Associate Dean - Culinary Instruction & Transformation

The anticipated hiring range for this position is $120,000 to $130,000. Hiring offers will be determined based on the final candidate’s qualifications and experience. The recruiter can share more information about what the anticipated hiring salary would be based upon your specific qualifications during the selection process.The CIA offers a substantial benefits package that includes medical coverage available at no cost to qualifying employees, dental insurance, vision insurance, life insurance, short and long term disability insurance, retirement savings plan with high employer contributions, a generous paid time off program, and more!As the benefits package at the CIA results in a significant value above the base hiring salary for this position, we encourage you to apply so that our recruiters can share more information with you about the benefits of working for the CIA.Position SummaryThe Associate Dean – Culinary Instruction & Transformation cultivates the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of how the Culinary Institute of America (“CIA”) teaches culinary arts. The role defines the “CIA way”: a distinctive, evidence-informed pedagogical model that connects culinary craft, deliberate practice, sensory judgment, creativity, professionalism, and applied knowledge. The Associate Dean facilitates translation of that model into faculty practice, effective learning experiences, and measurable student outcomes across CIA locations and learning formats, advancing CIA’s strategic direction and Vision 2035 ambitions.Reporting to the Dean – School of Culinary Arts, the Associate Dean is the leading administrative coordinator around culinary pedagogy, faculty teaching capability, and instructional innovation across the institution while directly supervising Culinary Fundamentals faculty. The Dean retains overall accountability for school strategy, program portfolio, resources, and academic performance. While other Associate Deans retain leadership of their assigned programs and faculty, this role establishes shared teaching approaches in collaboration with faculty and administrative constituencies, promotes the standardization of materials, and leads adoption through agreed upon institutional plans and shared governance. The position also extends CIA’s educational expertise into external learning contexts.Essential ResponsibilitiesCIA Pedagogy and Institutional LeadershipLead articulation and codification of the CIA’s culinary pedagogical model, including principles for demonstration, guided practice, feedback, reflection, and assessment of culinary proficiency. Define common expectations while enabling faculty to adapt instruction to diverse learners and disciplines.Translate institutional priorities into a sequenced culinary teaching and innovation roadmap. Facilitate faculty and academic leaders across CIA locations to concur on standards, implementation responsibilities, and measures of progress; bring policy, resource, and unresolved cross-program decisions to the Dean and appropriate governance bodies.Partner with faculty to ensure student-facing presentation materials are created with excellence, are richly engaging and represent the visual standards of the CIA’s pedagogical model.Develop the proposal, operating model, and educational agenda for a center for culinary instruction; lead implementation when approved. Build CIA’s standing through applied teaching research, documented practice, educator development, and external engagement.Faculty Excellence and Student LearningLead a sustained faculty development program combining onboarding, coaching, peer observation, and communities of practice. Build demonstrable capability in culinary pedagogy, inclusive teaching, assessment, and effective use of instructional technology.Use Culinary Fundamentals as proving ground for improved teaching approaches. Lead curriculum and assessment improvement in assigned areas and work with other Associate Deans to extend proven practices across the culinary learning journey.Establish shared competency rubrics and faculty assessment calibration. Use evidence of skill mastery, retention, progression, student feedback, and industry expectations to improve learning and address differences in outcomes across learner groups.AI Enabled Learning and Instructional TechnologyLead the educational use of AI-enabled tools, digital learning, simulation, and adaptive learning. Prioritize applications such as preparation before kitchen sessions, individualized practice and feedback, culinary decision-making, and targeted support for students who need additional practice.Partner with instructional design and technology teams to design, pilot, and evaluate tools and learning experiences. Set educational requirements, build faculty capability, and scale approaches only when evidence demonstrates learning value, usability, and sustainable cost.Embed accessibility, data privacy, academic integrity, and human oversight in technology-supported instruction. Ensure that AI and simulation strengthen hands-on learning and that assessment verifies students’ own practical competence and judgment.Pedagogical Leadership and Educational PartnershipsLead instructional improvement within the School of Culinary Arts, with direct responsibility for Culinary Fundamentals faculty and assigned academic areas. Work with the Dean and fellow Associate Deans to strengthen curriculum coherence, teaching quality, and student progression across the school.Develop shared instructional resources and faculty learning opportunities that support consistent culinary standards across CIA locations. Engage