Careers



Director of Culinary Operations

Summary

The position requires someone who enjoys a leadership position as each restaurant’s Executive Chef will report to this position. Culinary Directors for each concept as well as the Knead leadership team will work closely with this position. Strong organizational and prioritization skills are key, while serving as a mentor and assuming a team-oriented attitude will assure the highest level of success for this position.

Responsibilities

As Director of Culinary Operations, this position will be primarily responsible for:
• Ensuring a consistently top tier culinary experience for our guests
• controlling food cost for the entire company
• enforcement of recipe and tool adherence
• training and development of all culinary teammates
• top tier sanitation, food safety/handling and cleanliness practices and procedures
• negotiating contracts with vendors
• Ensuring each kitchen follows all company Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• Maintaining Back-Office culinary systems
• Negotiating and scheduling all maintenance contracts
General Responsibilities:
  • Reinforcement and consistent adherence to the highest-level of food quality at all times
  • Communicate with the Culinary Directors and Executive Chefs on a consistent, if not daily, basis
  • Oversee hiring, training and development of all Culinary personnel including all levels of chefs, line cooks, prep cooks and stewards
  • Full P&L responsibility for management of:
    • kitchen labor
    • food cost
    • all costs associated with kitchen operations, i.e., R&M, kitchen supplies, cleaning supplies, equipment purchasing, etc.
  • Clear implementation of team and career development path(s) for teammates at all levels
  • Define, implement and hold teams accountable for all food purchasing specifications, recipes, standards on a company and concept level
  • Leverage market data, seasonality of ingredients, consumer consumption trends and guest feedback with your knowledge of nutrition principles, food production methods, seasonal ingredients/ procurement, etc.
  • Sanitation and cleanliness standards, including regular training and retraining in all areas
  • Troubleshooting bottlenecks and system breakdowns/challenges in all restaurants
  • Continuous development of culinary culture to align with Knead Core Values/Culture
  • Management tool kit creation and development to further support all teammates
  • On site at each restaurant no less than weekly
  • Spearhead seasonal menu changes, updating of menu descriptions, staff training of new items (FOH and BOH)
Personnel:
  • Promotion and recruitment of teammates throughout the organization
  • Development of training programs for each position in our organization
  • Ensure annual evaluations for chefs and teammates at all levels are consistently completed and communicated
  • Review and update all Job Descriptions as they pertain to the BOH team
  • Compliance of all US and State/Jurisdictional labor laws requirements
  • Hands-on education, training and development of all culinary personnel
Culinary:
  • Review, adjust and develop culinary standards and SOPs
  • Update recipes in Compeat and ensure restaurants of the same concept are using the same reference tools, recipes, etc., to maintain consistency in all like items
  • Continually challenge our culinary program to stay current, authentic and consistently delicious
  • Work with the Culinary Directors and Knead leadership to continually improve the culinary program in all areas
  • Ensure our catering and event menus, options, plating and presentation are first-class, current and representative in the market
  • Communicate any and all needs for corporate specifications and sourcing of products/ingredients
  • Interpret all recipes that our Culinary Directors develop so they may be properly executed in volume situations
  • Orchestrate all culinary changes that occur in all restaurants per the menu change calendars
  • Work with the corporate team to ensure all menus, menu descriptions, event menus, websites and other methods of menu communication are correct, updated and professional
Financial:
  • Achieve the food cost budgets in all markets
  • Achieve the labor budgets in all markets
  • Develop theoretical costing in Compeat for all restaurants. Attack negative variances to ensure waste, theft and loss are minimized at all times
  • Cost out all new menu items prior to implementation and roll out
  • Corporate food purchasing guidelines and order guides
  • Control equipment repair expenses
  • Assist in the development of annual budgets as they relate to food/kitchen
  • Assist in the development of bonus programs and other related employee benefits

New Restaurant Openings (NRO):
  • Develop opening schedule for all new restaurants with Director of Operations/Knead Leadership
  • Full responsibility of culinary recruiting, interviewing, hiring and training
  • Work on site at all new restaurant openings for as long as required to ensure a proper transition to chef team
  • Plan and execute non-NRO initiatives and support while managing and overseeing
  • NRO culinary execution and deliverables
  • Coordinate with all departments to create and maintain a schedule of activities leading up to and supporting the opening of each new Restaurant
  • Ensure the highest levels of training standards at all NROs
  • Create and maintain a strategy for handling all planned growth and adapt as needed when growth plans change or when presented with new Company initiatives or priorities
  • Manage the proper execution of all Culinary NRO processes, systems and standards

  • Manage all culinary-related administrative tasks associated with each NRO before, during, and after the opening in a timely fashion 
  • Lead development, Manager support/coaching, Trainer development and employee coaching
  • Set, operate and execute pre-opening budgets and responsible for Culinary Department



Qualifications and requirements

Requirements:
  • BS degree
  • 5+ years’ experience running large restaurants and preferably multiple restaurants simultaneously
  • ServSafe Certification
  • HAACP Certification training
  • Proven track record related to the training and development of culinary teams
  • Demonstrated advanced culinary knowledge related to diverse cuisine types and culinary techniques
  • Scheduling, inventory and purchasing experience
  • Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite
  • Experiences and knowledgeable with industry software
  • Strong/Stable work history
  • Availability to work a flexible schedule
  • Bilingual, a plus
  • Fluent in both written and spoken English
  • Ability to lift 30+ lbs. and push a cart weighing up to 100lbs.
  • Polished and hospitable communication skills in both written and verbal formats
  • Strong organizational and verbal communication skills; lead as a role model
  • Extremely attentive to details
  • Flexible availabilities working nights, weekends and holidays, and variable schedule, per the needs of the business



Posted:1/27/2021 9:49:58 AM


Knead HD is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
Use one of the options below to quickly apply for this job.



Apply Go back