EXECUTIVE CHEF PROFILE:

SPRING ISLAND CLUB

OKATIE, SC

EXECUTIVE CHEF SPRING ISLAND CLUB

An outstanding opportunity exists at Spring Island Club for candidates with a proven track record of leadership and excellence in culinary operations management within private clubs or high-end hospitality environments. The ideal candidate will bring experience overseeing high-quality, diverse a la carte dining programs as well as private events and banquet operations. Successful candidates will demonstrate a commitment to culinary innovation, consistency, and creativity, with a passion for delivering exceptional dining experiences.

Recognized for its natural beauty, distinctive lifestyle, and engaged membership, Spring Island Club offers a unique blend of Lowcountry tradition, and elevated hospitality. The Club has plans to upgrade both kitchens and enhance its overall food and beverage offerings, creating an exciting opportunity for the next culinary leader to contribute to long-term improvements in both infrastructure and service excellence.  This individual will have the chance to shape the future of the Club’s culinary direction while building on its strong foundation and contributing to its continued reputation for excellence and relevance.

SPRING ISLAND CLUB & COMMUNITY    

Tucked between the storied Southern cities of Beaufort, Charleston, and Savannah, Spring Island is a private, 3,000-acre Lowcountry retreat that celebrates natural beauty and intentional living. Ancient Live oaks draped in Spanish moss frame the landscape, while tidal creeks, salt marshes, and river vistas create a peaceful, ever-changing backdrop. The Island is designed to preserve its natural environment, offering a rare sense of privacy, serenity, and connection to the land.

Spring Island’s community is intimate and highly engaged. Members don’t just enjoy the Island—they shape it. A community inspired working farm, native plant nursery, and vibrant artist community are all Member-driven, underscoring a shared commitment to sustainability, creativity, and lifelong learning. This collaborative spirit infuses every aspect of life on the Island, fostering deep relationships and a sense of purpose among neighbors.

The amenities are refined yet understated. Old Tabby Links, a top Arnold Palmer design, offers a uniquely tranquil golf experience with minimal homes visible from the course and natural paths that blend seamlessly into the landscape. The Sports Complex buzzes with activity each morning—from yoga and strength training to tennis, pickleball, and croquet. Miles of trails invite exploration by foot, bike, or horseback, while the surrounding waters offer world-class fishing and kayaking.

Dining on Spring Island is equally intentional. With farm-to-table produce from the farm and a culture that values both quality and community, meals are an experience to be shared and savored. Spring Island offers more than just amenities—it offers a deeply fulfilling way of life. The ideal candidate will need to understand the low country’s desired cuisine, while adding personal influences of their past and future inspirations. The members’ cuisine trust is very established, and the new Executive Chef can build upon past successes.

SPRING ISLAND CLUB BY THE NUMBERS

• 381 Members
• 70 Average Age of Membership
• Annual Gross Volume is approximately $11.5M
• Annual F&B Volume is approximately $1.9M (1.4M is Food)
• 78% a la carte 22% banquets
• 4 Average Annual Weddings
• 12 Kitchen employees (FTE) including (Executive Sous Chef, Pastry Chef, and Sous Chef)
• 3 Kitchens – River House, Golf House, Food Trailer
• POS – Clubessential
• 46 % food cost Target – 47% actual
• Average Covers per Year 49,500
• 100 club employees

SPRING ISLAND CLUB: www.springisland.com

SPRING ISLAND CLUB FOOD AND BEVERAGE PROGRAM:

Spring Island Club offers a variety of unique dining experiences across several distinct outlets. The Golf House serves as the go-to location for casual daytime dining, offering lunch daily and light à la carte breakfast on weekends. A major renovation beginning in August will transform the space with an expanded open kitchen, pizza oven, kitchen counter seating, a redesigned bar area, a screened-in porch, and a newly extended patio complete with fire pits and drop-down screens. The updated concept will relaunch offering a refreshed, casual dining experience with elevated touches.

