4 days ago
Vice President of Culinary Services, Restaurant Services
Restaurant Associates
On Site
Full Time
$200,000
New York, NY
Job Overview
Job TitleVice President of Culinary Services, Restaurant Services
Job TypeFull Time
CategoryCommerce
Experience5 Years
DegreeMaster
Offered Salary$200,000
LocationNew York, NY
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Job Description
Vice President of Culinary Services, Restaurant Services
Restaurant Associates, an industry leader in dining and event catering for prestigious museums, performing arts centers, and corporations, is seeking a Vice President of Culinary Services, Restaurant Services. Voted Glassdoor's Employee Choice Awards- Best Places to Work, Restaurant Associates offers a dynamic environment for culinary professionals. This senior culinary executive role is pivotal in shaping and elevating the culinary vision across the company’s extensive restaurant portfolio, reporting directly to the SVP Culinary.
Key Responsibilities
Culinary Vision & Innovation
- Lead development and evolution of culinary direction and menu strategy.
- Identify market trends and translate them into scalable, profitable offerings.
- Drive innovation cycles from ideation to opening.
Operational Excellence & Standards
- Establish and maintain culinary execution standards and quality assurance protocols.
- Ensure best-in-class hospitality, food quality, and presentation.
- Lead culinary audits and feedback loops.
- Oversee waste reporting processes, partnering with operations and analytics to reduce food waste through thoughtful menu engineering, portioning, and sustainability-forward practices.
- Ensure accurate and compliant food labeling and nutritional transparency across all restaurants, including alignment with Webtrition and other corporate systems.
Financial Leadership
- Optimize food cost, menu mix, and labor models.
- Partner on purchasing, contracting, and sustainability.
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Work cohesively with all Restaurant Services VPs to achieve all financial and operational goals.
- Partner with operations, marketing, design, and finance.
- Support new restaurant openings and brand refresh initiatives.
New Business Development
- Lead culinary strategy for all new business opportunities, including tastings and presentations.
- Partner with Sales, Marketing, and Operations to develop compelling, brand-aligned culinary materials.
- Oversee tasting menus, presentation content, and cross-functional coordination for RFPs and client-facing events.
- Ensure tastings and presentations highlight menu innovation, scalability, sustainability, and value.
People Leadership
- Lead reporting Supervising & Regional Chefs, holding them accountable to all department key initiatives.
- Recruit, mentor, and lead corporate and field culinary teams.
- Build a culture of creativity, accountability, and continuous learning.
Qualifications
- Culinary Degree required, bachelor’s degree preferred.
- 7+ years of culinary management experience.
- Project management skills.
- Ability to generate revenue by building top-line driven initiatives, understanding the importance of middle and bottom-line tactics.
- Strong strategic and analytic thinking.
- A proven track record in managing and leading an R&D team and/or menu innovation process - a plus.
- Has experience in both restaurant/casual dining environments and contract food service, with proven success in scaling growth and thriving in a company of diverse market segments - preferred.
- Experience with sustainability practices, waste reduction strategies, and nutritional/labeling systems.
Benefits
Restaurant Associates offers many fantastic benefits, including:
- Medical
- Dental
- Vision
- Life Insurance/ AD&D
- Disability Insurance
- Retirement Plan
- Paid Time Off
- Holiday Time Off (varies by site/state)
- Associate Shopping Program
- Health and Wellness Programs
- Discount Marketplace
- Identity Theft Protection
- Pet Insurance
- Commuter Benefits
- Employee Assistance Program
- Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
- Paid Parental Leave
- Personal Leave
Key skills/competency
- Culinary Vision
- Menu Innovation
- Operational Excellence
- Financial Management
- Team Leadership
- Waste Reduction
- Sustainability Practices
- Food Labeling
- Strategic Planning
- Cross-functional Collaboration
How to Get Hired at Restaurant Associates
- Research Restaurant Associates' culture: Study their mission, values, recent news, and employee testimonials on LinkedIn and Glassdoor.
- Tailor your Resume: Highlight culinary leadership, innovation, financial acumen, and multi-segment experience specific to Restaurant Associates.
- Showcase Culinary Expertise: Prepare to discuss past menu development, operational improvements, and successful menu scaling in diverse environments.
- Demonstrate Leadership Skills: Emphasize team building, mentorship, and cross-functional collaboration successes during interviews.
- Understand Business Acumen: Be ready to discuss cost optimization, revenue generation, waste reduction, and sustainability strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about this job opportunity
01What is the primary focus of the Vice President of Culinary Services, Restaurant Services role at Restaurant Associates?
02What level of culinary experience is required for this VP position at Restaurant Associates?
03How does the Vice President of Culinary Services contribute to financial goals at Restaurant Associates?
04What are the key responsibilities related to new business development for the VP of Culinary Services, Restaurant Services at Restaurant Associates?
05What kind of team leadership is expected from the Vice President of Culinary Services, Restaurant Services at Restaurant Associates?
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