Culinary Operations Director
Recruiting Partner: Fred Lutz
Houston, Texas | Food & Beverage & Lodging | Not Remote | $100,000 to $120,000 | Job ID: 167135
Job Summary
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Culinary Operations Director – Multi-Unit Hospitality Group (Houston, TX)
Salary Range: $100,000–$110,000+ (based on experience)
Location: Houston, TX
Employment Type: Full-Time, On-Site
Service Model: Full-Service Dining
About the Role
A growing hospitality group with a strong cultural identity and two thriving Houston locations is seeking a Culinary Operations Director to lead back-of-house systems and scale operational excellence across future units. This is a hands-on leadership role for a strategic operator who thrives in high-volume, scratch kitchens and is ready to build the foundation for multi-unit growth.
The ideal candidate will begin as Kitchen Manager of our second location (full-service), while being compensated and titled as Culinary Director. Once systems are built and stabilized, this leader will hire and train a Kitchen Manager for that unit and shift focus to launching our third store.
Key Responsibilities
- Systems & Process Leadership Design and implement scalable BOH systems (inventory, ordering, waste tracking, SOPs, audits)
- Create a replicable “Kitchen Manager’s Playbook” for future locations
- Staff Leadership & Development Supervise and mentor kitchen team: Sous Chefs, Leads, line/prep cooks
- Enforce quality standards and accountability across all stations
- Operational Oversight Monitor daily execution and system adherence
- Collaborate with ownership and culinary leadership on menu rollouts and feasibility
- Analyze food/labor costs and performance metrics to drive decisions
- Cross-Functional Collaboration Serve as the bridge between BOH operations, culinary development, and FOH coordination
- Report on KPIs, audits, and process improvements
Qualifications
- 7+ years in high-volume, scratch-based kitchens
- 3+ years in culinary leadership roles
- Proven success scaling BOH systems across multi-unit or full-service environments
- Strong leadership and mentoring skills; experience with bilingual teams preferred
- Deep knowledge of food safety, sanitation, and labor compliance
- Ability to implement change, drive accountability, and improve operational efficiency
Compensation & Growth Path
- Salary: $100K–$110K base, with flexibility for exceptional candidates
- Bonus and Benefits Package
- Title: Culinary Operations Director from day one
- Growth Plan: Start as KM of Store #2 → Build systems → Hire KM → Lead Store #3 launch
At Goodwin Recruiting, we are committed to our core values and providing world class customer service. We are committed to helping our clients navigate and comply with the complex and ever-changing labor laws as well as help ensure that in every hiring decision, internally and with our client partners, that all viable candidates are considered, and the most qualified candidate is offered the role. We evaluate the knowledge, skills, and abilities that meet the requirements of the position and aim to open doors and change lives. We value all people, understanding that uniqueness and diversity foster a stronger team that is innovative and brings varying perspectives to the table. We put our money where our mouth is and are proud of our efforts to identify a broad slate of candidates, with many hiring success stories to share.
JOB ID: 167135
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Fred Lutz
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Additional Information
At Goodwin Recruiting we are committed to our core values. We take our value, Dedicated to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, very seriously and will never discriminate against a candidate or client based on any protected classes. Our clients seek qualified candidates, and that is what we deliver. A person’s age, gender, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status, or arrest or conviction record has no bearing on whether he, she, or they are able to do the job. We evaluate the knowledge, skills, and abilities that meet the requirements of the position and aim to open doors and change lives. We value all people, understanding that uniqueness and diversity foster a stronger team that is innovative and brings varying perspectives to the table. We put our money where our mouth is and are proud of our efforts to identify a broad slate of candidates, with many hiring success stories to share.
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Additional Information
At Goodwin Recruiting, our clients seek qualified candidates, and that is what we deliver. A person’s age, gender, race, color, marital or family status, national origin, disability, religion, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity has no bearing on whether they are able to do the job. We evaluate the knowledge, skills, and abilities that meet the requirements of the position and aim to open doors and change lives. We work hard to identify a broad slate of candidates for each of our clients, with many hiring success stories to share.
