Chef for International Culinary

Chipotle Mexican Grill; Newport Beach (CA); On-site; USD 114,000 - 161,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonuses

Equity awards

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401k

Sick leave

Vacation time

Job summary

Chipotle Mexican Grill in Newport Beach is seeking a Chef for International Culinary to lead global culinary standards and collaborate with International Partnerships and the California-based Restaurant Support Center. This role requires fluency in Chipotle's 53 Ingredients, FWI ethos, and multi-unit operations experience.

You will travel 40-60% domestically/internationally, with 4–5 days on-site in Newport Beach or Irvine when not traveling, and mentor regional teams through recipe calibration

Qualifications

• Culinary Arts degree or certification required; bachelor's degree preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive culinary experience, including 2+ years of international exposure.
• 2+ years of supervisory experience with leadership and training skills.
• Experience with large-scale production, commercialization, product benchmarking.
• Strong knowledge of food science, food safety, regulations, QA standards.
• Analytical, adaptable problem solver with data-driven approach.
• Clear communicator who can lead food tastings; English proficiency required; additional languages preferred.
• Travel 40-60% and 4-5 days per week on-site in Newport Beach/Irvine when not traveling.

Responsibilities

• Maintain Global Culinary Standards and calibrate regional menus and content.
• Support regional partnerships, suppliers, operations, and localization efforts.
• Teach & Taste Chipotle by delivering training and leading tastings for regional teams.
• Oversee culinary operations for new regions and menu launches with cross-functional partners.
• Develop and deliver culturally tailored culinary training programs for partner staff.
• Monitor regional culinary performance and uphold quality across markets.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Analytical thinking

Food safety

Education

Culinary Arts degree or certification

Bachelor's degree preferred

7+ years of culinary experience incl. international exposure

2+ years supervisory experience

Job description

THE OPPORTUNITY

Food served fast does not have to be a typical fast-food experience. Chipotle has always done things differently, both in and out of our restaurants. We are changing the face of fast food, starting conversations, and directly supporting efforts to shift the future of farming and food. We hope you will join us as we continue to learn, evolve, and shape what comes next on our mission to make better food accessible to everyone.

As the Chef for International Culinary, you will oversee Chipotle Culinary and its alignment with our Global Culinary Standards in our International Partnership markets. You will partner closely with our International Partnerships team and our California based Restaurant Support Center (RSC) teams to deliver a consistent Chipotle experience. This is a culinary specific role requiring fluency in Chipotle's BOH culinary, Chipotle's 53 Ingredients, Chipotle's Food with Integrity (FWI) ethos, executing food tastings, calibrating recipes, product benchmarking, monitoring regional culinary quality, and supporting new supplier commercialization of Chipotle ingredients in local markets. This role will be embedded with the International Partnerships team to ensure we are championing Chipotle's Food with Integrity (FWI) mission across the globe in partnership markets.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Maintain Global Culinary Standards: Execute Chipotle's Culinary Standards aligned with Chipotle's Strategy of delivering a consistent global culinary experience. The strategy will include a comprehensive process including new market entry, localization efforts, and scale up which calibrate with the Chipotle Core Menu standards. This includes the review, approval, and organization of regional menu adjustments to support local and regional preferences, cultural nuances, and legislation. The role requires fluency and managing the culinary content and updates of the Chipotle Playbook, ensuring it remains relevant and effective. This role will be the Culinary Subject Matter Expert (SME) to facilitate communication between the RSC and international partners.
• Strategic Local Partnerships: Support and address regional specific culinary, supply, and multi-faceted culinary impacted challenges while optimizing tools and processes for improved efficiency. This will include partnering with regional/local Brand partners, suppliers, operations, marketing, food safety, and quality assurance stakeholders. The role will also support commercialization and localization efforts for partnerships and new ventures as needed.
• Teach & Taste Chipotle: As the Chef for International Culinary, you will be an expert in Chipotle's FWI mission, our Real food proposition and our back of house culinary execution. Our value of Teaching and Tasting is critical and is supported with restaurant visits, food demonstrations, delivering strategic feedback, shoulder to shoulder training, and providing support to enhance the FWI ethos, skills, knowledge, and performance of restaurant culinary to regional teams.
• Culinary Operations: Facilitate the successful overall culinary operations and taste of food in new regions, ensuring adherence to Chipotle brand standards. Coordinate with other departments to support the successful launch and operation of new locations and menu items in partnership markets.
• Culinary Training: Develop and deliver culturally tailored culinary training programs for partner staff and management teams. Includes conducting training sessions, both in-person and remotely, to uphold brand standards and support corrective calibrations.
• Monitor Regional Culinary Performance: Monitor and evaluate culinary performance in international markets, while working with relevant cross functional teams to make necessary adjustments to improve product quality, culinary operations, and customer satisfaction. Ensure partner operational KPIs meet or exceed US standards, focusing on taste of food and customer satisfaction. Implement, upgrade, and assess quality control measures to maintain consistency in service and product delivery across all locations.

WHAT YOU'LL BRING TO THE TABLE

• Passion for exceptional food, guest experience, and Cultivating a Better World.
• Culinary Arts degree or certification required; bachelor's degree preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive culinary experience, including 2+ years of international exposure and multi-unit operations.
• 2+ years of supervisory experience preferred, with strong leadership and training development skills.
• Experience with large-scale production, commercialization, product benchmarking, gap analysis, action planning, and product reverse engineering.
• Strong knowledge of food science, food safety, regulations, and quality assurance standards.
• Analytical, adaptable problem solver who can evaluate performance metrics and improve culinary operations.
• Clear communicator who can lead food tastings and present effectively to diverse audiences, including leadership; English proficiency required and additional languages preferred.
• Comfortable using technology for remote monitoring and quality assurance, working in person 4-5 days per week in Newport Beach/Irvine when not traveling, and traveling domestically and internationally approximately 40-60%.

PAY TRANSPARENCY

A reasonable estimate of the current base pay range for this position is $114,000.00-$160,500.00. You are also eligible for annual cash bonuses and equity awards based upon performance and other factors. Actual compensation offered may vary depending on skill level, experience, and/or education. Chipotle offers a competitive total rewards package, which includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401k, sick leave, vacation time, and much more. Visit https://jobs.chipotle.com/benefits for more details.

WHO WE ARE

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) is cultivating a better world by serving responsibly sourced, classically cooked, real food with wholesome ingredients without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Chipotle has restaurants in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Germany and is the only restaurant company of its size that owns and operates all its restaurants in North America and Europe. With employees passionate about providing a great guest experience, Chipotle is a longtime leader and innovator in the food industry. Chipotle is committed to making its food more accessible to everyone while continuing to be a brand with a demonstrated purpose as it leads the way in digital, technology and sustainable business practices. For more information or to place an order online, visit WWW.CHIPOTLE.COM

Chipotle Mexican Grill is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity at all levels. As a people-first company rooted in values, our purpose extends beyond serving nutritious food using real ingredients. It means hiring world-class individuals and fostering a culture that champions diversity, ensures equity, and celebrates inclusion. All qualified applicants, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply.

Qualified applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act and/or certain state or local laws. Please contact [e-mail] if you need an accommodation due to a disability to complete an application, job interview, and/or to otherwise participate in the hiring process. This email does not respond to non-accommodations related requests.