Regional Culinary Manager, East Region - Collegiate Hospitality

About the role

The Regional Culinary Manager (RCM) is a senior culinary leader responsible for driving culinary excellence, operational consistency, talent development, and financial performance across a multi-unit portfolio within Collegiate Hospitality. Reporting directly to the Regional Culinary Director (RCD), the RCM serves as a strategic and operational partner, ensuring the successful execution of regional culinary priorities while building the next generation of culinary leadership. The RCM provides coaching, guidance, and influence across multiple locations, working collaboratively with operations, finance, human resources, marketing, and client teams to elevate the guest experience. This role is responsible for developing high-performing culinary teams, ensuring food quality and safety standards, optimizing food and labor performance, supporting new business and retention efforts, and implementing innovation that drives guest satisfaction and business results. As a member of the Regional Culinary Leadership Team, the RCM will lead key regional initiatives and serve as a culinary subject matter expert while supporting enterprise-wide culinary programs and best practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead and influence culinary teams across multiple locations to ensure excellence in food quality, presentation, creativity, and execution.
• Drive consistency in culinary standards, recipes, production systems, and guest experience expectations throughout the region.
• Mentor Executive Chefs and culinary leaders to strengthen culinary capabilities and operational effectiveness.
• Serve as a regional culinary expert for high-profile events, client presentations, campus engagements, and strategic initiatives.
• Champion culinary innovation by introducing trends, platforms, and best practices that enhance guest satisfaction and strengthen competitive positioning.
• Conduct regular site assessments focused on food quality, food safety, sanitation, merchandising, staffing, and execution standards.
• Ensure compliance with company, regulatory, and client requirements related to food safety, workplace safety, and operational procedures.
• Partner with Operations leaders to identify opportunities for performance improvement and execute action plans that drive measurable results.
• Support operational readiness for openings, transitions, renovations, high-profile events, and peak business periods.
• Establish and share best practices across the region to improve consistency and execution.
• Partner with culinary and operational leaders to optimize menus, improve guest engagement, and align offerings with client expectations.
• Drive food cost management, menu engineering, product utilization, waste reduction, and purchasing compliance initiatives.
• Analyze culinary performance metrics and provide actionable recommendations that improve profitability and operational efficiency.
• Support labor productivity initiatives through effective production planning, culinary systems, and process improvements.
• Ensure culinary decisions support both financial objectives and exceptional guest experiences.
• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of culinary talent across the region.
• Recruit, develop, coach, and mentor Executive Chefs, Sous Chefs, and emerging culinary leaders.
• Facilitate onboarding, leadership development, culinary training, and certification programs.
• Partner with Human Resources and Operations to create intentional development plans aligned with business goals.
• Promote participation in internal and external culinary development programs, professional certifications, and succession planning initiatives.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous learning, and culinary excellence.
• Support new business development opportunities through culinary presentations, menu showcases, tastings, and solution development.
• Participate in client meetings and strategic reviews as a culinary subject matter expert.
• Lead culinary support efforts for retention strategies and business renewal opportunities.
• Develop compelling food experiences that strengthen client relationships and improve guest satisfaction.
• Position culinary programs as a key differentiator in the marketplace.
• Lead one or more regional or enterprise culinary initiatives focused on menu strategy, culinary innovation, productivity, sustainability, talent development, or operational effectiveness.
• Contribute to culinary councils, innovation forums, and cross-functional teams that advance organizational objectives.
• Support the deployment of new culinary programs, technology solutions, tools, and standards throughout the region.
• Identify emerging trends and opportunities that enhance the regional and national culinary strategy.

Leadership Expectations

• Executive presence and strong leadership influence.
• Deep culinary expertise and operational credibility.
• Strategic thinking balanced with exceptional execution capabilities.
• Strong financial acumen and business judgment.
• Ability to manage competing priorities across a geographically dispersed region.
• Passion for developing people and building future culinary leaders.
• Commitment to hospitality, service excellence, and guest satisfaction.
• Effective communication and relationship-building skills with clients, operators, and support partners.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of progressive culinary leadership experience within hospitality, food service, higher education, restaurants, hotels, or contract-managed services.
• Multi-unit culinary leadership experience required.
• Culinary degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• CIA ProChef, ACF Certification, or equivalent advanced culinary credential preferred.
• Demonstrated expertise in menu development, food cost management, labor productivity, food safety, and culinary innovation.
• Experience leading large-scale food production and diverse culinary operations.
• Proven success developing culinary talent and succession pipelines.
• Strong financial, analytical, organizational, and project management skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and company culinary and operational systems.
• ServSafe Certification required.
• Ability and willingness to travel approximately 80% of the time throughout the region.
• Willingness to work a flexible schedule, including weekends, evenings, holidays, and all meal periods as business needs dictate.

Pay

The salary range for this position is $90,000 to $105,000.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefit programs and services for eligible employees including medical, dental, vision, and work/life resources.
• Additional benefits may include retirement savings plans like 401(k) and paid days off such as parental leave and disability coverage.
• Benefits vary by location and are subject to any legal requirements or limitations, employee eligibility status, and where the employee lives and/or works.