The River House is the Club’s primary venue for lunch and dinner service, featuring both indoor and outdoor seating, including a scenic deck area overlooking the river. It offers a relaxed yet refined atmosphere and plays host to many of the Club’s culinary events.  Daily takeout and rotating specials are available year-round, and the culinary team operates with a spirit of flexibility and member service—guided by a “Say yes” philosophy: if they have it, they’ll make it. The River House kitchen space will undergo complete renovation in 2026.

Bonny Shore is a separate, dedicated outdoor event space located at the river confluence, ideal for special occasions. It is the traditional setting for large-scale gatherings such as the Club’s annual Oyster Roast and Salmon Bake, offering a rustic, Lowcountry backdrop for memorable member experiences. In addition to this space, the culinary team provides off property catering to numerous homes and key locations on the island.

Adding further culinary diversity, the Club also utilizes a Food Trailer concept that rotates between themes such as tacos, pizza, Asian bistro, and burgers, offering flexible and fun dining options throughout the season.

The community’s 7-acre farm is an integral part of its commitment to sustainability and community. While overseen by a full-time farmer, the farm is primarily member-driven and serves multiple purposes, it provides fresh produce to the Club’s kitchens, is open for member and employee use, and donates surplus harvest. Specialty items such as house-made hot sauces are created from farm-grown ingredients, reinforcing the Club’s farm-to-table philosophy.

The season runs from October to May, with Thanksgiving week being the busiest, accommodating up to 150 covers per night. The Club offers both a popular family-style Thanksgiving meal and convenient turkey-to-go options.

EXECUTIVE CHEF JOB DESCRIPTION

The Executive Chef (EC) is a key leader on an experienced food and beverage team who is responsible for the execution of cuisine to the well-traveled club membership in both club restaurants, banquets and other outlets. This role demands seamless and consistent standards for the culinary excellence of the clubs are known for. The next EC will continue a great culinary history, securing wisdom in leadership and defining an authentic style of a strong culinary vision and culture for both clubs.

LEADERSHIP

• Be a collaborative team player who is willing to work with and train the team each day doing whatever it takes to deliver the best Member experience.
• Empower the culinary team and delegate appropriately, so they can focus on growth; be confident that the operation can run well in EC’s absence.
• Be an active recruiter of team members and someone who inherently enjoys developing and building his/her team and leading them to significant, positive membership satisfaction outcomes.
• Have a passion and aptitude for teaching and training all food service personnel, working, as necessary, with the staff directly responsible for operations.
• Be a focused and consistent evaluator of personnel, ensuring that standards of conduct and delivery are met; this includes oversight of high standards of appearance, hospitality, service, and cleanliness of the kitchen facilities.
• Maintain existing operating standards for personnel in areas of responsibility and consistently evaluate knowledge, understanding, and execution to these high standards.
• Work closely with the front-of-house food and beverage managers to ensure a cohesive experience that continually exceeds the expectations of Members and guests.
• Engage with, observe, learn, and listen to the Members and staff. Earn Member trust by instilling confidence through continued enhanced operations, interaction, visibility, and consistency.
• Remain current and continue education regarding diverse and new culinary trends and cuisines.
• Maintain physical presence during times of high business volume.
• Create a welcoming, approachable, and inclusive kitchen atmosphere for all club staff based on mutual respect.

OPERATIONS

• Maintain existing standard recipes and techniques for food preparation and presentation that help to assure consistent high-quality food.
• Evaluate food products to ensure that quality standards are always attained.
• Maintain opening and closing cleaning checklists for each area/station within the kitchen and develop a weekly/monthly cleaning checklist.
• Safeguard all food-preparation employees by implementing training to increase their knowledge about safety, sanitation, and accident-prevention principles.
• Maintain safety training programs; manage OSHA-related aspects of kitchen safety and maintain MSDSs in an easily accessible location.

