About this opportunity
Mexican Cuisine lists this Culinary Director opportunity in orange county, ca, California. Review the employer’s description below for duties, qualifications and application requirements.
Job description
Authentic Mexican cuisine organization with exceptionally low turnover is looking for a Culinary Director to lead the next evolution of the group! This is a large-scale role for a talented, innovative, training-oriented leader to help shape the company’s next phase of growth. Looking for a chef with a proven track record within Mexican cuisine who flourishes in a collaborative, cross-functional environment with senior leadership and other departments (such as Marketing and Procurement). This role carries full accountability for the Culinary Department's financial performance. A past track record in high volume, multi-unit leadership experience is essential, with a focus on delegation, SOPs, and development. This role is based in Orange County and candidates must be able to commute and/or relocate to that region. Advanced Spanish communication skills preferred!
Culinary Director Responsibilities:
Provide strategic and visionary leadership, establishing culinary, operational, and financial goals aligned with the company’s growth objectives
Own culinary quality, consistency, presentation, innovation, and continuous improvement across all locations while protecting brand integrity and profitability
Develop and implement systems, processes, and production strategies that improve operational efficiency, labor productivity, freshness, and overall execution
Lead and develop high-performing culinary teams through hiring, training, coaching, delegation, performance management, and succession planning
Champion cross-functional collaboration across all departments to ensure seamless execution of business initiatives
Maintain a strong field presence through regular store visits, identifying opportunities to improve product quality, sanitation, organization, customer experience, labor efficiency, and operational standards
Own departmental financial performance
Ensure compliance with food safety, sanitation, company policies, and applicable local, state, and federal regulations
Culinary Director Requirements:
4+ years of multi-unit culinary leadership experience, overseeing at least 10 locations as either a Vice President (VP) of Culinary, Regional Chef, Corporate Chef, Area Chef or similar role
Proven expertise in authentic Mexican cuisine, including a passion for regional nuances, traditional techniques, and sourcing high-quality ingredients
Spanish-speaking fluency preferred, with the ability to communicate effectively with culinary team members
Extensive experience leading large-scale, high-volume culinary operations
Strong financial acumen, with demonstrated knowledge in managing sales, margins, labor, budgets, forecasting, and overall departmental profitability
Ability to recruit, train, mentor, delegate to, and develop high-performing teams and future leaders
Strategic communication, and cross-functional leadership skills, with the ability to drive change, navigate complex situations and partner effectively with operations, procurement, replenishment, R&D, and food safety.
Compensation / Benefits:
Base salary in the range of $160k-$210k
Bonus plan
401k WITH matching
Medical, Dental, Vision plans
PTO
Negotiable relocation assistance
Who can apply
Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.