Culinary Visionary & Multi-Venue Operations Leader

Gecko Hospitality (Corporate); Connecticut; On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Gecko Hospitality is seeking a Director of Culinary Operations for a confidential executive search to oversee a diverse portfolio of luxury hospitality venues across multiple concepts in the United States.

The ideal candidate combines an exceptional culinary pedigree with strategic leadership, hands-on kitchen presence, and strong financial oversight to elevate dining experiences, drive innovation, and develop top culinary talent.

Qualifications

• Extensive progressive culinary leadership experience within luxury hotels and resorts, prestigious private clubs, upscale restaurants, sophisticated hospitality groups, or comparable multi-unit culinary environments.
• Exceptional culinary expertise with a demonstrated ability to develop and execute refined, innovative à la carte menus while maintaining the precision and consistency required for high-volume banquet and event operations.
• Proven success overseeing multiple culinary outlets, leading diverse teams, and managing complex operations with varying service styles, production requirements, and business objectives.
• Advanced financial and operational acumen, including comprehensive P&L management, food cost controls, labor optimization, purchasing, inventory management, recipe costing, and budget development.
• Demonstrated ability to establish effective operational systems, standardized recipes, purchasing procedures, inventory par levels, and performance metrics that deliver consistent, measurable results.
• Strong leadership capabilities with a history of recruiting, developing, mentoring, and retaining high-performing culinary teams, including both management and hourly professionals.
• A sophisticated understanding of contemporary culinary trends, progressive cooking techniques, seasonal menu development, premium ingredients, and elevated guest expectations.
• Experience with new restaurant, hotel, resort, or private club openings, culinary repositioning, concept development, or large-scale operational transformations is highly desirable.
• Experience with centralized culinary production, specialty food programs, bakery operations, or scalable prepared-food concepts is advantageous.
• Exceptional communication, organizational, and leadership skills, with confidence and professionalism to collaborate effectively with executive leadership and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Culinary Vision & Innovation: Establish and execute a progressive culinary vision across multiple hospitality venues, elevating the dining experience through exceptional cuisine, creative menu development, refined presentation, and innovative culinary concepts.
• Multi-Unit Culinary Leadership: Provide comprehensive leadership and oversight of multiple restaurants, private member dining experiences, high-volume banquet and event operations, and specialized culinary production facilities, ensuring consistency and excellence across all locations.
• Exceptional À La Carte & Banquet Execution: Demonstrate mastery of sophisticated à la carte dining and large-scale culinary events, maintaining uncompromising standards of food quality, service execution, timing, and presentation across diverse dining environments.
• Hands-On Kitchen Leadership: Maintain a strong operational presence, working alongside culinary teams during critical service periods, providing technical guidance, mentoring chefs, and ensuring exceptional execution at every level.
• Financial & Operational Performance: Assume full accountability for culinary financial results, including P&L performance, food and labor costs, purchasing, inventory management, recipe costing, production efficiencies, and adherence to established budgets and performance objectives.
• Talent Development & Team Building: Recruit, inspire, mentor, and retain exceptional culinary professionals. Develop strong culinary leadership teams and foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, creativity, and continuous professional development.
• Operational Systems & Consistency: Establish and refine comprehensive culinary systems, standardized recipes, production procedures, purchasing protocols, inventory controls, and training programs that ensure operational excellence and sustainable performance.
• Culinary Concept Development & Growth: Identify opportunities to introduce new dining experiences, expand existing culinary programs, and develop innovative food concepts and production capabilities that support the organization’s long-term growth.
• Quality Assurance & Food Safety: Champion the highest standards of food safety, sanitation, product integrity, and regulatory compliance across all culinary operations.

Job description

Gecko Hospitality is seeking a Director of Culinary Operations for a confidential executive search to oversee a diverse portfolio of luxury hospitality venues across multiple concepts in the United States.

The ideal candidate combines an exceptional culinary pedigree with strategic leadership, hands-on kitchen presence, and strong financial oversight to elevate dining experiences, drive innovation, and develop top culinary talent.