Regional Culinary Professional

Department: Co-Cuisine Overhead • Full Time • Location: Troy - Innovation Center • Reporting to: Lori Guerra

About the role

The Regional Culinary Professional is responsible for the culinary execution ensuring high quality food offerings at each of our locations. To delight our guests, every meal, every day through effective and repeatable culinary standards by providing the training and tools required for success. Provide culinary troubleshooting as required and inspiring teams while assisting at locations. Being an advocate for our offerings, inspiring and cultivating a team of culinarians by maintaining a supportive style of leadership. A high level of communication across the company’s brands is also required to ensure business needs and desires are met.

Responsibilities

• Deliver high quality food to our guests through excellence in culinary execution at each location.
• Ensure production logs, recipe compliance, station set-up and other culinary standards are in place.
• Conduct site visits to ensure culinary standards and consistency are being met through quarterly culinary audits.
• Troubleshoot culinary inconsistencies for solutions, retrain staff as needed and as directed by the Regional Operations manager and Director.
• Participate in culinary counsel to share feedback and best practices.
• Engage culinary teams through a supportive leadership style.
• Advocate for our offerings and tell the “why” behind what we do in culinary.
• Ensure proper packaging is being utilized for all offerings.
• Complete daily temperature logs and ensure the process is carried through to locations serviced.
• Uphold food safety and sanitation at a high standard, ensuring temperature logs, cold food cold and hot food hot are maintained at all locations.
• Support high-end and large-event caterings as required, ensuring the menu and execution process is appropriate.
• Evaluate proper purchasing and inventory efficiencies often.
• Assist in achieving financial goals through effective recipe compliance, purchasing, inventory, production levels and training.
• Participate in the interview, selection and assessment of talent, where appropriate.
• Provide coaching, training, and development opportunities, where needed.
• Conduct research and development of new culinary trends and ideas for menus.
• Review recipes and product yields for accuracy while at locations.
• Understand retail environment, compliance, and marketing of items.
• Evaluate results through data and adjust menus accordingly.
• Build relationships with support departments for collaboration and influence.
• Take on additional projects and assignments as needed.
• Provide leadership as a working manager at events.
• Develop training programs and materials.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Participate in the interview, selection and assessment of talent as needed.
• Set performance expectations, work hours and manage delegation of responsibility.
• Provide coaching, training, and development/succession planning opportunities, as required.
• Resolve employee concerns, escalated issues, and grievances.

Requirements

• Associate degree in culinary or equivalent work experience in the industry acceptable.
• Five or more years culinary experience required.
• Prior management experience is strongly preferred.
• ServSafe Manager and Allergen certification preferred. If the individual does not hold these, must be willing to obtain them through our ServSafe training program.
• Advanced knowledge of food preparation practices.
• Ability to prepare a wide range of culinary offerings.
• Ability to teach/train team members on how to execute food preparation.
• Excellent computer skills.
• Good communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Professional demeanor, pleasant personality, and positive attitude; neat and well-groomed appearance.
• Ability to maintain and build relationships with existing and potential clients as well as industry contacts.

Skills & Knowledge

• Results oriented and flexible; takes action as soon as need arises and can demonstrate positive results; steadily follows through on tasks.
• Able to find a balance between the business requirements and meeting client requests; absorbs new information quickly and translates key points into positive outcomes.
• Passion for food and skilled in needed areas; good at visualizing how to develop new dishes, scale them appropriately to achieve a remarkable client experience.
• Demonstrated ability to gain buy-in, respect, trust, and accountability to achieve goals.
• High energy level; has demonstrated resilience, endurance and persistence throughout career.
• Can-do attitude; stays positive, even in the face of adversity; sets right tone for others.
• Collaborative in work style with others both inside and outside organization; respectful of what others can contribute.
• Believes in and routinely practices direct and honest communication; actively shares information openly with those who need to know; seeks collaborative resolution of issues; seeks others’ points of view and encourages independent thought; listens well.
• Personal values align with the company’s values and culture; treats people with respect and consistency; trustworthy; highly ethical; appreciates and engages in creativity and forward thinking; takes long-range view.
• Strong proficiency with electronic communication, Microsoft Office Suite, and related systems used in the industry.

Benefits

• Medical, dental and vision insurance.
• Life insurance and disability insurance.
• Parental leave.
• 401(k) with company match.
• At-work dining perks.
• Flexible schedules.
• Generous PTO.
• Total rewards program.
• Inclusive employee assistance program.
• Location-specific perks may also include wellness programming, on-the-job training, corporate-hosted courses, certifications and team events.

Pay

$60,000 - $72,000 / year