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Culinary Director – Menu Innovation & Operations

Position Overview

A respected and rapidly growing full-service restaurant group is seeking an experienced, hands-on Culinary Director to lead menu innovation, product development, and culinary execution across multiple restaurant locations.

This high-impact leadership role is ideal for a culinary professional who combines creativity with strong business acumen and operational expertise. The successful candidate will drive menu development from concept through launch, identify emerging food trends, optimize menu profitability, and ensure new offerings align with the brand’s culinary identity and operational standards.

Working closely with Culinary, Operations, Marketing, and Supply Chain leadership, the Culinary Director will play a key role in shaping the guest experience, improving restaurant performance, and supporting the continued growth of the organization. This position offers a blend of field engagement, cross-functional collaboration, and approximately 40%–50% work-from-home flexibility.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive base salary with performance-based bonuses tied to company KPIs
• Comprehensive health benefits
• Generous paid time off and vacation
• Technology package to support productivity and collaboration
• Approximately 40%–50% work-from-home flexibility
• Career growth opportunities within a supportive, expanding restaurant organization

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, or a related field preferred
• 10+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience, including at least 5 years in menu innovation, culinary product development, or menu strategy within a multi-unit casual dining environment
• Demonstrated success developing, testing, and launching profitable menu items across multiple locations
• Strong understanding of restaurant operations, food costing, margin optimization, purchasing, and supply chain management
• Proven ability to balance culinary creativity with consistency, scalability, and ease of execution
• Excellent project management, organizational, communication, and presentation skills
• Proficiency in culinary development tools, inventory management systems, and Microsoft Office
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively to restaurant locations, suppliers, and market research destinations
• Ability to build strong partnerships across culinary, operations, marketing, and procurement teams

Key Responsibilities

Menu Strategy & Product Development

• Lead the complete menu development lifecycle, from initial concept and recipe creation through testing, costing, approval, and systemwide rollout
• Build and manage a pipeline of innovative menu offerings that balance emerging food trends, guest preferences, brand identity, and operational efficiency
• Conduct market research, competitive analysis, and trend forecasting to identify opportunities for menu differentiation and growth
• Evaluate menu performance and use sales data, guest feedback, and profitability metrics to refine existing offerings and guide future development

Culinary Standards & Operational Execution

• Develop and maintain standardized recipes, plating specifications, preparation procedures, and back-of-house documentation
• Partner with restaurant operations and culinary leaders to test new menu items and ensure consistent, practical execution across all locations
• Establish menu implementation timelines and execution protocols within the Aloha POS/KDS platform
• Support training development and rollout plans to ensure successful adoption of new menu items
• Maintain high standards for food quality, consistency, presentation, and overall guest experience

Cost Management & Supply Chain Collaboration

• Partner with Procurement and Supply Chain teams to source quality ingredients that meet product specifications and cost targets
• Evaluate ingredient availability, vendor capabilities, product consistency, and purchasing implications during menu development
• Support food-cost management, inventory accuracy, forecasting, and waste reduction initiatives
• Manage and optimize inventory software and controls to support operational efficiency and financial performance

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Collaborate with Marketing on menu positioning, product messaging, promotional campaigns, and launch strategies
• Align with Operations and Supply Chain on training materials, execution standards, ingredient forecasting, and rollout readiness
• Present new concepts, product recommendations, and performance insights to senior leadership
• Build strong working relationships with restaurant teams and functional leaders to drive alignment, accountability, and successful implementation

The Opportunity

This is an excellent opportunity for a forward-thinking culinary leader who thrives at the intersection of menu creativity, business performance, and multi-unit operations. The ideal candidate will bring a passion for food, a data-driven approach to product development, and the leadership skills needed to translate culinary concepts into profitable, scalable restaurant offerings.

JOB ID: 182503

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Eric Esterline

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