assigned faculty in testing and refining teaching approaches and coordinate adoption with the academic leaders responsible for each program.Collaborate with CIA’s external education and partnership teams by contributing culinary and pedagogical expertise to selected initiatives, as agreed with the Dean and consistent with school priorities and faculty capacity. Support educational quality while the business leaders responsible retain ownership of external offerings, commercial agreements, and delivery operations.Faculty Leadership and Operational StewardshipSupervise, coach, and evaluate assigned full-time and adjunct Culinary Fundamentals faculty; lead recruitment and development in partnership with the Dean and Human Resources, consistent with institutional policies and applicable collective bargaining agreements.Partner with academic operations on staffing, scheduling, and instructional resources. Manage assigned budgets and initiatives against agreed priorities and resolve escalated student concerns with faculty and student support teams.Maintain academic quality, accreditation alignment, and safe instructional practice in assigned areas. Contribute to governance and institutional initiatives relevant to the role and perform other duties as assigned.Any and all other duties as assigned.EducationREQUIRED QUALIFICATIONSBachelor’s degree in education, instructional design, culinary arts, hospitality, leadership, or related discipline, together with demonstrated culinary expertise through formal culinary education and/or substantial professional practice.ExperienceMinimum of (5) years of progressive experience in culinary or closely related applied education, including substantial successful teaching experience as well as experience leading faculty, educational programs, or institutional teaching improvement.Demonstrated success promoting educational improvement across programs or departments, securing faculty adoption, and showing measurable improvement in teaching practice or learner outcomes.Experience with faculty development, curriculum and competency assessment.Preferred QualificationsMaster’s or doctoral degree in education, instructional design, culinary arts, hospitality, leadership, or related discipline.Recognized culinary or educator credentials such as CMC, ProChef certification, or CHE.Experience adapting instruction for workforce development, K-12, continuing education, industry training, or other external audiences, including scalable educator development models.Experience with implementation or evaluation of digital or AI-enabled learning approaches in practical, skills-based education.Evidence of applied pedagogical research, publications, presentations, or leadership of a teaching and learning center; experience in multi-campus institutions, shared governance, and collective bargaining environments.Deep understanding of culinary pedagogy, learning science, experiential learning, inclusive instruction, and authentic assessment of practical skill, sensory judgment, and professional behavior.Ability to turn educational strategy into clear standards, usable teaching resources, and sustained implementation; influence across organizational boundaries and build faculty ownership of change.Ability to evaluate AI, simulation, adaptive-learning tools, and learning management systems for educational effectiveness and responsible use, working productively with technical and instructional design specialists.Strong analytical judgment, including the ability to interpret learning evidence, evaluate pilots, set priorities, and connect educational quality with resource and financial decisions.Excellent coaching, facilitation, communication, and partnership skills; ability to represent CIA’s educational approach credibly with faculty, institutional leaders, employers, and educators.Sound professional judgment, effective faculty and budget management, and commitment to CIA’s mission, academic rigor, student success, and continuous improvement.Required SkillsStrategic thinker with strong operational execution skills. Strong understanding of emerging trends impacting culinary education, hospitality, food systems, and workforce development. Experience as a highly collaborative and entrepreneurial leader who can operate effectively across academic, operational, and external stakeholder environments while balancing innovation with institutional rigor and operational execution. Demonstrated experience leading strategic initiatives, academic programs, innovation projects, or interdisciplinary teams. Experience building partnerships across industry, education, and organizational stakeholders. Proven ability to drive change, influence culture, and execute complex initiatives and navigate complex stakeholder environments and build consensus. Demonstrated ability to lead innovation while maintaining academic quality and institutional alignment. Strong business acumen and ability to manage initiatives with measurable outcomes. Experience using data and assessment to inform decision-making and continuous improvement. High level of adaptability, initiative, and organizational effectiveness. Strong understanding of faculty development, academic operations, and shared governance practices. Proficiency with instructional technologies, collaboration platforms, and modern workplace tools. WORKING CONDITIONSAbility to travel periodically to other CIA locations due to business needs.Must be available to work nights and weekends as required due to business needs.Regular work requires a great deal of sitting and standing for extended periods.Regular work requires the use of a computer, sometimes in excess of eight (8) hours per day.