Director of Culinary Operations

Compass Group•New York, NY

3d•$190,000 - $200,000

About The Position

Based in New York City, the Director of Culinary is the visionary leader responsible for the strategic direction, operational excellence, and cultural alignment of the Food@Google program in partnership with the client and culinary team across the Americas. You will bridge the gap between high-level food philosophy and large-scale operational execution, ensuring every meal served across hundreds of cafes and micro-kitchens reflects Google’s commitment to well being, sustainability, and community. Overseeing a multi-million dollar culinary ecosystem, you will drive innovation in UX, (user experience) maintain fiscal responsibility, and develop world-class culinary talent.

Requirements

10+ years of executive-level culinary management in a multi unit setting
Experience leading a large culinary program with progressive management responsibility (Corporate or Global Hospitality)
Proven track record in managing large, cross-functional teams and complex stakeholder environments.
Expert knowledge of menu engineering and P&L management
Excellent communication skills both written and verbal
Proven ability to drive projects to completion in a dynamic, fast paced, entrepreneurial organization
Excellent partner and collaborator
Ability to maintain confi dentiality
Strong computer aptitude with a working knowledge of Google Docs, Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint
Ability to work independently as well as in a team
Ability to work in a fast paced, changing environment
Deep passion for culinary excellence, hospitality and sustainability
Exceptional ability to deliver executive level presentations and act as a program ambassador

Nice To Haves

Multi-lingual preferred or a background in multicultural environments

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Regional Oversight
Vision Alignment: Translate global strategies into regional actionable goals, embedding the values of Choice, Health, Community, and Sustainability into every site.
Regional Governance: Executive oversight for the Americas Region operations, ensuring brand consistency while respecting local cultural nuances.
Client Relations: Act as the primary culinary liaison for Google Real Estate & Workplace Services (REWS) and senior leadership to align food programs with corporate objectives.
Capability Development & Team Leadership
Talent Architecture: Lead recruitment, mentorship, and retention of a diverse culinary capability
Training & Partnerships: identify training needs for the capability, Champion "Train the Trainer" models and partner with RA and Compass to implement
Safety Culture: Establish a best-in-class culture of food safety and occupational health, ensuring 100% HACCP and regulatory compliance.
Sustainability & Responsible Sourcing
Net-Zero Goals: Drive progress toward Google’s 2030 sustainability targets, focusing on carbon reduction, food waste mitigation (Leanpath), Single Plastic Use reduction.
Procurement: Work with Food Buy and RA on procuring ingredients that meet the Google Procurement guidelines.
Plant-Forward Innovation: Oversee the evolution of menus to lead with plant-centric dishes that reduce environmental impact without compromising user satisfaction.
User Experience (UX) User Experience & Innovation
Choice Architecture: Use design "nudges" to make the healthy choice the easy choice, improving Googlers' physical and mental well-being.
Intentional Innovation: drive a culture of intentional and impactful innovation, bringing the “outside in” and elevating User Experience.
Community Building: Use food as a catalyst for collaboration, designing experiences that foster a sense of belonging.
Fiscal Responsibility & Operational Excellence
P&L Accountability: Work with finance and the Regional Directors of Operation to deliver culinary experience within budget, with rigorous discipline, optimizing food costs and labor while maintaining premium quality.
Data-Driven Decisions: Leverage food service management systems and user feedback data to drive menu engineering and activations
Vendor Management: Manage high-performance service level agreements (SLAs) with partners like Compass Group and Guckenheimer.