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Director Culinary Development Jobs (NOW HIRING)

The Culinary Development Director is responsible for enhancing the food program across the portfolio by creating a wide variety of innovative solutions to meet guest and client expectations. Creates ...

The Culinary Development Director is responsible for enhancing the food program across the portfolio by creating a wide variety of innovative solutions to meet guest and client expectations. Creates ...

Provides leadership, guides individual development plans/career growth, and ensures performance standards of three direct culinary reports. Hires open positions directly reporting to this role. * Is ...

Provides leadership, guides individual development plans/career growth, and ensures performance standards of three direct culinary reports. Hires open positions directly reporting to this role. * Is ...

Provides leadership, guides individual development plans/career growth, and ensures performance standards of three direct culinary reports. Hires open positions directly reporting to this role. * Is ...

Provides leadership, guides individual development plans/career growth, and ensures performance standards of three direct culinary reports. Hires open positions directly reporting to this role. * Is ...

Provides leadership, guides individual development plans/career growth, and ensures performance standards of three direct culinary reports. Hires open positions directly reporting to this role. * Is ...

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Director Culinary Development information

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$16K

$95.7K

$178K

How much do director culinary development jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 13, 2026, the average yearly pay for director culinary development in the United States is $95,708.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $74,000.00 and $114,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a director of culinary development do?

A Director of Culinary Development oversees the creation and enhancement of menu items, recipes, and food concepts for a restaurant, hospitality group, or food company. They work closely with chefs, product developers, and marketing teams to ensure that new dishes align with brand standards and customer preferences. Their responsibilities often include trend research, menu innovation, quality control, and managing culinary teams. This role requires a blend of creativity, leadership, and a deep understanding of culinary techniques and market trends.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a director of culinary development?

To thrive as a Director of Culinary Development, you need extensive culinary expertise, menu innovation experience, and a background in food service management, often supported by a culinary degree or equivalent professional certifications. Familiarity with recipe management software, food costing tools, and industry-standard kitchen equipment is essential. Strong leadership, creativity, and excellent communication skills help drive team performance and foster collaboration across departments. These skills are vital for developing successful culinary programs, ensuring operational efficiency, and maintaining a competitive edge in the food industry.

What are some common challenges faced by a director of culinary development, and how can they be addressed?

A Director of Culinary Development often encounters challenges such as keeping up with rapidly changing food trends, ensuring consistency across multiple locations, and managing cross-functional collaboration between culinary teams and other departments like marketing and operations. To address these, it's important to stay informed about industry innovations, implement clear training protocols, and foster open communication with stakeholders. Building a strong team culture and establishing regular feedback mechanisms also help in overcoming obstacles and driving continuous improvement.
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Infographic showing various Director Culinary Development job openings in the United States as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 1% As Needed, 81% Full Time, 15% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 85% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 12% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $95,708 per year, or $46 per hour.

Director, Culinary Development - Lifestyle

New York, NY • On-site

Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Hospitality Services • 10K+ employees

