Director, Culinary Development – Lifestyle

Hyatt Taleo; United States; On-site; USD 181,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free hotel stays globally

Flexible work schedule and location

Headspace well-being subscription

Family assistance policy with paid and

Paid time off, medical, dental, vision

Job summary

Hyatt is seeking a Director of Culinary Development for the Lifestyle Group in New York City. You will lead all menu and concept development for branded restaurants, bars, and nightlife venues across Americas brands, ensuring quality, safety, sustainability, and profitability.

You will supervise culinary leaders, drive labor efficiency, design kitchens, and collaborate with development, creative, and design teams to elevate guest experiences.

Qualifications

• Extensive culinary leadership with 10–15 years in progressive roles.
• At least 5 years in an executive chef or senior management role in lifestyle hotels or concepting.
• Experience in food & beverage development, operations, and profitability.

Responsibilities

• Lead menu development and culinary concepts with development, creative, and design teams.
• Ensure menus drive traffic, optimize product and labor efficiency.
• Oversee kitchen layout, design, and equipment specifications for venues.
• Engage with owners as needed to align expectations and standards.
• Source culinary talent and build regional task forces as needed.
• Develop and mentor culinary leaders across the portfolio.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Menu development

Executive leadership

Costing knowledge

P&L acumen

Microsoft Office

Education

ServSafe Certification

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Director, Culinary Development – Lifestyle | NEW015381

Description

The Opportunity

Hyatt seeks an enthusiastic Director to join our Lifestyle Group F&B Operations team. In this role, you will be collaborating closely with the broader operations, development, and design teams, where you’ll be instrumental in continuing to make Hyatt a leading hospitality company. You will be part of a team that is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion, committed to nurturing curiosity and new skills and building connections across the organization with stakeholders, colleagues, and guests.

Who We Are

At Hyatt, our ambition is bold: to be the most responsive, most innovative, and best-performing company in hospitality. Within that vision, The Lifestyle Group stands apart—anchored in design that resonates, cultural relevance that inspires, and guest experiences that cannot be found anywhere else.

The Lifestyle Group is more than a collection of hotels – it’s a movement within hospitality. We are building an organization that is more agile, more accountable, and more inspiring, anchored by our commitment to colleagues, guests, and owners alike. Here, you’ll help write the next chapter of hospitality – one defined by cultural relevance, brand integrity, and transformative experiences.

Why Now?

This is an exciting time to be at Hyatt. We are growing rapidly and are looking for passionate changemakers to be a part of our journey. The hospitality industry is resilient and continues to offer dynamic opportunities for upward mobility, and Hyatt is no exception.

How We Care for Our People

Our purpose sets us apart – to care for people so they can be their best. Every business decision is made through the lens of our purpose, and it informs how we have and will continue to support each other as members of the Hyatt family. We’re proud to have earned a place on Fortune’s prestigious 100 Best Companies to Work For® list for the last ten years. This recognition is a testament to the tremendous way our Hyatt family continues to come together to care for one another, our commitment to a culture of inclusivity, empathy, and respect, and making sure everyone feels like they belong.

We’re proud to offer exceptional corporate benefits which include:

• Annual allotment of free hotel stays at Hyatt hotels globally
• Flexible work schedule and location
• Work-life benefits, including well-being initiatives such as a complimentary Headspace subscription
• A global family assistance policy with paid time-off following the birth or adoption of a child as well as financial assistance for adoption
• Paid Time Off, Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K with company match

Who You Are

As our ideal candidate, you understand the power and purpose of our Culture of Care and embody our core values of Empathy, Inclusion, Integrity, Experimentation, Respect, and Well-being. You enjoy working with others, are results-driven, and are looking for a variety of opportunities to develop personally and professionally.

The Role

The role of Director of Culinary Development is to lead all culinary menu and concept development for independently positioned and branded restaurants, bars, and nightlife venues across our full-service brands in the Americas. Menus and concepts will meet all standards with respect to food quality, safety, sustainability, and profitability. The person in this role will have a passion for, and demonstrated experience in, developing and presenting exciting and dynamic menus and culinary concepts, and overseeing the design of the innovative kitchens behind them.

• Lead all menu development and culinary concept creation in collaboration with our development, creative, and design teams for our existing and future independently positioned and branded restaurants, bars, and nightlife venues.
• Ensure menus and culinary concepts are engineered to drive traffic and maximize product and labor efficiency.
• Lead all kitchen layout, design, and equipment package specification for our existing and future independently positioned and branded restaurants, bars, and nightlife venues.
• Engage in owner relations/interaction as needed.
• Source culinary candidates and task force as needed.
• Leading, managing, guiding, inspiring, and developing culinary leaders across the portfolio.
• Ensuring all menus are consistent and standards are met.
• Develops systems for property culinary leaders to creatively contribute to existing and future concepts.
• Create and maintain recipe books, order guides, and supporting training materials for all independently positioned and branded restaurants, bars, and nightlife venues.
• Demonstrate a commitment to Hyatt’s Core Values.

Qualifications

Experience Required:

• Minimum 10-15 years culinary experience, with progressive levels of responsibility
• A minimum of 5 years in an executive chef or comparable management role, with experience in lifestyle hotels or creative restaurant concepting space
• Experience in food and beverage development and operations, with a proven track record of success
• Well-versed in all aspects of kitchen operations
• Current ServSafe Certification
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office

Additional Comments and Requirements:

• Must
• Strong understanding of culinary operational principles
• Ability to influence stakeholders at all levels
• Superior verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to do theoretical costing around food, purchasing, and labor
• Possesses a strong command of P&Ls, with the ability to effectively interpret and apply information to improve operations and profitability
• A hands‑on leader who enjoys working side by side with property culinary teams
• Above average understanding of Human Resources SOPs

The position responsibilities outlined above are in no way to be construed as all-encompassing. Other duties, responsibilities, and qualifications may be required and/or assigned as necessary.

The salary range for this position is $180,500 – $199,500.

The final pay rate/salary offered to the successful candidate will depend on experience, skill level and other qualifications for the role, as well as the location of the performance of work. Pay for the successful candidate will meet local requirements, including the local minimum wage rate

Research shows that people tend to apply to jobs, only if they meet all the listed job qualifications. Unsure if you check every box, but feeling inspired to enhance your career?

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.

Primary Location : US-NY-New York City

Organization : Hyatt Lifestyle Group New York Hub

Pay Basis : 180,500.00 Yearly US Dollar (USD)

Job Level : Professional Staff/Corporate | Full-time

Job : Culinary