Culinary Manager

Compass Group USA; Oklahoma; On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Retirement Plan

Paid Time Off

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Eurest, a Compass Group company, is seeking a Culinary Manager to lead a high-volume dining operation. You will shape the culinary identity, oversee production, and elevate line execution while upholding top-tier food quality, freshness, and presentation.

In this leadership role, you will direct site operations, champion safety, optimize workflows, and mentor a culinary team, building strong relationships with client stakeholders and driving financial performance.

Qualifications

• Degree in culinary arts preferred; 3+ years in a high-volume kitchen.
• Strong leadership, communication, and training skills.
• Proficiency with POS, menu systems, and MS Office.

Responsibilities

• Direct daily kitchen operations and ensure quality across menus.
• Lead a culinary team, mentor staff, and maintain safety standards.
• Oversee production planning, production line execution, and waste management.
• Manage budgets, labor costs, and inventory.
• Build strong client relations and respond to feedback within 24 hours.

Skills

Menu design

Team leadership

P&L management

Safety compliance

Education

Culinary degree preferred

Tools

POS systems

Web-based menu systems

Spreadsheets

Word processing

Job description

Eurest

As the leader in business and industry dining, Eurest is the company to join if you want a rewarding career packed with limitless opportunities. We feed the employees of the nation's largest and most-prestigious companies -- in every state and across all industries. As a member of Eurest's leadership and professional support team, you will help our 16,000 chefs, and in-unit associates excel as they deliver world-class meals in corporate cafes and executive dining rooms with on-site catering through vending innovations and more.

Our company is innovative, high performing and fast growing. Our teammates are enthusiastic, committed to quality and thrive on consistently delivering unparalleled results. And did we mention we work with exciting companies and at interesting locations?Come grow your career with Eurest.

Eurest Core Values

We believe we're better together. As one team spanning coast to coast, our core values guide our actions, shape our culture, and define our service.

Hospitality

Great hospitality starts with demonstrating genuine care for others. We do this through great food, thoughtful service, and safe, responsible practices that protect our guests and teams.

Kindness and Respect

Two words that go hand-in-hand in what our work is truly about: taking care of people. Everyone has a seat at our table. We take the time to understand others and listen, valuing diverse perspectives and responding with compassion and empathy.

Trust

We earn trust by doing what we say we're going to do and taking ownership. We understand people count on us to deliver with consistency, honesty, and accountability across every location and line of business.

Innovation

We embrace fresh thinking and collaboration to find smarter ways to serve. With the flexibility to adapt across industries, we design dining and workplace solutions that move our clients, partners and teams forward.

Excellence

Excellence is how we operate daily. We hold ourselves to high expectations and take pride in our work. We lead with energy, creativity, and a service mindset that turns everyday into something exceptional.

Job Summary

Are you ready to lead, innovate, and make a real impact in high-volume dining? As our Culinary Manager, you won't just manage a kitchen, you'll shape the culinary identity and operational success of our location. You will spearhead dynamic kitchen production, inspire menu design, and elevate daily line execution while maintaining top-tier standards for food quality, freshness, and presentation.

In this key leadership position, you will direct site operations, champion safety, optimize kitchen workflows, and drive financial performance. Most importantly, you will empower and mentor a talented culinary team, fostering a high-performing culture and building strong, lasting relationships with client stakeholders. If you are a visionary leader passionate about exceptional food and community engagement, join us to make a powerful, visible impact!

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

• Operational Execution & Workflow Optimization: Direct daily operations and administrative functions, optimize kitchen workflow, and manage P&L while meeting corporate, HR, payroll, and AR deadlines and ensuring contractual compliance.
• Team Leadership & Empowerment: Recruit, train, coach, and empower staff to exceed customer expectations, manage performance, and oversee onboarding compliance and safety certifications.
• Culinary Excellence & Production Management: Oversee high-volume kitchen production, meal planning, line execution, and sustainable waste management while upholding strict standards for food quality, freshness, and presentation.
• Client & Guest Relations: Build strong working relationships with client stakeholders, deliver responsive service, resolve guest feedback within 24 hours, and maintain transparent, accurate, and timely communication.
• Financial Oversight: Conduct inventory audits, optimize labor and food costs, and manage payroll against forecasts.
• Safety & Regulatory Compliance: Enforce Health Department regulations, OSHA, ADA, and PPE standards while maintaining safety compliance and leading regular training.

Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Physical Requirements:

• Degree from an accredited culinary institution preferred; bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
• Minimum of 3 years of progressive management experience in a high-volume, premium food service environment.
• Strong passion for sustainable food practices and general hospitality.
• Tech-savvy with proficiency in web-based menu systems, POS platforms, spreadsheets, and word processing software.
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills for professional email, phone, and client interactions.
• Strong public speaking and presentation abilities for leading team training sessions.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand, walk, reach, stoop, kneel, crouch, and bend for extended periods.
• Ability to regularly lift and move up to 40 lbs, occasionally up to 50 lbs, and push/pull carts up to 100 lbs.
• Consistently use required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including cut-resistant gloves when handling sharp utensils.

Associates at Eurest are offered many fantastic benefits

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life Insurance/ AD
• Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Paid Time Off
• Holiday Time Off (varies by site/state)
• Associate Shopping Program
• Health and Wellness Programs
• Discount Marketplace
• Identity Theft Protection
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Paid Parental Leave
• Personal Leave

Associates may also be eligible for paid and/or unpaid time off benefits in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. For positions in Washington State, Maryland, or to be performed Remotely, or copy/paste the link below for paid time off benefits information.

https://www.compass-usa.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2026_Wage-Transparency_Eurest.pdf

Compass Group is an equal opportunity employer. At Compass, we are committed to treating all Applicants and Associates fairly based on their abilities, achievements, and experience without regard to race, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by law.

Qualified candidates must be able to perform the essential functions of this position satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation. Disclaimer: this job post is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all essential responsibilities, skills, tasks, or requirements associated with this position. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the position posted, the Company reserves the right to modify or change the essential functions of the job based on business necessity. We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with a criminal history (including relevant driving history), in a manner consistent with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York Fair Chance Act.

Eurest maintains a drug-free workplace.

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.