Culinary Lead

Hyatt; New Orleans (LA); On-site; USD 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Hyatt in New Orleans seeks an experienced Culinary Lead to oversee daily kitchen operations across restaurant, banquet, convention, and catering activities. This role is a working leader who directs culinary colleagues during shifts, coordinates production, and maintains quality and presentation standards in a fast-paced environment.

You will train team members, uphold food safety, and support large-scale events while delivering exceptional guest experiences.

Qualifications

• Requires high school diploma; culinary education preferred.
• Minimum 3 years of culinary experience in hotel, resort, restaurant, banquet, catering, or high-volume service.
• Experience leading or supervising culinary team members is preferred.
• Strong knowledge of food preparation techniques, kitchen operations, and food safety standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support culinary colleagues during daily kitchen operations and ensure production goals and service standards are met.
• Provide on-the-job training, coaching, and guidance to culinary team members; promote teamwork and professionalism.
• Coordinate shift assignments, task delegation, and workflow; act as liaison in the absence of a Sous Chef or culinary manager.
• Oversee menu item preparation according to recipes, portion controls, and presentation standards; ensure consistency across restaurant, banquet, and catering operations.
• Support large-scale events (meetings, conventions, banquets) with production planning and on-schedule delivery.
• Maintain food safety, sanitation, and HACCP standards; conduct routine inspections of workstations and storage areas.
• Assist with inventory control, receiving, storage, and product rotation; communicate equipment and supply needs to leadership.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Team supervision

Food safety

Menu execution

Education

High school diploma

Culinary education preferred

Job description

The Culinary Lead is responsible for overseeing daily kitchen operations, directing culinary colleagues during assigned shifts, and ensuring the consistent preparation and presentation of high-quality food across restaurant, banquet, convention, and catering operations. This position serves as a working leader within the kitchen, supporting culinary management by coordinating production, maintaining food quality standards, and ensuring efficient execution in a fast-paced, high-volume hospitality environment.

The Culinary Lead plays a critical role in training team members, maintaining food safety standards, and supporting the successful execution of large-scale events while delivering exceptional guest experiences.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Kitchen Leadership

• Lead and support culinary colleagues during daily operations, ensuring production goals and service standards are met.
• Serve as a point of contact for kitchen staff in the absence of a Sous Chef or culinary manager.
• Assist with shift assignments, task delegation, and workflow coordination.
• Provide on-the-job training, coaching, and guidance to culinary team members.
• Promote a positive, professional, and teamwork-oriented work environment.

Food Production & Quality

• Prepare and oversee the preparation of menu items according to established recipes, portion controls, and presentation standards.
• Ensure consistency, quality, and timeliness of food production across restaurant, banquet, and catering operations.
• Monitor food preparation techniques and cooking methods to maintain Hyatt quality standards.
• Verify that all food products meet appearance, taste, and temperature standards before service.

Ba nquet, Convention & Catering Support

• Assist with production and execution for meetings, conventions, banquets, and special events.
• Coordinate prep activities to support high-volume food production requirements.
• Ensure banquet and event food is prepared accurately and delivered on schedule.
• Support off-premise catering events as needed.

Food Safety & Sanitation

• Maintain compliance with all food safety, sanitation, and HACCP standards.
• Ensure proper handling, storage, labeling, and rotation of food products.
• Conduct routine inspections of workstations, equipment, and storage areas.
• Promote a clean, organized, and safe working environment.

Inventory & Operational Support

• Assist with inventory control, receiving, storage, and product rotation.
• Monitor product usage and minimize waste through effective planning and portion control.
• Communicate equipment, maintenance, and supply needs to culinary leadership.
• Assist with production planning and daily preparation schedules.

All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; culinary education preferred.
• Minimum 3 years of culinary experience in a hotel, resort, restaurant, banquet, catering, or high-volume food service operation.
• Previous experience leading or supervising culinary team members preferred.
• Strong knowledge of food preparation techniques, kitchen operations, and food safety standards.
• Experience supporting banquet, convention, and catering operations is preferred.
• Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and special events.

Success Factors

• Demonstrates strong leadership and teamwork abilities.
• Consistently delivers quality food products and exceptional service standards.
• Maintains a safe, organized, and productive kitchen environment.
• Effectively supports both restaurant operations and large-scale banquet and convention events.
• Serves as a role model for Hyatt's values and commitment to hospitality excellence.