Director of Culinary
Reach Recruiting · Detroit, MI
Tailor my CV for this job — freeOur client is looking for someone who can translate culinary vision into repeatable systems, strong financial performance, developed leaders, consistent execution, and memorable guest experiences across multiple concepts and locations.The Director of Culinary will partner closely with senior leadership, Operations, Executive Chefs, and restaurant-level culinary leaders to establish and protect standards while building the infrastructure necessary to support continued growth.This is not a corporate desk job.The right leader will be strategic enough to think across an entire organization while remaining connected to what is actually happening inside the restaurants. You'll develop chefs, analyze financial performance, build systems, evaluate menus, negotiate with vendors, support kitchen design, participate in restaurant openings—and still be willing to step into an operation when the team needs hands-on leadership.The goal is not simply to create great food.It's to build a culinary organization capable of delivering great food consistently, profitably, and at scale.
Benefits
Competitive executive compensationPerformance-based bonus opportunityCompetitive medical, dental, and vision insurance plansFlexible Spending Account and dependent care accountGenerous paid time offFlexible schedulingResearch and development allowanceProfessional development assistanceRestaurant dining discounts and meal benefitsRelocation assistance available for the right candidateOpportunity to directly influence the culinary direction and continued growth of a multi-brand hospitality organizationDay in the Life:Provide strategic culinary leadership and accountability across multiple restaurant concepts and locationsEstablish, document, implement, and continually improve culinary SOPs and operating standards across the organizationProtect the unique identity of each concept while creating systems that allow the organization to execute consistently at scaleMaintain a visible, hands-on presence in restaurant operations and regularly partner with Executive Chefs and culinary leadershipDevelop best practices for receiving, storage, product care, production, pars, ordering, purchasing, and overall material utilizationConduct and continually improve culinary and facility audits, identify trends, and ensure corrective action plans are completedProvide direction and leadership around menu development while ensuring new items are creative, executable, profitable, and aligned with each conceptEstablish strong recipe governance, including recipe accuracy, documentation, intellectual property, testing, training, and rolloutEvaluate menu performance through product mix, profitability, operational feasibility, guest feedback, dining trends, and brand directionOversee the development, coaching, and performance of Executive Chefs and other culinary leadersRecruit culinary leadership talent regionally and nationally and build a strong succession pipeline for continued growthPartner with Operations and Human Resources to strengthen culinary training, development, performance management, and accountabilityDevelop food and labor budgets, forecasts, and action plans in partnership with OperationsRead and interpret P&Ls and use financial and operational data to identify risks, opportunities, and corrective actionsMonitor food cost, labor, inventory accuracy, purchasing compliance, waste, pars, and material consumptionBuild and maintain strong vendor relationships and negotiate product quality, pricing, service levels, and contract termsProtect food safety, sanitation, allergen, regulatory, and health department standards across every locationPartner with construction and development leadership on kitchen layouts, equipment plans, workflow, fixtures, and operational designParticipate in the sourcing and standardization of culinary equipment across the organizationLead culinary readiness for every new restaurant openingDevelop opening systems, recipes, schedules, training documentation, production standards, vendor relationships, and inventory processesRecruit and develop opening teams and verify operational readiness before launchProvide hands-on leadership through openings and stabilization periodsContinually evaluate the culinary organization and identify what needs to change today to successfully support tomorrow's growth
Requirements
5+ years of successful multi-unit culinary leadership or food & beverage management experience within hospitalitySignificant experience overseeing culinary operations across multiple restaurants, concepts, or marketsStrong culinary foundation and sophisticated understanding of product quality, technique, and concept-driven menu executionDemonstrated ability to operate strategically while maintaining credibility and connection with restaurant-level culinary teamsProven success creating, documenting, training, auditing, and continuously improving culinary SOPsStrong experience developing Executive Chefs and other culinary leadersDemonstrated ability to recruit, coach, motivate, teach, and hold high-performing teams accountableExperience guiding menu development and engineering items for quality, profitability, operational feasibility, and consistent executionStrong recipe development, documentation, scaling, costing, and implementation experienceStrong financial acumen with the ability to read and create P&Ls, budgets, and forecastsDemonstrated success managing food cost, labor, inventory, purchasing, and profitabilityStrong understanding of purchasing controls and vendor managementExperience negotiating with vendors and developing scalable regional or national supplier relationships preferredExperience supporting restaurant openings and growth initiativesExperience with kitchen design, equipment selection, workflow, and operational planning preferredStrong understanding of HACCP, food safety, sanitation, health department, and regulatory standardsWorking understanding of beverage operationsProficiency with Google Workspace and inventory, purchasing, recipe, and financial-management systemsCurrent food-safety certification or ability to obtain and maintain required certificationExceptional written and verbal communication skillsStrategic problem-solving ability with a results-driven mindsetHighly organized, adaptable, resourceful, disciplined, and detail-orientedAbility and willingness to travel regularly between restaurant locations and participate in new openingsAbility to work a varied hospitality schedule, including nights, weekends, holidays, and high-demand opening periodsThe Ideal Candidate:You started as a chef, but somewhere along the way you became a builder of chefs, systems, teams, and businesses.You still care deeply about the food. You know what exceptional ingredients, technique, preparation, and presentation look like. You can taste a dish and recognize immediately when something isn't right.But your first instinct isn't always to grab a sauté pan and fix it yourself.You ask why it happened.Was the recipe unclear? Was the team improperly trained? Is receiving inconsistent? Is there a purchasing issue? Is the Executive Chef struggling to create accountability? Is the same problem happening at three other restaurants?Then you build the solution.You understand that successful multi-unit culinary leadership means creating standards strong enough to deliver consistency while leaving enough room for each restaurant to retain its own identity.You're equally comfortable tasting a new menu item, coaching an Executive Chef, analyzing food-cost variance, reviewing a P&L, negotiating with a vendor, evaluating a kitchen layout, building an SOP, or standing alongside a team during a demanding restaurant opening.And you're a developer of people. You don't want an organization that depends on you to personally solve every problem. You want to build talented culinary leaders who know the standards, understand the business, develop their own teams, and take genuine ownership of their restaurants.Success here is measurable: stronger sales and guest satisfaction, disciplined food and labor costs, accurate inventory, profitable and executable menus, stronger culinary leadership, successful restaurant openings, dependable vendor partnerships, and consistent operational standards across the portfolio.If you're ready to take everything you've learned inside great kitchens and apply it to building a great culinary organization, we'd love to hear from you.