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Director Culinary Operations Salary Jobs (NOW HIRING)

TAD PGS, Inc.

Director Culinary Operations

Burlingame, CA · On-site

$156K - $166K/yr

Salary: $156,000 - $166,400 The Director Culinary Operations is the senior culinary and production leader responsible for overseeing a high-volume, complex airline catering operation functioning as ...

TAD PGS, Inc

Director Culinary Operations

Burlingame, CA · On-site

$156K - $166K/yr

Salary: $156,000 - $166,400 The Director Culinary Operations is the senior culinary and production leader responsible for overseeing a high-volume, complex airline catering operation functioning as ...

Msk

Associate Director, Culinary Operations

New York, NY · On-site

$124K - $204K/yr

Associate Director, Culinary Operations At Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), our mission is to end cancer for life through exceptional patient care, research, and education. The Associate ...

St John's United

Director Culinary Services

Shelbyville, IN · On-site

$90K - $100K/yr

Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401(k), pet insurance, and unlimited PTO Salary- $90,000 - $100,000 The Director Culinary Services provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for ...

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How much do director culinary operations salary jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 13, 2026, the average yearly pay for director culinary operations salary in the United States is $107,680.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $75,500.00 and $135,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Director Culinary Operations Salary vs Executive Chef Salary?

AspectDirector Culinary Operations SalaryExecutive Chef Salary
Average Salary$85,000 - $150,000$50,000 - $90,000
Required CredentialsHospitality management, culinary degree, leadership experienceCulinary degree, extensive culinary experience, certifications
Work EnvironmentHotels, resorts, large restaurant groups, corporate settingsRestaurants, hotels, resorts, culinary establishments
Industry UsageOversees multiple culinary teams, operations, budgetsManages kitchen staff, food quality, menu creation

The main difference between a Director Culinary Operations and an Executive Chef lies in scope and responsibilities. Directors focus on overall culinary operations, budgets, and strategic planning, often overseeing multiple locations. Executive Chefs primarily manage kitchen staff, food quality, and menu development within a single establishment. Salaries reflect these roles, with Directors earning higher on average due to broader responsibilities.

How much does a director culinary operations make in the US?

A Director of Culinary Operations in the US typically earns between $80,000 and $150,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and the size of the organization. The role often requires strong leadership skills, culinary expertise, and experience managing large teams or multiple locations.

What does a director of culinary operations do?

A director of culinary operations oversees the planning, development, and management of food service activities within an organization. They ensure quality standards, manage kitchen staff, develop menus, control budgets, and maintain health and safety regulations, often using culinary management software. Strong leadership, culinary expertise, and operational skills are essential for this role.
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Director Culinary Operations Salary jobs near you
Infographic showing various Director Culinary Operations Salary job openings in the United States as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $107,680 per year, or $51.8 per hour.

Director Culinary Operations

Burlingame, CA • On-site

TAD PGS, Inc.
Recruiting and Staffing Services • 51 - 200 employees
Learn more about TAD PGS, Inc.external

$156K - $166K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Retirement

Posted 11 days ago

Job description

We have an outstanding career opportunity for a Director Culinary Operations to join a leading Company located in the Burlingame, CA surrounding area.

Salary: $156,000 - $166,400

The Director Culinary Operations is the senior culinary and production leader responsible for overseeing a high-volume, complex airline catering operation functioning as an industrial-scale food manufacturing production department. This role ensures the safe, compliant, efficient, and cost-effective production of high-quality meals across multiple airline customers, while leading teams, enforcing strict process controls, and driving continuous improvement through data, standardization, and advanced production techniques. The Director of Culinary Operations at the intersection of culinary excellence, industrial engineering, food safety, and operational leadership, ensuring all outputs meet regulatory requirements, airline specifications, and internal "gold standard" quality benchmarks.

