to receive interview updates.

This job description is not exhaustive of all duties and will encompass additional duties assigned. Responsibilities, title, reporting structure and duties may be changed in response to business requirements.

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