Culinary Director

Bon Appetit

Position Title: Culinary Director Pay Grade: 15

Reports To:

Salary: 130,000-140,000

Other Forms of Compensation:

Our Passion is Food!

At Bon Appetit Management Company we are committed to two things, great food and outstanding service! At Bon Appetit you won't find our managers referring to a corporate recipe book or our chefs microwaving the lunch special. We do not have standardized recipes or central commissaries, instead, our chefs and managers are expected to stay abreast of current culinary trends and bring cutting edge food into their cafes. We are a restaurant company that operates in contract food service. That means you will have the freedom to be creative, take risks, and truly shine. We are committed to our staff growing, trying new things, and learning all that they can. Our rapid growth and breadth of accounts translates into exciting opportunities for our people!

Job Summary

As Culinary Director, you will provide strategic culinary leadership for one of our premier corporate dining programs, overseeing a growing portfolio of operations serving more than 7,000 guests daily across multiple locations. This role is responsible for guiding a long-term evolution from a centralized commissary-supported model to a network of innovative café-based dining experiences, requiring a leader who excels in both operational execution and future-state planning. This highly visible leadership position is ideal for an accomplished culinary executive who thrives in a fast-paced, high-volume environment and is passionate about hospitality, innovation, and team development. The Culinary Director will play a critical role in supporting campus expansion, partnering on kitchen and facility design, developing scalable culinary programs, and building the leadership structure necessary to support continued growth. While daily café operations are led by site teams, this role provides strategic oversight across breakfast, lunch, dinner, executive dining, and catering programs, with a strong focus on culinary excellence, menu innovation, and elevated guest experiences.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall culinary leadership for multiple dining venues, executive dining programs, catering operations, and special events across a growing multi-site portfolio.
• Lead the culinary strategy supporting the organization's transition from a commissary-based model to a long-term café dining platform.
• Partner with operations, construction, and design teams on new site development, kitchen layouts, equipment selection, workflow optimization, and future café build-outs.
• Develop innovative café, retail, executive dining, and catering menus that showcase a broad range of global cuisines while supporting wellness, sustainability, and evolving guest preferences.
• Create and maintain standardized recipes, production systems, and culinary best practices that ensure consistency and excellence across all locations.
• Oversee a high-volume executive business catering program supporting approximately 10 events daily, ensuring exceptional hospitality, quality, and presentation.
• Lead, mentor, and develop Executive Chefs, Sous Chefs, managers, and culinary teams while building a scalable salaried leadership structure to support organizational growth.
• Drive succession planning, talent development, and leadership training initiatives across the culinary organization.
• Collaborate closely with operational leaders and client stakeholders to deliver exceptional dining experiences and hospitality programs.
• Support culinary execution for high-profile events and catering functions, providing hands-on leadership when needed while remaining focused on strategic priorities.
• Drive financial performance through forecasting, labor planning, food cost management, purchasing strategies, and operational efficiencies within a complimentary dining environment.
• Champion sustainability initiatives, responsible sourcing practices, seasonality, and emerging culinary trends.
• Ensure compliance with all food safety, sanitation, HACCP, and workplace safety standards.
• Analyze operational performance and implement process improvements that enhance efficiency, guest satisfaction, quality, and scalability.

Qualifications

• Culinary degree, formal culinary training, or equivalent professional experience preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, Food Service Management, or a related field preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience within high-volume foodservice, hospitality, corporate dining, or multi-unit operations.
• Proven experience leading large-scale culinary organizations serving thousands of guests daily across multiple locations.
• Demonstrated success supporting organizational growth, new site openings, facility development, kitchen design initiatives, and large-scale foodservice build-outs.
• Extensive experience overseeing high-volume food production while maintaining premium hospitality and culinary standards.
• Strong background in corporate dining, executive dining, retail foodservice, and large-scale catering operations.
• Expertise in menu development across a wide range of global cuisines, café concepts, and premium catering programs.
• Proven ability to recruit, develop, and lead salaried culinary management teams within complex organizations.
• Strong financial acumen including budgeting, forecasting, labor management, inventory controls, and P&L management.
• Experience operating within a complimentary dining environment is highly desirable.
• Excellent communication, client relationship, and stakeholder management skills.
• Comprehensive knowledge of culinary trends, wellness-focused dining, sustainability initiatives, and premium hospitality standards.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and foodservice management systems.
• ServSafe® Certification preferred.
• Ability to support a Monday-Friday operation while maintaining the flexibility necessary to support business needs and special events.

Apply to Bon Appetit today! Bon Appetit is a member of Compass Group USA. Click here to Learn More about the Compass Story Associates at Bon Appetit are offered many fantastic benefits.

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life Insurance/ AD
• Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Paid Time Off
• Holiday Time Off (varies by site/state)
• Associate Shopping Program
• Health and Wellness Programs
• Discount Marketplace
• Identity Theft Protection
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Paid Parental Leave
• Personal Leave

Associates may also be eligible for paid and/or unpaid time off benefits in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. For positions in Washington State, Maryland, or to be performed Remotely, click here or copy/paste the link below for paid time off benefits information. https://www.compass-usa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2023_WageTransparency_BAMCO.pdf Compass Group is an equal opportunity employer. At Compass, we are committed to treating all Applicants and Associates fairly based on their abilities, achievements, and experience without regard to race, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by law. Qualified candidates must be able to perform the essential functions of this position satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation. Disclaimer: this job post is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all essential responsibilities, skills, tasks, or requirements associated with this position. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the position posted, the Company reserves the right to modify or change the essential functions of the job based on business necessity. We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with a criminal history (including relevant driving history), in a manner consistent with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York Fair Chance Act. Certain positions may require Florida Level 2 background screening. Details: https://info.flclearinghouse.com/ Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Bon Appetit maintains a drug-free workplace. Req ID: 1586620 Bon Appetit

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