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 27 days ago


Hyatt Hotels rating

7.0

Company rating: 7.0 out of 10

Based on 256 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz


Job description

Summary:
The Opportunity
Hyatt seeks an enthusiastic Director to join our Lifestyle Group F&B Operations team. In this role, you will be collaborating closely with the broader operations, development, and design teams, where you'll be instrumental in continuing to make Hyatt a leading hospitality company. You will be part of a team that is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion, committed to nurturing curiosity and new skills and building connections across the organization with stakeholders, colleagues, and guests.
Who We Are
At Hyatt, our ambition is bold: to be the most responsive, most innovative, and best-performingcompany in hospitality. Within that vision, The Lifestyle Group stands apart-anchored in design that resonates, cultural relevance that inspires, and guest experiences that cannot be found anywhere else.
The Lifestyle Group is more than a collection of hotels - it's a movement within hospitality. We are building an organization that is more agile, more accountable, and more inspiring, anchored by our commitment to colleagues, guests, and owners alike. Here, you'll help write the next chapter of hospitality - one defined by cultural relevance, brand integrity, and transformative experiences.
Why Now?
This is an exciting time to be at Hyatt. We are growing rapidly and are looking for passionate changemakers to be a part of our journey. The hospitality industry is resilient and continues to offer dynamic opportunities for upward mobility, and Hyatt is no exception.
How We Care for Our People
Our purpose sets us apart - to care for people so they can be their best. Every business decision is made through the lens of our purpose, and it informs how we have and will continue to support each other as members of the Hyatt family. Our care for our colleagues is the key to our success. We're proud to have earned a place on Fortune's prestigious 100 Best Companies to Work For® list for the last ten years. This recognition is a testament to the tremendous way our Hyatt family continues to come together to care for one another, our commitment to a culture of inclusivity, empathy, and respect, and making sure everyone feels like they belong.
We're proud to offer exceptional corporate benefits which include:
• Annual allotment of free hotel stays at Hyatt hotels globally
• Flexible work schedule and location
• Work-life benefits, including well-being initiatives such as a complimentary Headspace subscription
• A global family assistance policy with paid time-off following the birth or adoption of a child as well as financial assistance for adoption
• Paid Time Off, Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K with company match
Who You Are
As our ideal candidate, you understand the power and purpose of our Culture of Care and embody our core values of Empathy, Inclusion, Integrity, Experimentation, Respect, and Well-being. You enjoy working with others, are results-driven, and are looking for a variety of opportunities to develop personally and professionally.
The Role
The role of Director of Culinary Development is to lead all culinary menu and concept development for independently positioned and branded restaurants, bars, and nightlife venues across our full-service brands in the Americas. Menus and concepts will meet all standards with respect to food quality, safety, sustainability, and profitability. The person in this role will have a passion for, and demonstrated experience in, developing and presenting exciting and dynamic menus and culinary concepts, and overseeing the design of the innovative kitchens behind them.
• Lead all menu development and culinary concept creation in collaboration with our development, creative, and design teams for our existing and future independently positioned and branded restaurants, bars, and nightlife venues.
• Ensure menus and culinary concepts are engineered to drive traffic and maximize product and labor efficiency.
• Lead all kitchen layout, design, and equipment package specification for our existing and future independently positioned and branded restaurants, bars, and nightlife venues.
• Engage in owner relations/interaction as needed.
• Source culinary candidates and task force as needed.
• Leading, managing, guiding, inspiring, and developing culinary leaders across the portfolio.
• Ensuring all menus are consistent and standards are met.
• Develops systems for property culinary leaders to creatively contribute to existing and future concepts.
• Create and maintain recipe books, order guides, and supporting training materials for all independently positioned and branded restaurants, bars, and nightlife venues.
• Demonstrate a commitment to Hyatt's Core Values.
Qualifications:
Experience Required:
• Minimum 10-15 years culinary experience, with progressive levels of responsibility
• A minimum of 5 years in an executive chef or comparable management role, with experience in lifestyle hotels or creative restaurant concepting space
• Experience in food and beverage development and operations, with a proven track record of success
• Well-versed in all aspects of kitchen operations
• Current ServSafe Certification
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office
Additional Comments and Requirements:
• Must be able to travel as needed, up to 75%
• Strong understanding of culinary operational principles
• Ability to influence stakeholders at all levels
• Superior verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to do theoretical costing around food, purchasing, and labor
• Possesses a strong command of P&Ls, with the ability to effectively interpret and apply information to improve operations and profitability
• A hands-on leader who enjoys working side by side with property culinary teams
• Above average understanding of Human Resources SOPs
The position responsibilities outlined above are in no way to be construed as all-encompassing. Other duties, responsibilities, and qualifications may be required and/or assigned as necessary.
The salary range for this position is $180,500 - $199,500.
The final pay rate/salary offered to the successful candidate will depend on experience, skill level and other qualifications for the role, as well as the location of the performance of work. Pay for the successful candidate will meet local requirements, including the local minimum wage rate
We welcome you:
Research shows that people tend to apply to jobs, only if they meet all the listed job qualifications. Unsure if you check every box, but feeling inspired to enhance your career? Apply. We'd love to consider your unique experiences and how you could make Hyatt even better.
"All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status."

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About Hyatt

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

At Hyatt, we believe in the power of belonging and creating a culture of care, where our colleagues become family. Since 1957, our colleagues and our guests have been at the heart of our business and helped Hyatt become one of the best, and fastest-growing hospitality brands in the world. Our transformative growth and the addition of new hotels, brands, and business lines can open the door for exciting career and growth opportunities for our colleagues. As we continue to grow, we never lose sight of what's most important: People. We turn trips into journeys, encounters into experiences, and jobs into careers.

Industry

Hospitality services

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Chicago, IL, US

Year founded

1957