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Director Culinary Development Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Sodexo

Director, Culinary Services

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$115K - $150K/yr

Contribute directly to the development of high-impact SOPs that enhance execution at scale. * Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration between culinary vision and ...

Sodexo Live!

Director, Culinary Services

Greenville, SC · On-site

$115K - $150K/yr

Contribute directly to the development of high-impact SOPs that enhance execution at scale. * Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration between culinary vision and ...

Sodexo

Director, Culinary Services

Seattle, WA · On-site

$115K - $150K/yr

Contribute directly to the development of high-impact SOPs that enhance execution at scale. * Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration between culinary vision and ...

Sodexo

Director, Culinary Services

San Diego, CA · On-site

$115K - $150K/yr

Contribute directly to the development of high-impact SOPs that enhance execution at scale. * Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration between culinary vision and ...

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How much do director culinary development jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 11, 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 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 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 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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Director Culinary Development jobs near you
Infographic showing various Director Culinary Development job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 82% Full Time, 14% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $95,708 per year, or $46 per hour.

Director of Culinary Development (Onsite)

OSI Group

Aurora, IL • On-site

$66.16 - $99.24/hr

Full-time

Retirement

Re-posted 26 days ago

OSI Group rating

6.6

Company rating: 6.6 out of 10

Based on 16 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

272nd of 436 rated food and drinks producers

Job description

As a premier global food provider, the OSI Group partners with the world's leading foodservice and retail food brands to provide concept-to-table solutions that delight consumers around the globe.
Join us and discover a work experience where diverse ideas are met with enthusiasm, and where you can learn and grow to your full potential. We're looking for individuals who thrive in an entrepreneurial environment and who enjoy working as a team to deliver unparalleled service and solutions to our customers.
Position Summary:
The Culinary Development Director provides strategic culinary leadership for the organization, driving innovation, creativity, and excellence in product development specifically in retail/private label. This role oversees the retail culinary channel within the corporate R&D and Culinary team, ensuring that all new products and menu concepts align with company capabilities, operational efficiency, and customer needs.
This role as a key liaison between culinary, operations, R&D, marketing, and sales - transforming consumer insights and food trends into commercially viable, scalable solutions that strengthen the company's position as a leader in food manufacturing innovation.
Principal Duties & Responsibilities:
  • Job supervises a team, has authority to hire and performance-manage a team.
  • Job leads/supervises/manages 1-5 employees.

Strategic Culinary Leadership:
  • Define and execute the company's culinary vision in alignment with corporate strategy and business growth objectives.

Innovation & Product Development:
  • Lead the ideation, creation, and commercialization of new food concepts, ensuring alignment with market trends, customer expectations, and manufacturing feasibility.

Customer Collaboration:
  • Represent the company's culinary capabilities in customer presentations, ideation sessions, and business reviews. Partner closely with Sales and Marketing to deliver compelling, insight-driven culinary solutions.

Cross-Functional Partnership:
  • Collaborate with R&D, Operations, Quality Assurance, and Supply Chain to ensure smooth product transition from concept through commercialization.

Team Leadership & Development:
  • Mentor and guide culinary professionals and product development chefs, fostering a high-performing, creative, and collaborative culture.

Market & Trend Analysis:
  • Continuously monitor culinary, ingredient, and consumer trends to identify future innovation opportunities and support strategic planning.

Process Excellence:
  • Champion efficiency and consistency in product development processes, recipe management, and documentation.

Brand Representation:
  • Serve as a culinary ambassador for the organization, promoting its innovation capabilities and product excellence within the industry.

Budget & Resource Management:
  • Oversee culinary budget, equipment, and resources to ensure optimal support for business objectives.
  • Ensure adherence to company safety, sanitation, and regulatory standards in all culinary and product development activities.
  • This role has the responsibility to understand and places in practice appropriate safety procedures. This responsibility is achieved through education, training, use of protective equipment (as applicable) and by following safety policies, regulations, standards, and laws.

Perform other duties as assigned.
Experience & Skills:
  • 10+ years progressive experience in culinary innovation and/or food R&D in retail consumer packaged goods, retail meals, or large-scale food manufacturing/foodservice organization preferred
  • Proven track record of leading culinary teams and delivering concept-to-commercialization success across the retail product categories.
  • Strong understanding of industrial food production processes, ingredient functionality, and cost optimization.
  • Excellent communication and presentation skills; ability to interact with executive leadership, key customers, and cross-functional teams.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects and drive innovation within structured manufacturing environments.

You will stand out if you have:
  • Strong culinary foundation: able to talk flavor profiles, balance, and finishing notes (e.g., Asian sauces, pesto/Italian, mac & cheese, proteins, sauces, vegetables, starches) with confidence.
  • Demonstrated ability to lead through influence and build cross-functional alignment across Sales, Culinary, R&D, Operations, Packaging, and Supply Chain.
  • Track record of building or mentoring teams, especially in emerging or "startup-like" business areas.

Skills:
  • Culinary strategy and innovation leadership
  • Strategic and analytical thinking
  • Customer presence
  • Collaborative cross-functional leadership
  • Strong business acumen and operational understanding
  • Executive-level communication and presentation skills

Preferred Education:
• BA/BS in Food Science, Meat Science, Dairy Science, Animal Science, or related field; culinary degree (e.g., AOS in Culinary Arts) strongly preferred.
Compensation & Benefits
The salary range posted represents the low and high end of OSI's salary range for this position. The salary range for this role is $137,608.00 - $206,412,00, with a midpoint of $172,010.00 USD. Offers are typically made between the minimum and midpoint of the range, based on skills, experience, and internal equity. In rare cases, highly qualified candidates may receive an offer above the midpoint; however, offers at the maximum of the range are not customary. Salaries will vary based on various factors, including but not limited to, location, education, skills, experience and performance. Base salary is one component of OSI's overall total rewards package. Other components may include bonuses, special pay programs, comprehensive time off, 401k with match and a full suite of benefit offerings for you and your family.
Work Environment:
  • Work is generally performed within a business professional office environment, with standard office equipment available.
  • Work conditions are typical of a food manufacturing facility.
  • This role requires 30% domestic travel.
  • Position may require the physical agility of lifting up to 50 pounds
  • Position may require frequent and/or infrequent of bending, squatting, pushing, pulling, stretching/reaching, use hands or fingers, talk, hear, feel objects, tools, controls, and standing/walking on concrete flooring.
  • Position may require the physical ability to stand/walk for greater than 4 hours.
  • Work location is onsite in Warrenville, IL (as of September 2026)

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.

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