Culinary Operations Director

Goodwin Recruiting
Houston, TX, United States

Hospitality
Full-time
culinary operations
kitchen management
multi-unit restaurant

Our job summary

The Culinary Operations Director will lead and scale back-of-house operations across multiple full-service dining locations within a growing hospitality group. This role involves hands-on management of kitchen staff, developing scalable operational systems, and collaborating on menu and cost strategies to ensure efficient and compliant kitchen operations. The director will start by managing a second location and will focus on establishing processes and launching additional locations for multi-unit growth.

Culinary Operations Director – Multi-Unit Hospitality Group (Houston, TX)

Salary Range: $100,000–$110,000+ (based on experience)

Location: Houston, TX

Employment Type: Full-Time, On-Site

Service Model: Full-Service Dining

About the Role

A growing hospitality group with a strong cultural identity and two thriving Houston locations is seeking a Culinary Operations Director to lead back-of-house systems and scale operational excellence across future units. This is a hands-on leadership role for a strategic operator who thrives in high-volume, scratch kitchens and is ready to build the foundation for multi-unit growth.

The ideal candidate will begin as Kitchen Manager of our second location (full-service), while being compensated and titled as Culinary Director. Once systems are built and stabilized, this leader will hire and train a Kitchen Manager for that unit and shift focus to launching our third store.

Key Responsibilities

Systems & Process Leadership Design and implement scalable BOH systems (inventory, ordering, waste tracking, SOPs, audits)
Create a replicable “Kitchen Manager’s Playbook” for future locations
Staff Leadership & Development Supervise and mentor kitchen team: Sous Chefs, Leads, line/prep cooks
Enforce quality standards and accountability across all stations
Operational Oversight Monitor daily execution and system adherence
Collaborate with ownership and culinary leadership on menu rollouts and feasibility
Analyze food/labor costs and performance metrics to drive decisions
Cross-Functional Collaboration Serve as the bridge between BOH operations, culinary development, and FOH coordination
Report on KPIs, audits, and process improvements

Qualifications

7+ years in high-volume, scratch-based kitchens
3+ years in culinary leadership roles
Proven success scaling BOH systems across multi-unit or full-service environments
Strong leadership and mentoring skills; experience with bilingual teams preferred
Deep knowledge of food safety, sanitation, and labor compliance
Ability to implement change, drive accountability, and improve operational efficiency

Compensation & Growth Path

Salary: $100K–$110K base, with flexibility for exceptional candidates
Bonus and Benefits Package
Title: Culinary Operations Director from day one
Growth Plan: Start as KM of Store #2 → Build systems → Hire KM → Lead Store #3 launch

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