Director, Culinary Development

Overview

The Director of Culinary Development is our Head Chef, responsible for leading the culinary development of new menu items and optimizations of current menu items, in close partnership with the Concept Development strategy team. He/she reports to the SVP, Innovation & Concept Development and manages the culinary team & test kitchen.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Approach work holistically through the lens of a key business stakeholder.
• Partner with the cross functional team to bring business strategies to life with compelling core and promotional menu offerings that drive guest traffic & satisfaction, efficiently & profitably.
• Develop food within specified parameters, to deliver against business targets.
• Create recipes with attention to detail and accuracy.
• Lead food shows, thoughtfully prepared to discuss any pertinent consumer insights &/or guest data, preliminary costing, SKUs and operational implications.
• Lead and manage the nutrition and allergen needs for food and beverage, overseeing consultant.
• Collaborate closely with Supply Chain to support the development and management of product formulations/specifications, commercializing products from bench to production - traveling to attend production runs as needed.
• Participate in product specification reviews, to ensure products meet holistic business needs.
• Proactively and reactively test, develop, and implement culinary improvements to preparation techniques, processes or tools, ensuring consistent application of culinary development standards.
• Partner closely with Operations, including spending time in our restaurants regularly, to gain insight around potential enhancements to systems, methods and procedures.
• Support Ops Services & Training in the production of materials - e.g., instructional videos & live demonstrations.
• Develop and coach team members, seeking out professional growth opportunities.
• Develop and nurture relationships with cross functional partners.

REQUIRED SKILLS & ATTRIBUTES

• Collaborative mindset
• Ability to respond professionally to constructive feedback
• Passionate & innovative approach to culinary development, balanced with business acumen
• Strong technical and R&D/manufacturing background, with ability to commercialize products

• Highly organized, able to effectively manage multiple projects and deadlines
• Ability to work in fast-paced & fluid environment, with flexibility

• Presentation skills & ability to persuade others
• Holds self and team to high standard

• Leverages consumer insights, trends, attitudes and preferences in development process
• Proven ability to operationalize culinary concepts, with sensibility toward organization's size & structure
• Professionalism when interacting with internal and external vendor partners
• Effective communication skills within a complex corporate environment
• Adaptability to changing business environment
• Ability to solve complex problems
• Professional curiosity and initiative
• Ability to take ownership and work independently to produce accurate, strategic, and timely results

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts
• Multi-unit restaurant chain experience, both in-restaurant and development
• 10+ years experience in restaurants and/or manufacturing/R&D, with increased levels of responsibility
• Certified Executive or Research Chef preferred
• Roughly 30% travel