ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Vice President Culinary Innovation Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Compass Group

Vice President of Culinary

New York, NY

$185K - $215K/yr

Reporting to the SVP Culinary, this leader drives menu innovation, culinary standards, brand consistency, and operational excellence across all restaurant concepts for 50 restaurants, cultural ...

System Soft Technologies

VP of Retail Sales

Vice President, Retail Sales Location: Sterling, VA Reports To: Chief Commercial Officer / CEO ... The ideal candidate brings deep experience in retail food sales, a passion for culinary innovation ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

All JobsVice President Culinary Innovation Jobs

Vice President Culinary Innovation information

See salary details

$43.5K

$157.5K

$277.5K

How much do vice president culinary innovation jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 12, 2026, the average yearly pay for vice president culinary innovation in the United States is $157,532.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $115,000.00 and $190,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the primary challenges faced by a Vice President Culinary Innovation in leading new product development?

One major challenge is balancing creativity with feasibility, ensuring innovative ideas can be scaled commercially while meeting safety, taste, and cost requirements. Additionally, coordinating input from marketing, supply chain, and operations teams requires strong project management and communication skills. The role often involves tight timelines, staying current with industry trends, and responding rapidly to shifting consumer preferences. Successful leaders in this role excel at fostering collaboration and driving projects from concept to launch within a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Vice President Culinary Innovation position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Vice President Culinary Innovation, you need deep expertise in culinary arts, food science, and product development, typically supported by a relevant culinary degree and extensive leadership experience. Familiarity with recipe management software, food safety certifications, and R&D collaboration tools is usually required. Creativity, strategic vision, and strong interpersonal skills are crucial for inspiring teams and driving cross-functional projects. These abilities enable effective innovation pipelines, successful product launches, and competitive differentiation in the food industry.

What does a Vice President of Culinary Innovation do?

A Vice President of Culinary Innovation leads the development of new food products, menu items, and culinary strategies for a company. They collaborate with chefs, R&D teams, and marketing to ensure innovation aligns with brand identity and market trends. This role involves researching emerging food trends, optimizing recipes, and overseeing test kitchens. Additionally, they may work on improving production efficiency, sustainability, and consumer satisfaction. Their ultimate goal is to drive culinary excellence while maintaining profitability and brand differentiation.

What cities are hiring for Vice President Culinary Innovation jobs? Cities with the most Vice President Culinary Innovation job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Culinary Innovation jobs? The most popular types of Culinary Innovation jobs are:
What states have the most Vice President Culinary Innovation jobs? States with the most job openings for Vice President Culinary Innovation jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Vice President Culinary Innovation jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Vice President Culinary Innovation jobs are:
Vice President Culinary Innovation jobs near you

Vice President of Culinary

Compass Group

New York, NY

$185K - $215K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 16 days ago

Compass Group rating

6.4

Company rating: 6.4 out of 10

Based on 1,056 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

291st of 426 rated business services

Job description

Position Title: VICE PRESIDENT OF CULINARY - RESTAURANT SERVICES - NYC BASED 

Salary: $185,000 - $215,000 / year

Other Forms of Compensation: Annual bonus potential 

Become part of Restaurant Associates, the industry’s leading provider of dining and event catering for some of the nation's most prestigious museums, performing arts centers and corporations! Voted Glassdoor's Employee Choice Awards- Best Places to Work, This is R/A !

Job Summary:

The VP of Culinary, Restaurant Services is a senior culinary executive responsible for shaping and elevating the culinary vision across R/A’s full restaurant portfolio. Reporting to the SVP Culinary, this leader drives menu innovation, culinary standards, brand consistency, and operational excellence across all restaurant concepts for 50 restaurants, cultural centers and executive dining rooms across the East Coast (mainly - minimal travel to the Mid-West/West). This role leads a team of 4 Supervising/Regional Chefs and 50 total associates. Candidates must be based in/commutable to New York City. 

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

Apply to Restaurant Associates today!

Restaurant Associates is a member of Compass Group USA

Click here to Learn More about the Compass Story

  

Compass Group is an equal opportunity employer.  At Compass, we are committed to treating all Applicants and Associates fairly based on their abilities, achievements, and experience without regard to race, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by law.

Qualified candidates must be able to perform the essential functions of this position satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation. Disclaimer: this job post is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all essential responsibilities, skills, tasks, or requirements associated with this position. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the position posted, the Company reserves the right to modify or change the essential functions of the job based on business necessity. We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with a criminal history (including relevant driving history), in a manner consistent with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York Fair Chance Act. 

Associates at Restaurant Associates are offered many fantastic benefits.

  • Medical
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • Life Insurance/ AD
  • 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

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Restaurant Associates maintains a drug-free workplace.

Associates may also be eligible for paid and/or unpaid time off benefits in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. For positions in Washington State, Maryland, or to be performed Remotely, click here or copy/paste the link below for paid time off benefits information.

https://www.compass-usa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2023_WageTransparency_RA.pdf

Req ID:  1509738

Restaurant Associates 

ERIN S PRINDLE 

[[req_classification]] 

What Compass Group employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom

Apply