Culinary Programs Manager — Data-Driven & Scalable

Compass Group USA; City of Niagara Falls (NY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Vision

Paid Time Off

Retirement Plan

Discount Marketplace

Flexible Spending Accounts

Job summary

Restaurant Associates is seeking a Culinary Programming Manager to lead the development and execution of centralized culinary programs within a dynamic client food program. You will drive data-driven decision making, build scalable systems, and collaborate with SMEs to standardize recipes, menus, and SOPs across cafés.

You will report to the Director of Culinary Programs & Development and work on automating processes, leveraging Smart Menu tools, and presenting financial and user-experience

Qualifications

• Typically requires a minimum of 5 years of experience across culinary, foodservice, business, or related fields.
• Completed degree is preferred, or equivalent professional experience.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification preferred but not required for this role.
• Strong technical proficiency in Google Suite tools (Sheets, Docs, and Slides).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present to internal stakeholders and provide clear executive direction.

Responsibilities

• Gather and analyze data to establish key performance benchmarks.
• Draft comprehensive proposals and business cases for new initiatives.
• Validate program proposals through data-driven insights and impact metrics.
• Develop structured project plans utilizing RACI frameworks to define governance and accountability.
• Manage multiple concurrent projects using standardized tracking tools, proactively identifying and mitigating risks or roadblocks.
• Balance a \"guest-first\" hospitality focus with strict operational and financial rigor.
• Engage effectively with key internal stakeholders and clients to ensure alignment.
• Lead change management efforts seamlessly across diverse teams.
• Support roll out of new Smart Menu and future menu management systems.
• Analyze current programs using current tools (Ex. Smart Menu).
• Work with team to develop annual culinary plan.
• Support further development of Smart Menu in Google sheets, enabling menu engineering and reporting.
• Document standard operating procedures using relevant tools (documents, presentations, photos, videos).
• Identify opportunities for new programs and present recommendations with data, UX and trend analysis.

Skills

Data analysis

Project management

Stakeholder communication

Automation

Analytical thinking

Creative problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree preferred

PM certification (PMP) preferred

Tools

Google Sheets

Google Docs

Google Slides

Job description

Restaurant Associates is seeking a Culinary Programming Manager to lead the development and execution of centralized culinary programs within a dynamic client food program. You will drive data-driven decision making, build scalable systems, and collaborate with SMEs to standardize recipes, menus, and SOPs across cafés.

You will report to the Director of Culinary Programs & Development and work on automating processes, leveraging Smart Menu tools, and presenting financial and user-experience