Culinary Director Jobs in Santa Rosa, CA (NOW HIRING)

Culinary Operations Manager

Job Description

WHY LITTLE SAINT

Located in the heart of historic downtown Healdsburg, Little Saint is a vibrant meeting place where guests are invited to connect over food, music, art and conversation. Our mission is to create an environment that is good for the soul, the earth and the community. Inside our 10,000-square-foot space, Little Saint offers up a full-service farm-forward restaurant, cafe and wine shop with a focus on plant-based cuisine. The building is home to exciting live music and thought-provoking conversations, as well as a series of film screenings and performances to benefit local artists and our farming community.

WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE

As Culinary Operations Manager, you will lead the systems, people, and daily execution behind Little Saint’s culinary production operations. Reporting to the Director of Culinary, this role directly manages the high-volume prep kitchen and provides operational leadership and guidance across the restaurant, pastry, events, catering, and marketplace culinary programs.

As the operational leader for the culinary division, you will directly supervise the Restaurant Head Chef, Kitchen Operations Manager, Pastry Program Manager, and Event Chef. You will ensure alignment in staffing, scheduling, production planning, purchasing, inventory management, food safety, organization, and daily operational readiness while maintaining consistent culinary and operational standards across every kitchen and program.

WHAT YOU’LL DO
Culinary Operations Leadership

• Serve as the central operational leader across the prep kitchen, restaurant, pastry, events, catering, and marketplace.
• Translate Little Saint's farm-inspired, plant-based menu vision into scalable recipes, production plans, pars, purchasing, staffing, training, and operating standards.
• Partner with culinary leaders on seasonal, plant-based menu development, recipe testing, costing, and rollout.
• Maintain exceptional standards for flavor, technique, presentation, consistency, product quality, and guest experience.
• Collaborate with the Marketplace Operations Manager to align production, catering, grab-and-go, pastry merchandising, and retail initiatives.
• Provide cross-departmental leadership and support for culinary managers and their teams.

Prep Kitchen and Production

• Directly lead the prep-kitchen team, including supervisors, cooks, porters, and receiver.
• Manage scheduling, production planning, workflow, training, organization, and daily readiness.
• Maintain par- and revenue-based production systems that support every culinary outlet.
• Monitor labor, productivity, yields, waste, quality, and execution.

Inventory, Systems, and Food Safety

• Own the Craftable (Foodager) inventory management system across all culinary departments, including purchasing, receiving, recipes, inventory, transfers, waste, and reporting.
• Lead monthly inventories, resolve variances, and improve food-cost and purchasing performance.
• Maintain accurate systems for ordering, receiving, labeling, storage, product rotation, and traceability.
• Develop and refine SOPs, production guides, pars, checklists, and operating standards.
• Lead food-safety and sanitation compliance across culinary operations, including temperature control, cooling, reheating, allergen procedures, labeling, dating, storage, cleaning, and required documentation.
• Ensure kitchens remain organized, inspection-ready, and compliant with workplace-safety and regulatory requirements.
• Train teams on food-safety standards and promptly correct compliance concerns.
• Promote responsible sourcing, whole-product utilization, and waste reduction.

Team Leadership and Culture

• Foster professionalism, dependability, inclusion, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Coach and support culinary leaders and team members in executing production, service, purchasing, inventory, food-safety, and quality standards.
• Partner with Director of Culinary, department managers and Human Resources on staffing, succession planning, performance management, and professional development.
• Model Little Saint’s values of hospitality, inclusion, sustainability, and shared responsibility.
• Complete other duties as needed to support a cohesive culinary operation.

Financial and Strategic Impact

• Partner with the Director of Culinary on menu rollouts, product launches, and operational initiatives.
• Support P&L performance through labor management, cost control, purchasing discipline, inventory accuracy, and waste reduction.
• Oversee prep-kitchen scheduling, payroll performance, timekeeping, attendance, and workforce planning while coordinating with department leaders.
• Identify and implement opportunities to improve productivity, profitability, and operational performance without compromising culinary excellence.

WHO YOU ARE

• 5+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience in a high-volume, multi-outlet restaurant or market setting, experience leading seasonal menu development preferred
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated success leading managers, building teams, and creating operational excellence through systems and accountability.
• Deep respect for vegan cuisine, sustainable food systems, and farm-to-table practices
• Strong operation and financial acumen with experience managing budgets, food costs, ordering, inventory, and scheduling in a dynamic environment
• Experience recruiting, hiring, coaching, and developing culinary professionals.
• California Food Safety Certified and well-versed in state food safety and public health regulations.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods of time
• Ability to regularly and continuously lift up to 50 pounds
• Manual dexterity and the ability to perform repetitive motions
• Frequent walking, standing, bending, and reaching

COMPENSATION

• Competitive Wage
• Medical, Dental, Vision Plans (Full-Time Positions Only)
• Paid Time Off
• 401(k)
• Employee Dining Discounts
• Employee Assistance Program

OUR CORE VALUES AND HOW WE EMBODY THEM:

• One Little Saint - Our Success is a Team Success. Encourage cooperation and trust among team members, working towards common goals. We are One Little Saint.
• Respect & Kindness - Drive Positive Change with Respect, Kindness and a Positive Attitude: Take initiative to resolve issues with a solution-based mindset while fostering respectful communication and kindness within the Little Saint Team and our Community.
• Value Everyone and Diverse Viewpoints - Lead with Confidence while Embracing Diverse Viewpoints: Anticipate challenges, develop plans and collaborate with your Team through trust and transparency. Value everyone and show empathy to all.
• Trust & Transparency - Lead by Example at All Levels: Exemplify the values of the Little Saint Team, earning trust and respect from your colleagues, our guests and the community.
• Professional - Stay Motivated with Enthusiasm: Little Saint encourages and supports education and personal and professional development. Take ownership of your development by approaching everyday and all tasks with dedication and excitement.
• Genuine & Authentic - Be Present and Effectively Communicate: Speak up, listen to others and provide supportive feedback with professionalism and authenticity. Be genuine to yourself and your team.
• Supportive - Embrace Change and Show Up for Your Team: Respond positively to change, remaining supportive of your Team's efforts and needs.

Each of the items listed is considered to be an essential function of the role. However, this list should not be construed as an exhaustive list of all the responsibilities of the position. Little Saint reserves the right to alter the duties of this role.

Little Saint is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.

Little Saint is committed to hiring a diverse workforce, sustaining an inclusive culture, fostering an environment of continual improvement, and opportunities for growth and career development.