Culinary Director - Multi-Store Prepared Foods Leader

Paycom - ATS; New York (NY); On-site; USD 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Happier Grocery in New York, NY seeks an experienced Culinary Director to lead all Prepared Foods operations across multiple locations. You will own the P&L, drive sales growth, manage production planning, and lead a high-performing culinary team to deliver consistently safe, high-quality offerings.

Responsibilities include designing scalable production systems, optimizing waste and labor, ensuring food safety compliance, and developing menus and costing models to maximize freshness,

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive culinary leadership in grocery retail or multi-unit environments.
• Proven experience managing P&L and hitting financial targets.
• Expertise in food safety, sanitation, and HACCP compliance.
• Ability to build scalable systems and lead across multiple locations.

Responsibilities

• Own the financial performance of the Prepared Foods Department across all locations.
• Design and manage production systems, schedules, and station workflows.
• Lead waste reduction initiatives with forecasting and inventory controls.
• Manage labor planning, training, and performance across culinary teams.
• Ensure compliance with food safety standards, labeling, allergen controls, and inspections.
• Oversee recipe development, costing, yield management, and inventory forecasting.
• Drive guest experience consistency and brand presentation across stores.

Skills

Strategic leadership

P&L management

Food cost & inventory

Forecasting & analytics

Food safety & HACCP

Team development

Cross-functional collaboration

Operational excellence

Communication

Job description

Happier Grocery in New York, NY seeks an experienced Culinary Director to lead all Prepared Foods operations across multiple locations. You will own the P&L, drive sales growth, manage production planning, and lead a high-performing culinary team to deliver consistently safe, high-quality offerings.

Responsibilities include designing scalable production systems, optimizing waste and labor, ensuring food safety compliance, and developing menus and costing models to maximize freshness,