Company description

The ecco/project is a new food company from James Beard award-winning chef Spike Gjerde (Woodberry Kitchen) that considers how restaurants, bars, cafes, and markets can drive meaningful and measurable value to regenerative farms and Chesapeake Bay watermen. Ecco was founded in 2025 (La Jetée, Bar Dali) and is an exciting phase of rapid growth. We are looking for exceptional hospitality professionals to support our third opening: cafe Terracotta in the heart of the Johns Hopkins Hospital campus.

Job description

We are seeking an experienced and productive Chef/Manager to join the Ecco Project team, working with local products from our growers throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.

This role is production-focused with the ability to batch and delegate tasks to team members, write prep lists, and maintain peak kitchen efficiency. The production kitchen at Ecco supports our cafe, Terracotta, at Johns Hopkins Hospital. An all-day cafe setting showcasing the best our region offers.

Represent with integrity the work of our growers, watermen, and producers, as well as of our butchers, cooks, bakers, bartenders, and baristas. Strive to represent our approach, our producers, and our mission as truly as possible through genuine empathy and sincere efforts in operations and service.

Lead by example by expressing enthusiasm for the full range of what we have to serve from this region.

Responsibilities:

• Write prep lists according to the cafe's needs using intercompany platforms to achieve efficient and accurate ordering and production.
• Delegate tasks to team members ensuring productivity, quality, and high standards of execution, while maintaining highly productive days as an individual contributor.
• Ensure on-time delivery for all products including cafe service readiness in the AM.
• Communicate effectively with Managers, the Pastry & Cafe Team, the Owner, the Culinary Director, and the Business Operations Director to improve operational efficiency.
• Produce all products according to established recipes, working with variable farm products and ensuring quality always meets standards. Be responsive to guest feedback and direction from the Culinary Director and Owner.
• Own recipe development according to seasonal adjustments provided by the Culinary Director and Owner. Have mise en place ready and conduct recipe testing according to plan, along with owning documentation and replication of new recipes.
• Seek constant improvement in quality and efficiency.
• Attend manager meetings weekly including preparing notes for team

Compensation

this position is: salaried, $50,000 - $75,000

Application instructions

If you are not registered, you'll be prompted to do so. Don't worry, it's free!

Deadline

May 31, 2026