Job Description

Director of Culinary Operations ( Large Volume Off-Premise Catering)

About the Role

Our Client is searching for a Director of Culinary Operations to lead their culinary team with vision, strategy, and collaboration. This is not just about cooking — it’s about building, inspiring, and managing a high-performing team while working hand-in-hand with our operations and sales departments to deliver seamless, memorable experiences.

This role oversees all culinary production across our business lines: large-scale off-premise catering, their retail location (ready-made goods and prepared meals), and their exclusive event venue. The Director of Culinary Operations ensures that every aspect of their culinary engine runs efficiently, profitably, and collaboratively, always aligned with their reputation for excellence.

What We’re Looking For

Our ideal candidate is, above all, a leader and big-picture thinker. They are energized by managing people, solving problems, and connecting the dots across departments. They know catering is different from restaurants — higher volume, more logistics, tighter timelines — and thrive in that environment. Culinary creativity matters, but it’s secondary to the ability to direct the team, think strategically, and manage financials.

The candidate should bring:

• 8–10 years of progressive experience, with a strong background in catering or large-scale production (not just restaurant).
• 4+ years of supervisory/management experience leading diverse teams.
• Proven ability to collaborate with operations and sales to achieve client satisfaction and profitability goals.
• Solid understanding of financials, food costing, and labor management.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills; able to anticipate challenges and adapt quickly.
• Culinary training or degree preferred, but demonstrated leadership in large-volume food operations is more important.
• Tech fluency, especially with Microsoft Excel; experience with Caterease or inventory management systems is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead, manage, and motivate the culinary team; ensure clear communication, accountability, and performance.
• Partner with operations and sales to execute catering events, retail initiatives, and venue experiences profitably and seamlessly.
• Oversee scheduling, staffing, and labor management to align with financial targets.
• Ensure consistent, high-quality food production across off-premise catering, the retail location, and event space.
• Develop and implement systems to monitor and manage food/labor costs, inventory, and efficiency.
• Maintain high standards of sanitation, safety, and compliance across all culinary operations.
• Support menu development and culinary innovation, with a focus on feasibility, scalability, and profitability.
• Represent the culinary team in cross-departmental meetings and planning sessions.
• Lead staff training to promote growth, safety, and cross-functional knowledge.

What Success Looks Like

• A cohesive culinary team that feels supported, challenged, and motivated.
• Smooth collaboration between culinary, operations, and sales, resulting in stress-free events and retail execution.
• Financial goals consistently met through smart labor and cost management.

Bonus Points

• Familiarity with Charleston event venues and their unique challenges.
• Prior experience implementing systems that streamline operations and reduce costs.
• Passion for Southern cuisine paired with openness to global influences.

Catch Talent is a high-touch recruiting agency that delivers end-to-end talent acquisition solutions to growing technology, digital media, and professional services companies. Headquartered in Charleston, SC, Catch brings decades of technical recruiting expertise to local and national clients and offers a full range of flexible solutions, including direct placement hiring, recruitment process outsourcing, contract and contract-to-hire models. Catch specializes in the entire talent attraction lifecycle by sourcing and recruiting qualified candidates who are interview-ready, culturally aligned, and ready to make an immediate impact - learn how at catchtalent.com.

Catch Talent provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

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