Culinary Director

Culinary Director | San Francisco, CAAn acclaimed, independently owned San Francisco hospitality group is seeking an exceptional Culinary Director to serve as the senior culinary leader across its portfolio of highly regarded restaurants, private dining, events, and future culinary initiatives.This is not a desk-based corporate culinary role. We are looking for a highly organized, energetic and hands-on culinary leader who has the experience to operate across multiple concepts while still possessing the culinary chops and credibility to earn the respect of exceptional chefs and kitchen teams.Working closely with the Chef/Owner, the Culinary Director will become an extension of his culinary vision across the organization—understanding the nuances of each concept, anticipating what the restaurants and teams need, and providing leadership without compromising what makes each operation distinct.The right person will be equally comfortable discussing ingredients and technique, mentoring a young chef, digging deeply into a P&L, coordinating a major menu rollout, evaluating kitchen workflow, supporting an event, or stepping into a restaurant when additional leadership is needed.Key Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on culinary leadership and oversight across multiple distinct restaurant concepts and event operations
• Partner closely with the Chef/Owner on menu development, seasonal changes, major menu rollouts, culinary programming, and continued evolution of the restaurants
• Maintain an active presence in the kitchens and build credibility and trust with culinary teams
• Understand the financial performance of each operation, including food costs, purchasing, BOH expenses, labor, and overall profitability
• Proactively identify operational and financial issues and opportunities rather than waiting for them to surface
• Recruit, mentor, educate, and develop culinary talent, creating an environment where ambitious young chefs want to build their careers
• Support culinary education for both BOH and FOH teams, ensuring teams understand not only what is being executed but why
• Strengthen systems, organization, communication, and coordination across an increasingly complex multi-concept operation
• Support private dining, special events, tastings, photo shoots, and other chef-driven experiences
• Contribute to restaurant openings, kitchen design, infrastructure, equipment, workflow, and future growth projects
• Champion exceptional sourcing, sustainability, and responsible kitchen practices while bringing new ideas and perspectives to the organizationThe Ideal CandidateWe are seeking a serious culinary professional who has successfully evolved into a broader leadership role without losing connection to the kitchen.You may have led multiple restaurants, worked within an exceptional chef-driven restaurant group, or held a senior culinary role within luxury hospitality. Regardless of background, you should understand what it takes to operate at an extremely high culinary level while also managing the financial, organizational, and people complexities of a growing hospitality business.You will bring:
• Exceptional culinary foundation and credibility
• Meaningful multi-unit or multi-concept leadership experience
• Strong financial and P&L acumen, particularly around food cost, purchasing, labor, and BOH operations
• High energy, stamina, and the flexibility to move between restaurants, events, teams, and priorities
• A genuine passion for teaching, mentorship, recruiting, and developing the next generation of culinary talent
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to create structure within complex operations
• Experience with restaurant openings, kitchen design, major renovations, or growth projects is highly valued
• An appreciation for seasonality, exceptional sourcing, sustainability, and responsible kitchen practices
• The maturity to lead at a senior level without ego
• A collaborative mindset and genuine excitement about supporting an established culinary vision while also contributing your own expertise and ideasMost importantly, this person must still love restaurants. This is an opportunity for someone who wants to be present, engaged, and connected to the food and the people—not removed from them.For the right culinary leader, this is an opportunity to become a trusted partner within one of San Francisco’s most respected independent hospitality organizations and play a meaningful role in its next chapter.

Location: San Francisco, CACompensation: Extremely competitive, with full medical benefits, a 401(k) with a 4% employer match after one year, and company-paid parking.Relocation: Candidates outside the Bay Area who are genuinely interested in relocating to San Francisco are encouraged to apply.