Culinary Director

Hutchinson Consulting; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

401(k) with 4% match

Company-paid parking

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Hutchinson Consulting in San Francisco is seeking a serious culinary leader who can operate at the highest level in a multi-concept hospitality group while staying connected to the kitchen. You will oversee a growing portfolio, partner with the Chef/Owner on menus and program development, and mentor talented culinary teams across sites and events.

This role combines leadership, financial acumen, and hands-on kitchen presence to drive exceptional guest experiences.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to lead multiple concepts at a high culinary level.
• Strong financial and P&L acumen related to food costs, labor, and BOH operations.
• Experience teaching, mentoring, and developing next-gen culinary talent.
• Ability to move between restaurants, events, and teams with high energy and focus.

Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on culinary leadership across multiple restaurant concepts and events.
• Partner with Chef/Owner on menu development and seasonal changes.
• Maintain presence in kitchens and build credibility with culinary teams.
• Understand and optimize financial performance including food costs, purchasing, and labor.
• Recruit, mentor, and develop culinary talent across the organization.
• Support opening, kitchen design, and growth projects for future venues.
• Champion sourcing, sustainability, and responsible kitchen practices.
• Lead with maturity at a senior level while supporting the established culinary vision.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Multi-unit leadership

Food cost management

Staff development

Operational excellence

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on culinary leadership and oversight across multiple distinct restaurant concepts and event operations
• Partner closely with the Chef/Owner on menu development, seasonal changes, major menu rollouts, culinary programming, and continued evolution of the restaurants
• Maintain an active presence in the kitchens and build credibility and trust with culinary teams
• Understand the financial performance of each operation, including food costs, purchasing, BOH expenses, labor, and overall profitability
• Proactively identify operational and financial issues and opportunities rather than waiting for them to surface
• Recruit, mentor, educate, and develop culinary talent, creating an environment where ambitious young chefs want to build their careers
• Support culinary education for both BOH and FOH teams, ensuring teams understand not only what is being executed but why
• Strengthen systems, organization, communication, and coordination across an increasingly complex multi-concept operation
• Support private dining, special events, tastings, photo shoots, and other chef-driven experiences
• Contribute to restaurant openings, kitchen design, infrastructure, equipment, workflow, and future growth projects
• Champion exceptional sourcing, sustainability, and responsible kitchen practices while bringing new ideas and perspectives to the organization

The Ideal Candidate

We are seeking a serious culinary professional who has successfully evolved into a broader leadership role without losing connection to the kitchen.

You may have led multiple restaurants, worked within an exceptional chef-driven restaurant group, or held a senior culinary role within luxury hospitality. Regardless of background, you should understand what it takes to operate at an extremely high culinary level while also managing the financial, organizational, and people complexities of a growing hospitality business.

You will bring:

• Exceptional culinary foundation and credibility
• Meaningful multi-unit or multi-concept leadership experience
• Strong financial and P&L acumen, particularly around food cost, purchasing, labor, and BOH operations
• High energy, stamina, and the flexibility to move between restaurants, events, teams, and priorities
• A genuine passion for teaching, mentorship, recruiting, and developing the next generation of culinary talent
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to create structure within complex operations
• Experience with restaurant openings, kitchen design, major renovations, or growth projects is highly valued
• An appreciation for seasonality, exceptional sourcing, sustainability, and responsible kitchen practices
• The maturity to lead at a senior level without ego
• A collaborative mindset and genuine excitement about supporting an established culinary vision while also contributing your own expertise and ideas

Most importantly, this person must still love restaurants. This is an opportunity for someone who wants to be present, engaged, and connected to the food and the people—not removed from them.

For the right culinary leader, this is an opportunity to become a trusted partner within one of San Francisco’s most respected independent hospitality organizations and play a meaningful role in its next chapter.

Compensation: Extremely competitive, with full medical benefits, a 401(k) with a 4% employer match after one year, and company-paid parking.

Relocation: Candidates outside the Bay Area who are genuinely interested in relocating to San Francisco are encouraged to apply.