Culinary Manager

Vail Resorts, Inc.; South Lake Tahoe (CA); On-site; USD 34,000 - 37,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free passes

Ski lessons

Discounts on lodging and gear

401(k)

Training & development

Wellness benefits

Job summary

Vail Resorts, Inc. is hiring for winter 2026/27 across roles including Cooks, Drivers, Instructors and more at East Peak Lodge. Competitive starting wage of $25.00–$27.00 per hour, full-time seasonal positions, and no housing provided.

You’ll join a team delivering exceptional guest experiences in a high-altitude mountain setting. Benefits include free employee passes, discounted lift tickets for friends and family, ski lessons, discounts on lodging and gear, a 401(k) plan, and opportunities for

Qualifications

• 2–4 years of progressive leadership experience in culinary, restaurant, Food & Beverage, hospitality, or resort operations.
• Strong culinary and operational knowledge with demonstrated ability to maintain food quality, consistency, safety, and execution in a high-volume environment.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and develop employees while communicating effectively across different teams and areas of the operation.
• Experience with scheduling, purchasing, inventory, food-cost control, or other restaurant financial processes.
• Current ServSafe Manager Certification, or ability to obtain within required timeframe.
• Working proficiency with Microsoft Office and common restaurant or business systems.
• Ability to work weekends, holidays, early mornings, and other schedules based on business needs.
• Ability to work safely in a high-altitude mountain environment and changing winter weather conditions.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily culinary and BOH execution, including production planning, food quality, presentation, consistency, speed of service, and kitchen organization.
• Help ensure strong food safety, sanitation, receiving, storage, product rotation, and kitchen readiness standards.
• Coordinate purchasing and inventory processes and monitor product usage, waste, food costs, and product levels.
• Partner with the General Manager and culinary leadership on menus, seasonal offerings, and practical improvements to quality, efficiency, and execution.
• Support East Peak events, après, activations, and special programming, contributing culinary ideas and operational leadership to the overall experience.
• Lead, coach, and develop employees and frontline leaders across the lodge, with a particular focus on the culinary and BOH team.
• Support recruiting, onboarding, training, scheduling, performance management, and employee development.
• Help build an engaged and accountable team culture through clear expectations, real-time coaching, recognition, communication, and consistent leadership.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Food safety

Staff development

Operations management

Customer service

High-altitude work

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Now hiring for winter 2026/27 - Cooks, Drivers, Instructors & more.

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert: Create Alert

Come work and play in the mountains! Whether it’s your first-time seeing snow or you were born on the slopes, joining our team means discovering (or re-discovering!) a passion for the outdoors while building lifelong connections with teammates and guests from around the world.

With 40+ resorts across 3 continents, you can join our team for a season or stay to build a career. From day one, you'll receive some of the highest compensation rates in the industry, free pass(es) along with free ski and snowboard lessons, 40% retail discounts, the chance to grow through Epic Service - our leading training and development experience, and wellness benefits to fuel your success.

Hiring for our seasonal positions occurs on a rolling basis. Applications will be accepted until December 15th or until the positions are filled (whichever is first).

Employee Benefits

• Ski/Mountain Perks! Free passes for employees, employee discounted lift tickets for friends and family AND free ski lessons
• MORE employee discounts on lodging, food, gear, and mountain shuttles
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Employee Assistance Program
• Excellent training and professional development

Job Specifications

• Starting Wage: $25.00- $27.00
• Employment Type: Winter Seasonal 2026/2027
• Shift Type: Full Timehours available
• Minimum Age: At least 18 years of age
• Housing Availability: No

Job Responsibilities

Leadership & Lodge Operations

• Partner with the General Manager to lead the daily operation of East Peak Lodge, supporting strong standards for employees, guests, safety, financial performance, and execution.
• Regularly serve as Manager on Duty, making decisions and supporting both front- and back-of-house teams based on the needs of the operation.
• Maintain a visible presence throughout the lodge, conducting operational walkthroughs and helping address cleanliness, organization, service, staffing, and facility needs.
• Coordinate daily staffing, deployment, opening and closing, and operational readiness based on business levels, weather, events, and changing mountain conditions.
• Step beyond the kitchen as needed to support guest service, employees, events, and overall lodge performance.

Culinary & BOH Leadership

• Lead daily culinary and BOH execution, including production planning, food quality, presentation, consistency, speed of service, and kitchen organization.
• Help ensure strong food safety, sanitation, receiving, storage, product rotation, and kitchen readiness standards.
• Coordinate purchasing and inventory processes and monitor product usage, waste, food costs, and product levels.
• Partner with the General Manager and culinary leadership on menus, seasonal offerings, and practical improvements to quality, efficiency, and execution.
• Support East Peak events, après, activations, and special programming, contributing culinary ideas and operational leadership to the overall experience.
• People & Employee Experience
• Lead, coach, and develop employees and frontline leaders across the lodge, with a particular focus on the culinary and BOH team.
• Support recruiting, onboarding, training, scheduling, performance management, and employee development.
• Help build an engaged and accountable team culture through clear expectations, real-time coaching, recognition, communication, and consistent leadership.
• Help develop employees and emerging leaders by providing opportunities to learn, take on responsibility, and grow within Mountain Dining.

Business & Financial Performance

• Develop a strong understanding of East Peak’s overall business performance, including revenue, labor, cost of sales, inventory, and profitability, with particular focus on culinary cost controls and BOH performance.
• Support labor planning and scheduling based on forecasted business levels while balancing operational and employee needs.
• Support and coordinate inventory counts, purchasing, receiving, payroll, reporting, and other required administrative processes.

Guest Experience, Safety & Partnership

• Lead by example in creating a welcoming, responsive guest experience and support employees in resolving issues and taking care of guests.
• Help maintain a strong safety culture and reinforce company policies, food safety and sanitation requirements, health regulations, and safe work practices.
• Partner across Mountain Dining and with Mountain Operations, Facilities, Ski School, and other resort teams to solve problems and support the broader Heavenly experience.
• Embrace change, contribute ideas, and help improve how East Peak operates for both employees and guests.
• Perform other duties as needed or assigned by leadership in support of Mountain Dining and resort operations.

Job Requirements

• 2–4 years of progressive leadership experience in culinary, restaurant, Food & Beverage, hospitality, or resort operations, including experience leading kitchen or BOH operations.
• Strong culinary and operational knowledge with demonstrated ability to maintain food quality, consistency, safety, and execution in a high-volume environment.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and develop employees while communicating effectively across different teams and areas of the operation.
• Experience with scheduling, purchasing, inventory, food-cost control, or other restaurant financial processes.
• Current ServSafe Manager Certification, or ability to obtain within required timeframe.
• Working proficiency with Microsoft Office and common restaurant or business systems.
• Ability to work weekends, holidays, early mornings, and other schedules based on business needs.
• Ability to work safely in a high-altitude mountain environment and changing winter weather conditions.
• Intermediate skiing or snowboarding ability required.

The expected pay range is$25.00- $27.00. This is the pay range we reasonably expect to pay for this position. Individual compensation decisions are based on a variety of factors.

In completing this application, and when submitting related documentation, applicants may redact information that identifies their age, date of birth, and/or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.

We follow all federal, state, and local laws including restrictions on child/minor labor. Minors hired into this position will not be asked or permitted to engage in any activities restricted to adult workers.

Vail Resorts is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other status protected by applicable law.