Divisional Culinary Operations Manager

Miller's Ale House•Orlando, FL

About The Position

The Culinary Operations Manager serves as a hands-on expert and field leader responsible for elevating food quality and execution across multiple restaurants within a division. This position bridges culinary standards, training, and operational execution, ensuring that every kitchen delivers consistent, brand-standard food. As a key member of the Operations Excellence Team, the Culinary Operations Manager partners directly with DVPs, Directors of Operations, General Managers, Kitchen Managers, and hourly BOH (Back-of-the-House) teams to assess performance, implement best practices, coach behaviors, and drive continuous improvement.This role requires a blend of culinary skill, operational acumen, leadership presence, and analytical thinking — all aimed at improving Guest satisfaction, reducing waste, and achieving measurable gains in food quality scores and cost performance.

Requirements

Excellent communication skills (verbally interacts with all levels of Management, Team Members and Guests)
Excellent computer skills; proficient in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
Effectively facilitates classroom sessions for groups ranging from 5-50 people
Excellent time management, organizational and critical thinking skills
Ability to multi-task; works well independently and as part of a team
Knowledge of workplace safety procedures and all local, state and federal labor, food safety and alcohol service standards
Basic Performance-Consulting skills
Understanding in Adult Learning principles
Excellent leadership & development skills
Ability to motivate and influence others
Maintains composure under pressure
Ability to drive long distances and be away from home a minimum of 1-4 days at a time
Ability to teach, coach and mentor at all levels of the organization
Minimum three years management and/or training experience preferred
Must have a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance
Food safety management certification
Any local or state required alcohol service certifications or licenses for assigned territory

Responsibilities

Operational Execution & Quality Improvement• Conduct in-restaurant culinary audits to assess adherence to recipes, prep systems, cook times, portioning, and plating standards.
Identify and resolve execution gaps that impact food quality, temperature, presentation, and timing.
Partner with operations and culinary leadership to implement corrective action plans and track progress.
Ensure all restaurants follow current menu specifications, recipe builds, and kitchen systems consistently.
Food Safety & Compliance• Ensure all restaurants maintain compliance with federal, state, and local food safety regulations, as well as brand standardsfor sanitation and cleanliness.
Conduct food safety and sanitation audits during market visits, verifying proper food handling, storage, labeling, and temperature control procedures.
Coach Kitchen Managers and BOH Teams on best practices for preventing cross-contamination, managing allergen awareness, and maintaining safe prep and holding conditions.
Partner with Operations and Training teams to ensure all Team Members maintain current food safety certifications and understand safe food handling expectations.
Monitor corrective actions following food safety audits, supporting restaurants in developing and sustaining long-term compliance behaviors.
Serve as a field subject-matter expert on foodborne illness prevention, sanitation systems, and health department readiness.
Continuously assess and communicate opportunities to strengthen food safety programs, training materials, and operational processes to leadership.
Training & Coaching• Deliver hands-on, in-market culinary training to kitchen managers and hourly Team Members.
Reinforce brand culinary standards through side-by-side coaching, demonstrating proper techniques and reinforcing best practices.
Maintains a leadership presence in assigned restaurants to validate the proper execution of all training programs and rollouts, and ensures training environments are both positive and safe.
Develops Kitchen Managers and Lead Head Coaches (Manager) to assist with consistency and follow-up of BOH training programs in restaurants.
Partners with restaurant managers and Directors, Operations on identifying & certifying new restaurant BOH (Back-of-theHouse) hourly Head Coaches and regional Lead Head Coaches.
Support new menu rollouts by preparing teams to execute new items flawlessly.
Act as an on-site resource for culinary problem-solving, offering guidance on prep efficiency, station organization, and food flow.
New Restaurant Openings & Market Support• Serve as the culinary training lead for new restaurant openings within assigned markets, ensuring new teams are fully prepared to meet brand standards from day one.
Coordinate and deliver opening kitchen training, including recipe execution, prep systems, food safety, and line setup.
Partner with Operations and Training teams to ensure seamless handoff between opening and sustaining phases.
Audit food quality and kitchen performance during and post-opening to identify early opportunities for improvement.
Provide feedback to the Senior Manager of Culinary and Training teams to continuously enhance the new restaurant opening (NRO) culinary process.
Data & Performance Measurement• Analyze performance metrics including Ziosk food quality scores, negative comps, Guest satisfaction surveys, and COGS.
Translate data insights into targeted coaching and process improvement strategies.
Provide weekly reporting on progress, opportunities, and wins within assigned restaurants or markets.
Collaborate with the Director, Culinary Operations, Senior Operations Leadership, and Executive Chef to track results against defined success metrics and project milestones.
Cross-Functional Collaboration• Partner with Division Vice Presidents (DVPs), Area Directors, and Restaurant Managers to align culinary initiatives with operational goals.
Communicate effectively with cross-functional teams (Training, Supply Chain, and Culinary) to resolve systemic challenges impacting food execution.
Represent the Culinary team as a field expert, helping translate brand-level culinary strategy into practical, operational action.
Continuous Improvement & Sustainability• Identify opportunities for long-term process improvements in prep systems, kitchen flow, and training materials.
Contribute feedback to culinary leadership regarding menu simplification, tools, or process innovations that can improve consistency.
Champion a culture of pride and accountability in food execution across all restaurants.