FINANCIAL

• Plan menus for all food outlets in the Club and special occasions and events. Schedule and coordinate the work of chefs, cooks, and other kitchen employees to ensure that food preparation is economical and technically correct, and within budgeted labor cost goals.
• Consistently monitoring payroll and labor resource allocations to ensure they are in line with financial forecasting and goals, the Club has a strong finance department that provides monthly updates to the EC.
• Prepare necessary data for applicable parts of the budget; project annual food, labor, and other costs and monitor actual financial results; take corrective action as necessary to help assure that financial goals are met.
• Review and approve product purchase specifications.

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS

• Has a proven track record of high-level restaurant, resort, hotel, or country club dining expertise. 10+ years of culinary experience and 5+ years in a managerial role.
• Successful experience in both a la carte and banquet operations in previous hotels, clubs, or resorts.
• Is a strong and passionate leader and culinary professional with a proven track record of providing high-level services. The EC must be passionate about their craft and inspire those around him or her.
• The EC is a lifelong learner and instills that characteristic into his or her team.
• Is extremely organized to successfully manage and lead multiple a la carte and banquet venues simultaneously as well as prepare for and execute successful banquet events.
• Has a successful track record of controlling costs, standardizing recipes, and planning budgets and has the skills necessary to perform all kitchen tasks and train those to properly execute those tasks. The EC leads by example.
• Is a visionary and trendsetter yet understands and respects the club’s long-standing culinary traditions and can balance both in creating menus, specials, and banquet offerings.
• A strong relationship builder with a history of collaboration with their GM, Food and Beverage Manager, and other departmental leaders.

EDUCATIONAL & CERTIFICATION QUALIFICATIONS

• A culinary arts degree from an accredited school is preferred.
• Certified Executive Chef (ACF) or Pro Chef (CIA) certification is preferred.
• Certification in food safety is mandatory.

 EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The salary is open and commensurate with qualifications and experience. The club offers an excellent bonus and benefits package.

INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO APPLY

Please upload your resume and cover letter in the order listed using the link below. When prompted for them during the online application process, you should have your documents fully prepared to attach. Please be sure your image is not on your resume or cover letter; it should be used on your LinkedIn Profile.

Prepare a thoughtful cover letter addressed to The Spring Island Club Search Committee and clearly articulate your alignment with this role, why you want to be considered for this position at this stage of your career, and why SIC and the Okatie, SC area will benefit you, your family, your career, and the Club if selected.

You must apply for this role as soon as possible but no later than Thursday, July 10^th, Candidate selections will occur Mid July with the first Interviews expected later in the Month and the second interviews a short time later.  The successful candidate should assume his/her role in Mid-Late August.

IMPORTANT:  Save your resume and letter in the following manner:

“Last Name, First Name - Resume” &

“Last Name, First Name - Cover Letter – Spring Island”

(These documents should be in Word or PDF format)

Note: Once you complete the application process for this search, you are not able to go back in and add additional documents.

Click here to upload your resume and cover letter.

If you have any questions, please email, Bethany Taylor at: bethany@kkandw.com

LEAD SEARCH EXECUTIVES

Annette Whittley

Search Executive

O: (833) KKW-HIRE, ext. 721

M: 561-827-1945

annette@kkandw.com

Lawrence McFadden, CMC

Search Executive

O: (833) KKW-HIRE, ext. 715

M: 239-963-6888

lawrence@kkandw.com

About Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace

KK&W is the leading recruiting and consulting firm in the private club sector and voted “Best Search Firm of the Year” every year since 2006 by The Boardroom magazine. We continue to lead the industry in the placement of executive chef, GM/COO, AGM/clubhouse manager, director of food and beverage, executive chef, director of golf/head golf professional, golf course superintendent/director of agronomy, director of tennis/director of racquets, fitness & wellness director, chief financial officer/controller, membership director and marketing directors for private, resort and developer owned properties, clubs and communities as well as senior living communities and property owners associations. We are the leaders in executive placement by providing our clients with exceptional candidates who are ethical, competent and capable. The KK&W team possess more than 400 years of combined experience managing all areas of the club world. Our experience and expertise have provided us with a proven track record of placing candidates who possess integrity, competence, and compatibility with a club’s culture and environment.

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