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Director of Culinary (OH, Cincinnati)OH, Cincinnati

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Position Summary

The Director of Culinary/Senior Meals oversees the North Culinary Center, Catering and Senior Meals program. This position is responsible for operational excellence and food quality standards for the organization. This role oversees kitchen leadership, product development, food safety compliance, and production efficiency while cultivating a high-performance culinary team. The Director of Culinary ensures that all culinary operations align with brand standards, financial goals, and guest expectations.

Key Responsibilities

Staff Management & Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop culinary staff at all levels to maintain a skilled, motivated, and collaborative team.

• Establish performance expectations, conduct evaluations, and provide ongoing coaching.

• Foster a culture of accountability, creativity, and continuous improvement.

Production Monitoring

• Oversee daily production activities to ensure efficiency, consistency, and adherence to operational standards, USDA and FDA guidelines.

• Implement systems to track output, reduce waste, and optimize workflow.

• Collaborate with operations and procurement teams to maintain proper inventory levels.

Product Quality Assurance

• Maintain and enforce high standards for taste, presentation, and consistency across all menu items.

• Conduct regular quality checks and adjust processes as needed.

Food Safety & Compliance

• Ensure full compliance with local, state, and federal food safety regulations.

• Develop and maintain HACCP plans, sanitation protocols, and safety training programs.

• Conduct routine audits to verify safe food handling and facility cleanliness.

Product Innovation & Menu Development

• Lead the creation of new menu items, seasonal offerings, and product improvements.

• Analyze culinary trends, customer feedback, and market data to drive innovation.

• Test, refine, and standardize recipes for scalable production.

Staff Scheduling & Recruiting

• Oversee culinary staffing plans to ensure adequate coverage and efficient labor utilization.

• Recruit, interview, and onboard new culinary team members.

• Build a talent pipeline to support growth and reduce turnover.

Required Qualifications

• Proven leadership experience in culinary management, preferably in high-volume or multi-unit environments.

• Strong knowledge of food safety regulations and production systems.

• Demonstrated ability to develop teams and manage complex operations.

• Expertise in recipe development, menu planning, and culinary innovation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Formal culinary education or equivalent professional experience.

• Experience with large-scale production, commissary operations, or manufacturing.

• Background in cost control, budgeting, and operational analytics.

This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, tasks, requirements, efforts or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to modify essential functions of the job, or to require that other or different tasks be performed when circumstances change (i.e. emergencies, changes in personnel, workload, rush jobs or technical developments.

Location - OH, Cincinnati - OH