Independent Restaurant Culinary Director

Compass Group•South San Francisco, CA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking an inspiring, creative, and operationally savvy Culinary Director to lead culinary vision and execution for a distinctive independent restaurant division. This is a rare opportunity to oversee a diverse and evolving portfolio of chef-driven concepts, including a vibrant market hall, multiple cafés, bars and lounges, an upscale California-French casual dining restaurant, an Italian concept, a seafood concept, coffee shops, a food truck, and expansive conference and meeting spaces. Our culinary program is rooted in quality, creativity, hospitality, and responsibility. We are deeply committed to sustainability, local farm-to-fork sourcing, seasonality, responsible purchasing, and building meaningful relationships with farmers, fisheries, artisans, and regional producers. We are looking for a leader who can bring these values to life across every plate, every menu, and every guest experience. The ideal candidate is a high-caliber culinary leader with experience in upscale, high-volume, and multi-unit operations. This person will bring a refined culinary point of view, strong business acumen, and the ability to lead, mentor, train, and inspire chefs across multiple concepts. They should be equally passionate about developing people, elevating food quality, driving operational excellence, and creating memorable dining experiences that feel fresh, thoughtful, and connected to place. As Culinary Director, you will lead culinary operations across a dynamic portfolio of restaurants, cafés, lounges, catering, retail, and event spaces. You will guide menu development, culinary standards, purchasing, inventory, food cost controls, sustainability initiatives, team leadership, and chef development. This role requires a hands-on leader who can balance creativity with consistency, innovation with execution, and elevated culinary standards with strong financial discipline. You will set the tone for culinary excellence while fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, craftsmanship, and continuous learning.

Requirements

Culinary degree preferred.
Bachelor’s degree in Food Service Management, Hospitality, Culinary Arts, or a related field preferred.
Minimum of three to five years of progressive culinary or kitchen management experience; multi-unit experience strongly preferred.
Experience in upscale restaurants, chef-driven concepts, hotels, independent restaurant groups, or high-end hospitality environments preferred.
Experience with Italian, seafood, California, French, seasonal, farm-to-table, or sustainability-driven culinary programs a plus.
Proven ability to lead, mentor, train, and develop chefs and culinary teams.
Experience planning and executing catering, private dining, and special events from a culinary perspective.
Strong knowledge of food trends, local sourcing, seasonality, wellness, production, sanitation, food cost controls, and presentation.
Excellent leadership, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to communicate effectively with senior leadership, clients, guests, managers, associates, and culinary teams.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, email, internet-based systems, and basic culinary/operational technology.
ServSafe® Certification required or ability to obtain.

Nice To Haves

Culinary degree
Bachelor’s degree in Food Service Management, Hospitality, Culinary Arts, or a related field
Multi-unit experience
Experience in upscale restaurants, chef-driven concepts, hotels, independent restaurant groups, or high-end hospitality environments
Experience with Italian, seafood, California, French, seasonal, farm-to-table, or sustainability-driven culinary programs
ServSafe® Certification

Responsibilities

Lead culinary strategy and execution across multiple restaurant, retail, catering, café, lounge, and event venues.
Develop and maintain elevated culinary standards across all concepts, including California-French, Italian, seafood, market hall, cafés, and catering operations.
Create seasonal, on-trend, and concept-specific menus that highlight quality ingredients, local sourcing, sustainability, and strong culinary technique.
Champion farm-to-fork sourcing, responsible purchasing, sustainable seafood, waste reduction, wellness, and Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.
Build strong partnerships with local farms, fisheries, artisans, vendors, and regional producers.
Train, mentor, and develop chefs and culinary teams to strengthen technical skills, leadership capability, creativity, and operational discipline.
Provide inspirational leadership that promotes collaboration, professionalism, accountability, and pride in craft.
Oversee food production, presentation, sanitation, safety, and consistency across all locations.
Manage purchasing, inventory, food cost controls, labor collaboration, and waste reduction initiatives.
Analyze operational performance, identify trends, and lead improvements to enhance quality, efficiency, guest satisfaction, and profitability.
Partner with operations, service, catering, and senior leadership teams to deliver exceptional guest and client experiences.
Ensure teams understand daily menu offerings and can communicate ingredients, sourcing, preparation, and allergens accurately.
Maintain compliance with all food safety, sanitation, and workplace safety standards.