Culinary Director

Crown Resorts Limited; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Complimentary onsite meals

Discounts across Crown hotels, parking

Uniform provided and laundered at no‑c

Career development opportunities

Job summary

Crown Melbourne is seeking an accomplished Culinary Director to lead the culinary vision, standards and performance across its Food & Beverage portfolio. Reporting to the Executive General Manager – Food & Beverage, you will oversee culinary operations across restaurants, events and conferences, driving innovation, consistency and operational excellence.

You are a strategic leader with strong commercial acumen, passionate about developing people and elevating guest experiences in complex

Qualifications

• 5-10+ years' senior culinary leadership in premium hospitality.
• Experience overseeing both signature concepts and high-volume events or conferences.
• Strong commercial acumen with ownership of food cost, labour, margin and P&L.
• Proven ability to influence and build relationships across venue leadership and cross-functional teams.
• Experience leading food safety programs, procurement frameworks, recipe governance and inventory management.
• A structured approach to operational excellence, compliance and continuous improvement.
• Relevant culinary qualifications and recognised food safety certification.

Responsibilities

• In this role, you will: Lead culinary standards, quality and menu execution across Crown Melbourne’s restaurant portfolio.
• Drive kitchen performance through food cost management, labour productivity and operational efficiency.
• Partner with Executive Chefs to deliver menu innovation, seasonal offerings and commercially successful dining experiences.
• Oversee culinary planning and execution for events, conferences and large-scale functions.
• Champion food safety, compliance and risk management across all culinary operations.
• Lead procurement, recipe governance and inventory disciplines to support quality and profitability.
• Build and develop high-performing culinary teams while fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Multi-site ops

Food cost management

Labour optimization

Menu development

Procurement

Food safety

P&L ownership

Stakeholder management

Team development

Education

Culinary qualifications

Job description

Better begins here Crown Resorts is a great place to visit and it’s an even better place to work, a place where you can play your part in creating fun, memorable, world‑class experiences for our guests and our people. We value passion, optimism, and an appetite for change - for the better. Here, you’ll be part of the team, empowered to explore more, experience more and supported by your leader to grow and develop. Full Time, Tuesday – Saturday (Subject to Operational Requirements)

BETTER BEGINS HERE Crown Melbourne is a great place to visit and it’s an even better place to work, a place where you can play your part in creating joyful experiences for our guests and our people. We value passion, creativity, and an appetite for change - for the better. Here, you’ll be part of the team, empowered to explore more, experience more and supported by your leader to grow and develop.

The Role

We’re seeking an accomplished and commercially minded Culinary Director to lead the culinary vision, standards and performance across Crown Melbourne’s Food & Beverage portfolio. Reporting to the Executive General Manager – Food & Beverage, you’ll oversee culinary operations across restaurants, events and conferences, driving innovation, consistency and operational excellence. You’re a strategic and influential leader who combines culinary expertise with strong commercial acumen. Passionate about developing people and elevating guest experiences, you thrive in complex hospitality environments and know how to balance creativity, quality and performance.

In this role, you will:

• Lead culinary standards, quality and menu execution across Crown Melbourne’s restaurant portfolio.
• Drive kitchen performance through food cost management, labour productivity and operational efficiency.
• Partner with Executive Chefs to deliver menu innovation, seasonal offerings and commercially successful dining experiences.
• Oversee culinary planning and execution for events, conferences and large-scale functions.
• Champion food safety, compliance and risk management across all culinary operations.
• Lead procurement, recipe governance and inventory disciplines to support quality and profitability.
• Build and develop high-performing culinary teams while fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.

About You

You’re an experienced culinary leader with a proven track record leading multi-site or large-scale hospitality operations. You bring a strong commercial mindset, exceptional stakeholder management skills and the ability to build and embed consistent standards across a diverse portfolio. You will also bring:

• 5-10+ years' senior culinary leadership experience within premium hospitality, restaurants, integrated resorts or large-scale food and beverage operations.
• Experience overseeing both signature dining concepts and high-volume events or conference operations.
• Strong commercial acumen with demonstrated ownership of food cost, labour, margin and P&L performance.
• Proven ability to influence and build relationships across venue leadership, executive stakeholders and cross-functional teams.
• Experience leading food safety programs, procurement frameworks, recipe governance and inventory management systems.
• A structured approach to operational excellence, compliance and continuous improvement.
• Relevant culinary qualifications and recognised food safety certification.

What we offer you

• Competitive annual salary package plus bonus incentives
• Complimentary onsite meals, generous discounts across Crown hotels, parking, dining and entertainment, plus a fully provided uniform professionally laundered at no cost
• A supportive, inclusive workplace that values individuality, diversity and belonging
• Career development opportunities within one of Australia’s most iconic hospitality organisations
• On top of exciting career possibilities, we offer better exposure to experiences and learning.

Our Crown Community celebrates uniqueness and embraces diversity. We welcome the creativity, insights and experiences from people of different race, age, religion, cultural background, gender, people with disability, people who identify as LGBTIQ+ and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander; people like you.

Crown Resorts is a great place to visit and it’s an even better place to work, a place where you can play your part in creating joyful experiences for our guests and our people.

Supported by your leader, you can enjoy a better balance in your lifestyle and feel a better you.