Director Culinary Operations

OverviewTekWissen is a global workforce management provider headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan that offers strategic talent solutions to our clients world-wide. Our client provides services to the travel industry, including catering, onboard retail, food service provisioning, and food logistics and is a supplier to many major airlines. Job Title: Director Culinary OperationsLocation: Burlingame, CA, 94010Duration: 3 MonthsJob Type: Full TimeWork Type: OnsiteShift: 1st ShiftPay Rate:$75.00-$85.00/Hr Job SummaryThe 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.In This Role, You'llLead high-volume airline catering production operationsDrive food safety, sanitation, and regulatory compliance (HACCP, GMP, FDA/USDA)Oversee production planning, ERP/MRP systems, and process controlsOptimize labor, food costs, quality, and operational KPIsChampion continuous improvement and Lean manufacturing principlesDevelop and inspire culinary, supervisory, and production teamsPartner cross-functionally with Supply Chain, QA, Engineering, Maintenance, and Commercial teamsWe're Looking For Professionals With10+ years of leadership experience in food manufacturing, airline catering, or high-volume food production environmentsStrong expertise in production management, quality systems, and operational performanceA proven track record of building high-performing teams and driving business resultsExperience with ERP/MRP systems, production planning, and continuous improvement methodologiesKey ResponsibilitiesSafety, 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.Production LeadershipDirector 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.Production Planning, ERP/MRP & Process ControlThe 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.Quality ManagementImplementation 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 expectationBusiness Performance & KPI ManagementThe 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.Team Leadership, Training & DevelopmentThe 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.Advanced Food Production TechniquesThe 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.Cross-Functional Collaborationof 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 excellenceDirector of Culinary Operations with corporate functions drive strategic initiatives, innovation, and transformation efforts, contributing to the long-term success and competitiveness of the organization.Skills/Experience:Qualifications & Experience & EducationBachelor's degree in:Industrial EngineeringProcess EngineeringFood EngineeringRelated field (preferred)Culinary qualifications are a plus but not mandatory.ExperienceMinimum 10+ years of hands-on leadership experience in:Large-scale food manufacturing/production environments (strongly preferred)Airline catering or high-volume institutional cateringProven experience as Production Manager/Culinary Operations LeaderExperience implementing Lean food production/manufacturing and Continuous Improvement methodologiesDemonstrated experience with ERP/MRP systems (MPS, production planning)Technical & Functional SkillsDeep knowledge of:Food safety systems (HACCP, GMP, FDA/USDA compliance)Industrial-scale food production processesProduction planning and schedulingStrong understanding of:KPIs and operational financial driversInventory and cost controlHands-on capability with batch control, process standardization, and quality systems.TekWissen Group is an equal opportunity employer supporting workforce diversity.