Culinary and Food Systems Director

40 Dreams Catering LLC.; Westfield (NJ); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

40 Dreams Catering LLC. is seeking a Culinary and Food Systems Director to lead culinary operations, batch production, and team development for a high-volume meal prep business in New Jersey.

You will balance hands-on cooking with strategic food systems management, mentoring staff to advance from line cook to Kitchen Manager, and ensuring safety, quality, and efficiency. The role emphasizes developing structured professional growth plans, optimizing menus, procurement, inventory, and compliance

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional culinary experience with at least 2+ years in an executive role.
• High-volume catering or meal prep experience preferred.
• Proven track record mentoring junior kitchen staff into managerial roles.
• Strong cost control, procurement, and inventory management skills.
• ServSafe Manager Certification required or able to obtain upon hire.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily hands-on batch culinary production to ensure taste, consistency and presentation.
• Design and implement menus for weekly/seasonal rotation with dietary considerations.
• Manage supplier relationships and negotiate cost-effective sourcing.
• Establish inventory controls and lean production workflows.
• Oversee kitchen operations, safety, sanitation, and SOP compliance.

Skills

Batch cooking

Mentoring

Menu engineering

Inventory management

Food cost control

Procurement

Leadership

Staff development

Education

ServSafe Manager Certification

Tools

SOPs

Job description

40 Dreams Catering is a dedicated senior meal prep company focused on providing nutritious, high-quality meals to our community's elders. We ensure our seniors receive the care and flavor they deserve through consistent, healthy food service. We are looking for team members who are passionate about service, hospitality, and making a meaningful impact through the power of a great meal.

Job Description

We are seeking a highly skilled, efficient, and visionary Culinary and Food Systems Director

to lead culinary operations and team development for our growing meal prep business. This role

uniquely blends hands-on culinary execution with strategic food systems management and team

leadership. You will actively lead food production and cooking on the line while simultaneously

operations, inventory optimization, and food safety standards.

A primary strategic objective for this role is team development—specifically mentoring and

training our current cook to step up into a Chef / Kitchen Manager position. This role is ideal for

an experienced Executive Chef or Operations Lead who excels in high-volume batch cooking,

staff mentorship, and menu engineering, and who values an exceptional quality of life with

regular weekday hours.

Workweek:

• Monday through Thursday (Daytime Shifts Only).

Requirements

Key Responsibilities

Hands-On Cooking & Batch Culinary Production

Lead daily and weekly meal prep batch cooking, execution, and portioning to ensure high standards of taste, consistency, and presentation.

Execute large-scale, high-efficiency cook schedules using specialized prep techniques tailored for transport and reheating quality.

Oversee portioning, packaging, and label compliance across all meal subscription lines.

Maintain absolute consistency in recipe execution, seasoning, visual appeal, and

macro/dietary accuracy.

Actively mentor, train, and coach kitchen staff to foster a culture of professional growth, high accountability, and culinary excellence.

Design and implement a structured professional development path to train the current line cook into a fully competent Chef / Kitchen Manager (covering station management, prep scheduling, recipe scaling, inventory control, and supervisory skills).

Conduct regular 1-on-1 check-ins, performance evaluations, and skill evaluations for culinary team members.

Build an efficient, positive, and collaborative kitchen culture focused on safety, continuous learning, and retention.

Menu Development & Culinary Innovation

Design and cycle engaging, nutritious, and balanced weekly/seasonal meal prep menus catered to customer dietary preferences (e.g., high-protein, renal, low-carb, salt-free).

Perform recipe testing, yield analysis, and nutritional profiling for all existing and new dishes.

Incorporate customer feedback and market trends to continually refresh culinary offerings.

Food Systems, Procurement & Inventory Management

Manage supplier relationships, order raw ingredients, and negotiate cost-effective pricing with local and regional distributors.

Establish robust inventory controls, raw material tracking, and FIFO (First In, First Out)

storage procedures.

Optimize food yield and raw material utilization to minimize food waste and lower cost of goods sold (COGS).

Implement lean manufacturing/kitchen production workflows to streamline prep-to-packaging throughput.

Kitchen Operations, Quality Assurance & Compliance

Maintain strict adherence to local health department codes, ServSafe protocols, and HACCP guidelines.

Oversee kitchen sanitation, equipment upkeep, and workstation efficiency.

Establish standardized operating procedures (SOPs) for recipe scaling, prep lists, and clean-down routines.

Qualifications & Requirements

Experience : 5+ years of professional culinary experience with at least 2+ years in an

Executive Chef, Head Chef, or Culinary Operations Leadership role. High-volume catering or meal prep experience preferred.

Leadership Skills: Proven track record of mentoring, training, and developing junior kitchen

staff into managerial roles.

Culinary Skill: Deep mastery of high-volume batch cooking, recipe development, and

portion control.

Operational Acumen: Proficient in food cost management, menu engineering, procurement,

and inventory management systems.

Certifications : ServSafe Manager Certification required (or capability to obtain upon hire).

Physical Stamina: Ability to work on your feet, handle high-volume kitchen tools, lift and