VP of Culinary Operations, MML Hospitality

MML Hospitality•Austin, TX

About The Position

MML Hospitality is seeking an accomplished and visionary Vice President of Culinary Operations to lead, scale, and elevate culinary strategy across our growing portfolio of restaurants, hotels, event operations, and future concepts. This executive leader will drive culinary excellence, financial performance, operational consistency, and innovation at an enterprise level. The VP of Culinary Operations partners closely with Ownership and the Executive Team to shape the long-term culinary vision of the company while building high-performing leadership teams capable of executing at the highest level. The ideal candidate is both a creative force and a disciplined operator who understands the artistry of hospitality as deeply as the business mechanics behind it.

Requirements

10 or more years of progressive culinary leadership experience, including multi-unit or enterprise oversight.
Proven success leading complex hospitality portfolios including restaurants, hotels, catering, and events.
Demonstrated ability to scale systems and teams during growth phases.
Strong financial acumen with direct P&L responsibility across multiple concepts.
Experience developing new culinary brands and leading successful openings.
Deep understanding of food trends, sourcing strategy, and operational best practices.
Exceptional leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
Bachelor’s degree in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, Business, or related field
Ability to work in kitchen environments as needed.
Travel required based on property visits, openings, events, and strategic initiatives.
Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as business needs require.

Nice To Haves

Spanish language proficiency preferred.

Responsibilities

Culinary Strategy & Brand Vision
Define and execute the long-term culinary vision across all concepts
Preserve each brand’s identity while aligning with company standards
Partner with Ownership on new concepts, acquisitions, and growth strategy
Drive culinary innovation to maintain industry leadership
Executive Leadership & Team Development
Lead and develop Culinary Directors, Executive Chefs, and kitchen leadership
Build succession plans and leadership pipelines
Establish KPIs and performance standards across all units
Oversee pre-opening training, systems implementation, and leadership onboarding
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
Multi-Unit Operational Excellence
Oversee culinary operations across restaurants, hotels, catering, events, and retail
Standardize systems for consistency, scalability, and efficiency
Ensure excellence in food quality, execution, and guest satisfaction
Develop enterprise-wide SOPs, recipe systems, and costing frameworks
Partner with Operations to ensure strong BOH/FOH alignment
Financial Leadership & Profitability
Own culinary P&L performance across all concepts
Oversee budgets, capital expenditures, and forecasting
Set food cost, labor, and productivity benchmarks
Analyze financial performance and drive margin improvement
Growth & Pre-Opening Leadership
Lead culinary strategy for new openings and renovations
Oversee menu development, kitchen design, and infrastructure planning
Build scalable systems to support regional and national growth
Ensure strong launch execution and post-opening stability
Compliance & Standards
Ensure health, safety, and sanitation excellence
Maintain brand-wide compliance standards (targeting 90+ health scores)
Implement preventative maintenance and risk mitigation systems
Cross-Functional Leadership
Partner with Marketing, Beverage, HR, Finance, and Operations
Support brand storytelling through menu and guest experience innovation
Align culinary strategy with company-wide revenue and growth goals
Represent Culinary in executive leadership and strategic planning