Senior Executive - Culinary Innovations - American Airlines Center

Levy Restaurants; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life Insurance/AD&D

Disability Insurance

Retirement Plan

Flexible Time Off Plan

Paid Parental Leave

Holiday Time Off

Personal Leave

Associate Shopping Program

Health and Wellness Programs

Discount Marketplace

Identity Theft Protection

Pet Insurance

Commuter Benefits

Employee Assistance Program

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

Job summary

Levy Restaurants at American Airlines Center in Dallas seeks a Senior Executive - Culinary Innovations to shape forward-thinking culinary strategies that elevate guest experiences and drive revenue. You will lead menu and product innovation, identify culinary trends, and partner with operations, purchasing, and finance to scale concepts that are operationally feasible and financially successful.

This role requires 7–10+ years of leadership in high-end culinary environments, strong analytics, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, Business, or a related field preferred.
• 7–10+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience.
• High-end culinary experience in award-winning or luxury environments.
• Experience leading menu development and culinary innovation initiatives.
• Proven innovative and data-driven culinary leader.
• Experience with culinary trend forecasting, menu engineering, recipe development, and product development.
• Proficiency in financial analysis, menu costing, and contribution-margin analysis.
• Experience with project management, vendor management, and strategic planning.
• Ability to work event-based hours as needed.
• Travel up to 20% of the time.

Responsibilities

• Leads the development of innovative food and beverage concepts and guest experiences.
• Identifies emerging culinary, beverage, wellness, and sustainability trends.
• Designs, tests, costs, and standards new menu offerings across service channels with a focus on premium operations.
• Develops seasonal, promotional, signature, and limited-time menu offerings.
• Optimizes menus using guest feedback, market trends, sales performance, and contribution margins.
• Creates visually compelling dishes and culinary experiences that support guest engagement and brand storytelling.
• Incorporates local flavors, chef collaborations, and regional influences into culinary programming.
• Partners with culinary and operations teams to launch scalable and operationally feasible programs.
• Develops training materials and implementation guides to support consistent execution.
• Analyzes food costs, sales, menu mix, and profitability to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Builds relationships with suppliers, manufacturers, culinary innovators, and key business partners.
• Evaluates new ingredients, products, equipment, and culinary technologies.
• Leads vendor tastings, innovation showcases, workshops, and ideation sessions.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Menu development

Culinary innovation

Data-driven decisions

Financial analysis

Menu costing

Contribution-margin analysis

Project management

Vendor management

Strategic planning

Event-based work

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts or related field

Job description

Levy Sector LOCATION: American Airlines Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in downtown Dallas, Texas. The arena serves as the home of the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League and Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. The arena also hosts many world-class concerts and other events.

Different perspectives make us better. We’re committed to creating an equal opportunity and fair treatment environment, where learning and growing together is just part of our everyday. An environment where you can be your authentic self.

About Levy

The disruptor in defining the sports and entertainment hospitality experience, Levy is recognized as the market leader and most critically acclaimed hospitality company in its industry. Twice named one of the 10 most innovative companies in sports by Fast Company magazine and one of the top three Best Employers for Diversity in America by Forbes, Levy’s diverse portfolio includes award-winning restaurants; iconic sports and entertainment venues, zoos and cultural institutions, theaters, and convention centers; as well as the Super Bowl, Grammy Awards, US Open Tennis Tournament, Kentucky Derby, and NHL, MLB, NBA, NFL, and MLS All-Star Games.

Job Summary

Turn culinary ideas into unforgettable guest experiences. As the Senior Executive - Culinary Innovations, you will shape and execute forward-thinking culinary strategies that will elevate the guest experience, strengthen Levy’s culinary reputation, and support revenue growth. You will lead menu and product innovation, identify emerging culinary trends, and partner across operations, purchasing, and finance to bring creative concepts to life in ways that are scalable, operationally effective, and financially successful.

Key Responsibilities

• Leads the development of innovative food and beverage concepts and guest experiences
• Identifies emerging culinary, beverage, wellness, and sustainability trends
• Designs, tests, costs, and standardizes new menu offerings across service channels, with a focus on premium operations
• Develops seasonal, promotional, signature, and limited-time menu offerings
• Optimizes menus using guest feedback, market trends, sales performance, and contribution margins
• Creates visually compelling dishes and culinary experiences that support guest engagement and brand storytelling
• Incorporates local flavors, chef collaborations, and regional influences into culinary programming
• Partners with culinary and operations teams to launch scalable and operationally feasible programs
• Develops training materials and implementation guides to support consistent execution
• Analyzes food costs, sales, menu mix, and profitability to identify opportunities for improvement
• Builds relationships with suppliers, manufacturers, culinary innovators, and key business partners
• Evaluates new ingredients, products, equipment, and culinary technologies
• Leads vendor tastings, innovation showcases, workshops, and ideation sessions

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, Business, or a related field preferred
• 7–10+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience
• High-end culinary experience strongly preferred, with demonstrated success in award-winning, nationally recognized, or critically acclaimed restaurant or luxury hospitality environments
• Demonstrated experience leading menu development and culinary innovation initiatives
• Proven innovative and data-driven culinary leader
• Experience with culinary trend forecasting, menu engineering, recipe development, and product development
• Proficiency in financial analysis, menu costing, and contribution-margin analysis
• Experience with project management, vendor management, and strategic planning
• Ability to work event-based hours as needed
• Travel up to 20% of the time

Curious about Life at Levy? Check it out: Levy Culture

At Levy, team = family. And we’ll always take care of family, learn more about Levy benefits offered.

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

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, click here or copy/paste the link below for paid time off benefits information.

https://www.compass-usa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2023_WageTransparency_Levy.pdf

Levy is a member of Compass Group USA. Compass Group/Levy is an equal opportunity employer. At Compass/Levy, 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. We encourage applicants with a criminal history (and driving history) to apply.

Certain positions may require Florida Level 2 background screening. Details: https://info.flclearinghouse.com/

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Levy maintains a drug-free workplace.