Job Responsibilities:  
  •  Lead high-volume airline catering production operations
  • Drive food safety, sanitation, and regulatory compliance (HACCP, GMP, FDA/USDA)
  •  Oversee production planning, ERP/MRP systems, and process controls
  • Optimize labor, food costs, quality, and operational KPIs
  • Champion continuous improvement and Lean manufacturing principles
  • Develop and inspire culinary, supervisory, and production teams
  • Partner cross-functionally with Supply Chain, QA, Engineering,  Maintenance, and Commercial teams
1. Safety, Sanitation & Compliance
  • Consistently meets or exceeds regulatory and industry standards, including Health Department requirements, USDA and FDA regulations, as well as HACCP, GMP, and stringent airline-specific protocols.
  • Culinary Operations partners with the QA Support teams in the design, execution, and continuous improvement of robust sanitation programs, ensuring that cleaning schedules, validation processes, and verification mechanisms are rigorously followed. A strong focus is placed on allergen management and the prevention of cross-contamination, safeguarding both product integrity and consumer well-being.
  • Director of Culinary Operations ensures full traceability and control throughout the production lifecycle, embedding food safety and operational discipline into the DNA of the kitchen organization.
2. Production Leadership
  • Director of Culinary Operations operates as the senior production leader of a high-volume, industrialized food manufacturing environment.
  • They orchestrate complex, multi-line, multi-shift operations, ensuring that production flows seamlessly across kitchens and assembly lines.
  • Director of Culinary Operations establishes and reinforces standardized processes, driving consistency and eliminating variability.
  • Accountable for optimizing kitchen throughput, maximizing efficiency, and ensuring on-time and in-full delivery to assembly (i.e. Make & Pack) in a fast-paced and demanding operational environment.
3. Production Planning, ERP/MRP & Process Control
  • The Director of Culinary Operations owns the end-to-end food production planning process, including the Master Production Schedule (MPS) for the kitchen and detailed production sequencing required to meet dynamic customer demand. Leveraging ERP and MRP systems, they ensure accurate material planning, capacity alignment, and real-time execution tracking.
  • This role demands rigorous control over batch sheets and work orders, ensuring data accuracy and operational discipline at every stage.
  • The Director of Culinary Operations implements structured process control mechanisms to reduce variability, enhance predictability, and improve overall system performance.
  • Close collaboration with planning, procurement, and logistics functions is essential to ensure a synchronized and efficient supply chain, from raw materials to finished product.
4. Quality Management
  • Implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) principles across the entire food production and assembly operation. They establish and enforce "gold standard", recipe accuracy, specifications, and procedures that define excellence in product quality and consistency.
  • Director of Culinary Operations ensures that every product meets rigorous standards before reaching the customer. Strong emphasis is placed on portion control and uniformity, critical in a high-volume airline catering context.
  • Continuous improvement is a core expectation
5. Business Performance & KPI Management
  • The Director of Culinary Operations is fully accountable for operational performance, owning a comprehensive set of KPIs that reflect both efficiency and effectiveness. These include food cost percentage, labor cost and productivity, food waste, yield accuracy, portion consistency, and on-time delivery.
  • Director of Culinary Operations identifies trends, gaps, and improvement opportunities, driving both corrective and preventive actions. They play a key role in building a culture where decisions are grounded in data and performance management is embedded at every level of the operation.
  • The Director of Culinary Operations ensures strict adherence to FIFO principles, safeguarding product freshness while minimizing waste and obsolescence.
  • They actively monitor and manage key cost drivers, including food cost (COGS), waste levels, recipe yield accuracy and inventory variances, taking corrective action where necessary.

6. Team Leadership, Training & Development
  • The Director of Culinary Operations fosters a high-performance culture characterized by accountability, discipline, and continuous improvement.
  • Responsible for designing and implementing comprehensive training programs that reinforce food safety, process adherence, and operational excellence.
  • Director of Culinary Operations invests in long-term capability building, developing future leaders and establishing robust succession pipelines to sustain organizational success.
7. Advanced Food Production Techniques
  • The Director of Culinary Operations brings a strong understanding of modern food processing technologies and their application in a large-scale production environment. This includes methods such as sous-vide, hot-fill processing, pasteurization, and other shelf-life extension techniques.
8. Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • of Culinary Operations works closely with multiple stakeholders, including Supply Chain Planning, Buyers, Quality Assurance, Process Engineering, Maintenance, and Commercial teams.
  • Ensures alignment between production capabilities and customer requirements, navigating operational constraints while maintaining service excellence
  • Director of Culinary Operations with corporate functions drive strategic initiatives, innovation, and transformation efforts, contributing to the long-term success and competitiveness of the organization.

Basic Hiring Criteria:
  • Bachelor's degree in:
    • Industrial Engineering
    • Process Engineering
    • Food Engineering
    • Related field (preferred)
  • Culinary qualifications are a plus but not mandatory.
  • 10+ years of leadership experience in food manufacturing, airline catering, or high-volume food production environments.
  • Strong expertise in production management, quality systems, and operational performance.
  • A proven track record of building high-performing teams and driving business results.
  • Experience with ERP/MRP systems, production planning, and continuous improvement methodologies.
  • Food safety systems (HACCP, GMP, FDA/USDA compliance).
  • Industrial-scale food production processes.
  • Production planning and scheduling.
  • Strong understanding of:
    • KPIs and operational financial drivers.
    • Inventory and cost control.
    • Hands-on capability with batch control, process standardization, and quality systems.
 
 Benefits offered vary by contract. Depending on your temporary assignment, benefits may include direct deposit, free career counseling services, 401(k), select paid holidays, short-term disability insurance, skills training, employee referral bonus, and affordable medical coverage plan, and DailyPay (in some locations). For a full description of benefits available to you, be sure to talk with your recruiter.

Military connected talent encouraged to apply.

VEVRAA Federal Contractor / Request Priority Protected Veteran Referrals / Equal Opportunity Employer / Veterans / Disabled 

To read our Candidate Privacy Information Statement, which explains how we will use your information, please visit http://www.tadpgs.com/candidate-privacy/ or https://pdsdefense.com/candidate-privacy/

The Company will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in accordance with federal, state, and local laws and/or security clearance requirements, including, as applicable:

  • The California Fair Chance Act
  • Los Angeles City Fair Chance Ordinance
  • Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers
  • San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance
Education:Bachelors DegreeEmployment Type: FULL_TIME

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