Airline Lounges Culinary Systems Manager

Sodexo Careers•Charlotte, NC

2d•Remote

About The Position

Role Overview Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment where premium hospitality, global operations, and digital transformation intersect? Sodexo is seeking a Culinary Systems Manager – Global Airport Lounges to support our worldwide portfolio of premium lounge experiences. This role is responsible for managing and optimizing the culinary data backbone that powers menus, ingredients, recipes, and operational accuracy across multiple international lounge locations. In addition to core culinary systems responsibilities, this position offers the opportunity to engage in digital product evolution , collaborating with technology and product teams to advance the digital tools used throughout the Lounge ecosystem. This is a remote position , with up to 25% travel as needed. We are looking for someone preferrably located on the East Coast or in the Central part of the U.S. What You'll Do Culinary Data Governance & System Management Manage and maintain all central menu, ingredients, and recipe databases to ensure accuracy, consistency, and compliance with global operational, nutritional, and regulatory requirements. Ensure continuity and quality of culinary data flowing from the Culinary Innovation Center (CIC), field locations, and vendor partners. Enter, validate, and proof all recipe and menu data within the system of record, coordinate with senior culinary leadership for quality control and approval workflows. Oversee recipe creation and management tailored to the unique offerings, service models, and brand identity of each location. Support commissary specific‑ needs and drive recipe alignment for centralized production where applicable. Collaborate with NorAm Food Platform, Supply Management and Lounge Segment leadership to ensure all culinary data aligns with procurement strategies, managed order guides, and regions s‑pecific requirements. Global Lounge Culinary Operations Support Work closely with Global Lounge Operations to ensure culinary data supports premium hospitality standards across multiple regions. Assist with menu ideation and documentation for new lounge openings and major client RFPs, ensuring accuracy and alignment with lounge service expectations. Partner with international teams to maintain localized compliance, culturally appropriate offerings, and region specific‑ ingredient requirements. Support the development and upkeep of strategic planning documents, end user‑ resources, training guides, and system documentation for global culinary teams. Digital Product Collaboration (Emerging Responsibility) As lounges continue to evolve through digital modernization, this role provides meaningful opportunities to collaborate with product, IT, and innovation teams: Participate in defining business requirements for digital tools that rely on culinary data (e.g., POS integrations, menu display systems, procurement platforms, kitchen workflow systems). Contribute to user acceptance testing, feature feedback sessions, and roadmap discussions with product managers. Help translate operational culinary needs into digital system enhancements, ensuring tools used in lounges are intuitive, accurate, and globally scalable. Document and communicate digital workflows, updates, and best practices for user communities across regions. This is not a formal product manager role, but it provides growth exposure and partnership within the digital product space. What We Offer Compensation is fair and equitable, partially determined by a candidate's education level or years of relevant experience. Salary offers are based on a candidate's specific criteria, like experience, skills, education, and training. Sodexo offers a comprehensive benefits package that may include: Medical, Dental, Vision Care and Wellness Programs 401(k) Plan with Matching Contributions Paid Time Off and Company Holidays Career Growth Opportunities and Tuition Reimbursement More extensive information is provided to new employees upon hire. What You Bring Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience. 3 years of management experience and 3–5+ years of culinary data or recipe management experience. Strong organizational and time management‑ skills; able to lead and coach efforts across multiple workstreams simultaneously. Experience working in hospitality, food service, airline, or airport lounge environments (preferred). Comfort collaborating with technology teams, product teams, or digital systems (experience a plus, not required). Ability to develop and maintain strategic planning tools, end-user resources, and training materials. A passion for operational excellence, data accuracy, and delivering world-class guest experiences in premium lounge environments. Who We Are At Sodexo, our purpose is to create a better everyday for everyone and build a better life for all. We believe in improving the quality of life for those we serve and contributing to the economic, social, and environmental progress in the communities where we operate. Sodexo partners with clients to provide a truly memorable experience for both customers and employees alike. We do this by providing food service, catering, facilities management, and other integrated solutions worldwide. Our company values you for you; you will be treated fairly and with respect, and you can be yourself. You will have your ideas count and your opinions heard because we can be a stronger team when you’re happy at work. This is why we embrace diversity and inclusion as core values, fostering an environment where all employees are valued and respected. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to individuals regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, disability, sexual orientation, military status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. If you need assistance with the application process, please complete this form .

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
3 years of management experience and 3–5+ years of culinary data or recipe management experience.
Strong organizational and time management‑ skills; able to lead and coach efforts across multiple workstreams simultaneously.
Ability to develop and maintain strategic planning tools, end-user resources, and training materials.
A passion for operational excellence, data accuracy, and delivering world-class guest experiences in premium lounge environments.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in hospitality, food service, airline, or airport lounge environments (preferred).
Comfort collaborating with technology teams, product teams, or digital systems (experience a plus, not required).

Responsibilities

Manage and maintain all central menu, ingredients, and recipe databases to ensure accuracy, consistency, and compliance with global operational, nutritional, and regulatory requirements.
Ensure continuity and quality of culinary data flowing from the Culinary Innovation Center (CIC), field locations, and vendor partners.
Enter, validate, and proof all recipe and menu data within the system of record, coordinate with senior culinary leadership for quality control and approval workflows.
Oversee recipe creation and management tailored to the unique offerings, service models, and brand identity of each location.
Support commissary specific‑ needs and drive recipe alignment for centralized production where applicable.
Collaborate with NorAm Food Platform, Supply Management and Lounge Segment leadership to ensure all culinary data aligns with procurement strategies, managed order guides, and regions s‑pecific requirements.
Work closely with Global Lounge Operations to ensure culinary data supports premium hospitality standards across multiple regions.
Assist with menu ideation and documentation for new lounge openings and major client RFPs, ensuring accuracy and alignment with lounge service expectations.
Partner with international teams to maintain localized compliance, culturally appropriate offerings, and region specific‑ ingredient requirements.
Support the development and upkeep of strategic planning documents, end user‑ resources, training guides, and system documentation for global culinary teams.
Participate in defining business requirements for digital tools that rely on culinary data (e.g., POS integrations, menu display systems, procurement platforms, kitchen workflow systems).
Contribute to user acceptance testing, feature feedback sessions, and roadmap discussions with product managers.
Help translate operational culinary needs into digital system enhancements, ensuring tools used in lounges are intuitive, accurate, and globally scalable.
Document and communicate digital workflows, updates, and best practices for user communities across regions.