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.
Role Overview
Reporting to the Director, Food & Beverage Strategy, with a dotted-line relationship to the Director, Guest Experience Operations - RM, the Executive Chef provides leadership for all onboard culinary operations across Canada. This role ensures the delivery of exceptional guest experiences through safe, consistent, and innovative culinary programs while building high-performing teams and strong partnerships across onboard operations, catering, distribution, procurement, training, and corporate functions. The Executive Chef translates operational priorities into action, champions continuous improvement, and drives results through others while aligning culinary operations with organizational goals and values.
This role is deemed Safety Sensitive. This position requires the incumbent to periodically access an active railway area where impaired performance could result in significant incident affecting the health and safety of team members, guests, team members, the public, property or the environment.
Key Responsibilities
People Leadership & Team Development
- Lead, coach, and develop Chef de Cuisines, Sous Chefs, and culinary leaders, fostering a culture of accountability, engagement, collaboration, and continuous learning.
- Drive recruitment, onboarding, succession planning, recognition, and talent development initiatives to build leadership capability and bench strength across culinary teams.
- Partner with Training and Onboard leaders to develop and deliver effective training programs, pre-season readiness plans, and leadership development opportunities.
- Foster a One Team culture by building trust, encouraging diverse perspectives, strengthening cross-functional relationships, and leading change initiatives.
- Set clear goals, provide timely feedback, and empower leaders to make decisions, solve problems, and achieve departmental objectives.
- Serve as the culinary lead for charters, FAMs, learning journeys, and special onboard events.
- Collaborate with Planning & Logistics and operational leaders to ensure effective workforce planning and scheduling.
Culinary Operations & Program Excellence
- Lead all aspects of onboard culinary service delivery, ensuring exceptional quality, consistency, guest satisfaction, and adherence to food safety and HACCP standards.
- Collaborate with catering, distribution, procurement, rail operations, mechanical teams, destinations, and guest experience teams to ensure seamless execution of onboard culinary programs.
- Maintain culinary documentation, recipes, standards, SOPs, cleaning procedures, and operational guidelines to support consistency, compliance, and operational excellence.
- Partner with the Training team to design and implement culinary training materials and programs.
- Lead quality assurance initiatives, leveraging guest feedback, operational data, and audits to identify opportunities for improvement.
- Champion innovation, continuous improvement, and operational efficiencies that enhance the guest experience and strengthen business performance.
- Provide direction on menu development, costing, provisioning, product selection, and culinary program execution.
Safety, Compliance & Risk Management
- Promote and lead a strong safety culture by ensuring compliance with food safety, HACCP, Safety Management System (SMS), emergency preparedness, and incident reporting requirements.
- Support workplace health and safety initiatives, onboard safety training programs, and emergency response activities.
- Anticipate risks, make informed decisions, and implement effective corrective actions to ensure a safe environment for guests and team members.
- Lead crew food program planning and provisioning while maintaining compliance with established standards.
Financial & Strategic Leadership
- Manage culinary expenses, catering invoices, inventory controls, portion management, waste reduction initiatives, and provisioning practices to achieve financial targets.
- Participate in forecasting, variance reviews, budget management, and long-term operational planning.
- Develop and execute culinary goals and action plans aligned with organizational priorities and service standards.
- Monitor key operational metrics, identify trends, and implement solutions that improve performance, productivity, and cost effectiveness.
- Collaborate with external partners to manage costs, improve efficiencies, and maximize value.
- Champion sustainability initiatives and waste management programs that support organizational commitments and business objectives.
What You Bring
- Ability to translate organizational priorities into clear goals, actionable plans, and measurable results.
- Strong leadership capability with proven success coaching leaders, developing talent, managing performance, and building engaged teams.
- Exceptional relationship-building and communication skills with the ability to influence and collaborate across departments and stakeholder groups.
- Sound judgment, accountability, and confidence in making fact-based decisions in complex and evolving operational environments.
- Strong business acumen with the ability to balance guest experience, operational effectiveness, and financial performance.
- Demonstrated ability to lead change, encourage innovation, challenge traditional approaches, and implement continuous improvements.
- Resilience, adaptability, and a commitment to fostering an inclusive, high-performing culture focused on shared success.
Experience & Qualifications
- Red Seal Culinary Certification required.
- Post-secondary education in Hospitality, Tourism, Culinary Management, or a combination of education and related experience preferred.
- Minimum five years of leadership experience managing leaders within a multi-unit or complex hospitality, culinary, or service environment.
- Experience developing and costing menus, managing budgets, controlling expenses, and interpreting financial statements.
- Experience leading teams of 10+ managers and implementing operational plans across multiple locations.
- Luxury hospitality, premium tourism, or high-end culinary experience preferred.
- BC Food Safe, Serving It Right, and/or ProServe certifications are considered assets.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
Work Environment
- Safety-sensitive environment with exposure to railway operations
- Able to travel away from home base for up to 4 days at a time
- Corporate Office – Vancouver based; This position requires availability on weekends and statutory holidays throughout the season. Working hours are 8:00am to 4:00pm and can be flexible (add Hybrid Policy; 3 days in office)
- Ability for hybrid in office (3 days a week in office)
Compensation
- The base salary offered for this role is $115,000 to $130,000 CAD per annum and can vary based on job-related expertise, qualifications, experience and internal equity.
- Eligible for Armstrong Collective’s discretionary bonus program
Eligible Benefits
Armstrong Collective supports our team members’ health and wellness by providing a comprehensive medical plan with 100% employer paid premiums, some of which includes:
- Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance
- Short term disability, long term disability benefits
- Travel emergency assistance
- Vacation time and sick time
- Up to 5% RRSP and/or TSFA match
- Two complimentary annual train tickets after first year of employment
#RockyMountaineer
We are an equal opportunity employer, driven by our values of Creating Meaningful Moments, Being One Team, and Achieving Extraordinary Outcomes. Our strong company culture supports our vision of a diverse, open, safe, and respectful workplace. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all team members. If you require any accommodation during the application process or throughout your employment, please let us know. We will work with you to ensure your needs are met and to create a supportive environment.
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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.
