Director of Centralized Catering Operations

Compass Group•Mountain View, CA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Centralized Catering Operations is a senior leadership role overseeing, stabilizing, and improving regional centralized catering operations. Reporting to the VP of Catering, the role focuses primarily on last-mile logistics, assembly, staging, and dispatch rather than direct kitchen oversight, and partners closely with the Executive Chef team to maintain production schedules and disciplined handoffs. The director will manage schedule and volume variability and optimize available resources. The role combines hands-on floor leadership with strategic operational planning. It calls for a metrics-focused, organized, technology-progressive leader who can use data and AI tools to guide decisions, challenge legacy practices, and improve workflows. A central priority is strengthening hospitality throughout high-volume catering so that deliveries, guest interactions, and service touchpoints remain warm, attentive, and personal. The position is based in Mountain View, California, with a Monday–Friday schedule. The listed salary range is $150,000–$175,000, and the role is bonus eligible.

Requirements

At least 8–10 years of progressive operations management experience in high-volume last-mile logistics, centralized catering staging or dispatch, commissary distribution hubs, or multi-unit hospitality logistics.
Demonstrated success establishing operational rigor and SOPs and managing complex schedule and volume variability.
Ability to combine hands-on floor leadership with strategic vision and workflow redesign.
Strong analytical and metrics skills, including experience with operational KPIs, labor models, capacity planning benchmarks, and performance dashboards.
Experience with modern digital platforms and working knowledge of AI tools and predictive analytics as operational resources.
Strong leadership presence and emotional intelligence, with a record of developing leaders and frontline staff and fostering authentic hospitality.
Demonstrated ability to challenge existing practices constructively and improve legacy operations.
Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, Culinary Arts, Business Administration, Operations Engineering, or equivalent practical leadership experience.
ServSafe Manager Certification, or ability to obtain it upon hire.

Responsibilities

Establish and improve end-to-end procedures for last-mile logistics, packing, staging, and dispatch to support timely, safe, and consistent operations.
Partner with the Executive Chef team to maintain production schedules and discipline across culinary handoffs.
Troubleshoot floor-level logistics and dispatch bottlenecks while identifying systemic workflow improvements.
Analyze regional ordering trends and lead times to create production schedules that accommodate volume surges.
Promote root-cause problem-solving and continuous improvement by questioning legacy practices.
Coordinate with transportation, fleet logistics, and catering teams to support accurate delivery windows and temperature and safety compliance.
Establish and review operational KPIs, including labor efficiency, shift capacity, throughput, and food yield.
Optimize staffing, equipment utilization, and overtime in relation to volume patterns and production forecasts.
Develop long-range operational plans and capacity models with regional sales, culinary leads, and event planners.
Partner with regional operations and finance leadership to identify cost drivers and sustainable efficiencies without compromising culinary standards.
Drive adoption and effective use of catering platforms, digital inventory systems, and automated production tools.
Use AI tools and data analytics for demand forecasting, labor scheduling, waste tracking, and workflow automation.
Research and pilot culinary technologies, ergonomic equipment, and sustainable packaging solutions.
Embed hospitality in delivery, setup, and on-site interactions so that high-volume service remains attentive and personal.
Coach, train, and mentor operational leaders and frontline associates in hospitality and guest interaction.
Develop staff through career pathways, cross-training, and ongoing skills development.
Communicate strategic priorities as clear daily objectives for frontline teams.
Build collaborative partnerships with regional food program leads, Executive Chefs, workplace managers, and vendors.