DIRECTOR OF CULINARY INNOVATION

Compass Group USA Inc•Mountain View, CA

44d•$120,000 - $140,000

About The Position

The Director of Culinary Innovation leads culinary research and development, menu strategy, and retail café programming for Morrison Healthcare. This role is responsible for creating, testing, documenting, training, implementing, and optimizing innovative recipes, food concepts, wellness-focused programs, and promotional offerings that support patient dining, retail, and caregiver experiences across multi-unit healthcare operations.

Requirements

Degree in Culinary Arts, Food Science, Hospitality Management or equivalent experience.
7+ years progressive culinary leadership in multi-unit healthcare, contract foodservice, hospitality, or R&D environments.
Experience in menu development, culinary innovation, and retail café or restaurant programming.
Strong financial acumen: food and labor cost control, forecasting, inventory, margin management, and menu engineering.
Knowledge of clinical nutrition, therapeutic diets, allergen management, and wellness-focused menu design.
Proven success leading, training, and developing culinary teams across multiple locations.
Excellent written and verbal communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office and recipe/menu management software.
Ability to travel extensively to support field operations and key initiatives.

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end culinary R&D for new menu items, platforms, and scalable food programs for patient services, catering, and retail cafés.
Develop retail café concepts, seasonal menus, LTOs, and promotional calendars to drive participation, revenue, and guest satisfaction.
Partner with Regional, Division, Supply Chain, Category Management, Marketing, Clinical Nutrition, Retail Strategy, Operations, and Business Development teams.
Conduct product evaluations, tastings, sensory panels, and pilot tests to validate quality, consistency, cost, and operational fit.
Create and maintain recipes, production records, menu specifications, nutrition data, allergen controls, and SOPs in menu management systems.
Support new openings, remodels, program rollouts, and key client initiatives with on-site culinary leadership and training.
Deliver chef and manager training via live, virtual, and on-site sessions; build toolkits, playbooks, and training materials.
Monitor culinary, healthcare, wellness, and foodservice trends and translate insights into practical programs and solutions.
Collaborate on kitchen and servery design, equipment selection, and workflow optimization.
Ensure all culinary programs comply with Compass, local, state, and federal food safety and regulatory standards.
Promote sustainability initiatives including waste reduction, responsible sourcing, and efficient production practices.
Represent Morrison Healthcare as a culinary subject-matter expert at internal meetings, client presentations, and industry events.