Head of Culinary

Overview:

We recruit the best talent and invest in their ongoing development, through training and mentoring. We provide opportunities to work across our national network. dnata catering U.S. is looking for a Head of Culinary to join our Corporate team located in White Plains, NY. This role is onsite.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Head of Culinary for dnata Catering is a pivotal role within the business, responsible for overseeing catering operations across North America, including New York, Boston, Newark, Houston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. This role serves as the face of dnata Catering for all culinary-related fields and leads efforts to excel in menu and product design, food quality delivery, as well as chef recruitment and training.

The position requires planning and coordination of various menu development activities to ensure the team provides top-quality menu presentations and food products to our customers. Additionally, this role involves strategizing cost-effective arrangements, ensuring commitment to our customers’ requirements while maintaining profitability. The Head of Culinary will execute and maintain the culinary agenda to support the realization of the overall business strategy.

You Will:

• Lead the culinary integration activities for any startups within North America.
• Manage the development team to create the right products for our customers at the right cost, maintaining efficiency for dnata and maximizing profitability.
• Drive best practices across the business in all culinary and associated areas, ensuring quality and cost control.
• Collaborate with procurement teams to manage critical vendors, delivering on contract requirements, including performance targets and continuous improvement, with a focus on product quality and yield performance.
• Monitor and review customer menus to ensure they meet customer requirements and are profitable for dnata, proactively suggesting changes when certain items are unsuccessful.
• Develop a strategy for continuous improvement in our menu presentation operations, enhancing both quality and efficiency while driving down costs where possible, all while providing a high-end customer experience.
• Conduct ongoing reviews of trends in the marketplace, demonstrating internally and externally where we should focus our styles within customer guidelines.
• Maintain a comprehensive menu program for Special Meals, fulfilling customer requirements while reducing negative feedback.
• Build successful relationships across all levels of stakeholders, both internally and externally.
• Assist in sourcing executive chefs, ensuring an agreed sign-off process with all businesses for these roles.

NONESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Other duties as assigned.

The salary range is influenced by the level of experience. When calculating the base pay, we take into account various factors such as location, qualifications, training, and experience as part of the overall compensation package. 112K-225K.

You Have:

EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree preferred; Associate degree and minimum of 15+ years of experience in an executive culinary position such as Executive Chef, Food and Beverage Director, or Culinary Director.

• Experience working in a North American market, such as high-end hotels, resorts, or large upmarket catering groups.
• Experienced chef with a background in large operations and high-volume production.
• Expert influencing and negotiating skills, with the ability to adapt personal style to suit a varied audience and interpersonal styles.
• Demonstrated capacity to influence stakeholders and facilitate change, including challenging the status quo and delivering innovative solutions.
• Proven ability to build strong customer relationships and develop effective communication within customer culinary teams.
• Energetic leader and trusted culinary advisor, committed to high-quality menu development and cost-effective production.
• Experience in the food manufacturing arena, with an understanding of quality assurance, supply planning, and production.
• Leadership capabilities with the financial competency to devise, execute, and manage a budget.
• Working knowledge of HACCP and FDA compliance.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite.
• Strong leadership, project management, and process improvement skills.
• Time management skills and ability to meet performance requirements.
• Effective employee relations skills.
• Ability to solve quality-related problems and drive continuous improvement.
• Strong focus on safety and compliance.
• Flexible and adaptable to a fast-paced environment.
• Passion for high-end cuisine and exceptional service.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Must be able to travel as needed.

Intellectual/Social demands:

While performing the essential functions of this job, the employee is continuously asked to multi-task under time limits. Position requires constant attention to precise details and accuracy of specified standards including following simple to complex (more than 3 steps) instructions, and concentration which frequently extends beyond 30 minutes at a time. This position also requires constant attendance and punctuality - Is consistently at work and on time. Follows instructions, responds to management direction; Takes responsibility for own actions; Completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternate plan. Meets productivity standards; Completes work in timely manner; Strives to increase productivity; Works quickly.

Physical demands:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk; reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel, or crouch. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Safety and Security - Observes safety and security procedures; Reports potentially unsafe conditions; Use equipment and materials properly.

Work environment:

The essential functions of this position are performed indoors. The noise level in the work environment can range from minimal to loud.

dnata’s Competencies Required to be Successful in the Job:

There are two aspects to working as effectively as we can: our people and our results. Our eight competencies are designed to help you focus on these aspects:

Delivering: Does what they say they will. And they balance the needs of our customers' needs with our business's needs.

Drive: Always gets the job done. And still puts the needs of our business first.

Open to opportunity: Adapts when plans change. Is open to new ideas. Makes suggestions that will help shape our culture.

Business thinking: Understand our business. Uses this understanding in their day-to-day work and plans for the future.

Collaborate: Look for solutions that work for themselves, their team, and the whole organization.

Engaging others: Acts in a way that gets others on board – and when things don’t go to plan, they deal with conflict in the right way.

Provide direction: Share plans with others. Tracks how each project is progressing. Gives constructive feedback during, and after, each project.

Developing talent: Self-aware. Always learning. Always developing. And always helping others to develop, too.

Demonstrated Values to be Successful in the Position:

• We put safety and security first in all our actions.
• We will set challenging goals and meet them.
• We deliver to a consistently high quality.
• We take ownership and responsibility of a situation until it is resolved.
• We are not afraid of failure and learn through our mistakes.

We respect each other regardless of background.

Diversity Matters:

We believe that diversity and inclusion are fundamental to creating a strong workplace and community. At dnata, we’re proud that our workforce is as diverse as the customers we serve. And we’re committed to nurturing your talent with mentoring, volunteer, and professional development opportunities. We welcome everyone. Our employee resource groups are one of the many ways we champion diversity and inclusion at dnata.