Sr Mgr Culinary Strategy - 90413970 - Washington DC OR Philadelphia

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As we move America’s workforce toward the future, Amtrak connects businesses and communities across the country. We employ more than 20,000 diverse, energetic professionals in a variety of career fields throughout the United States. The safety of our passengers, our employees, the public and our operating environment is our priority, and the success of our railroad is due to our employees.

Are you ready to join our team?

Our values of ‘Do the Right Thing, Excel Together and Put Customers First’ are at the heart of what matters most to us, and our Core Capabilities, ‘Building Trust, Accountability, Effective Communication, Customer Focus, and Proactive Safety & Security’ are what every employee needs to know and do to be most impactful at Amtrak. By living the Amtrak values, focusing on our capabilities, and actively embracing and fostering diverse ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives, together we will honor our past and make Amtrak a company of the future.

This position can be located in either Washington D.C. or Philadelphia PA.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Sr Mgr Culinary Strategy owns the end-to-end culinary vision and product strategy across all classes of onboard service, Amtrak’s lounges, and cafes/retail food and beverage. This role leads the development of menu concepts and beverage programs, balancing customer experience, brand alignment, operational feasibility, and financial performance. In addition to culinary and product leadership, this position owns vendor and supplier relationships — managing sourcing, contracts, and partner performance — ensuring a consistent, scalable, and differentiated food and beverage program across the network. The role leads a culinary and product development team and partners cross-functionally with a counterpart role overseeing service delivery and standards, as well as Procurement/Strategic Sourcing, Finance, and Marketing, to deliver against both experience and commercial goals.

ESSENTIAL FUNCITONS:

• Culinary Vision & Menu Strategy: Own the end-to-end culinary vision across all classes of onboard service, lounges, and cafes/retail F&B. Develop short- and long-term menu and beverage program strategies, ensuring alignment with brand positioning and customer experience goals.
• Product & Vendor Relationship Management: Own vendor and supplier relationships supporting culinary and product programs, including sourcing, contract negotiation, and ongoing performance management, ensuring product quality, cost, and availability targets are met.
• Product Development & Innovation: Lead development of new menu concepts and beverage programs, driving continuous innovation to differentiate the onboard and lounge experience while balancing creativity with operational execution.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Partner with the counterpart role overseeing service delivery and standards, as well as Procurement/Strategic Sourcing, Finance, and Marketing, to ensure culinary and product programs are delivered consistently, at scale, and in a cost-effective manner.
• Operational Feasibility: Ensure all culinary and product concepts are executable across the network’s catering and supply chain at scale, partnering with operations and vendors to validate feasibility before launch.
• Team Leadership: Lead and develop a culinary and product development team (e.g., chefs, product managers), fostering a culture focused on quality, innovation, and execution.
• Commercial & Cost Performance: Drive commercial performance and cost optimization through effective product design, sourcing decisions, and vendor management, while supporting sustainability initiatives where applicable.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, Business, or a related field. Equivalent practical experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Experience: 9+ years of progressive experience in culinary strategy, product development, or food and beverage program management, including demonstrated experience leading and developing a team.
• Vendor & Supplier Management: Demonstrated experience owning vendor/supplier relationships, including sourcing, contract negotiation, and ongoing performance management.
• Culinary & Product Strategy: Proven ability to translate brand strategy into executable culinary and product programs, balancing creative, operational, and financial considerations.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent combination of education, training and/or relevant experience. Plus 11 years of relevant work experience.
• Industry Experience: Prior experience in airline catering, rail, or hospitality-specific culinary/product programs.
• Advanced Education: Culinary degree from a recognized culinary institute, or an advanced business degree (e.g., MBA), given the commercial and vendor management scope of the role.
• Multi-Channel Program Experience: Experience managing culinary or product programs across more than one channel type (e.g., onboard and retail/lounge).

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and ABILITIES:

• Culinary & Product Expertise: Strong knowledge of culinary trends, menu development, and beverage program design, with the ability to translate brand strategy into executable, scalable product programs.
• Vendor & Contract Management: Skilled in supplier negotiation, contract management, and vendor performance evaluation, with the ability to balance cost, quality, and availability.
• Financial & Commercial Acumen: Strong understanding of cost management, margin, and commercial performance drivers, with the ability to make product decisions that support financial goals.
• Leadership & Team Development: Proven ability to lead, develop, and motivate a multi-disciplinary culinary/product team, fostering a culture of quality and innovation.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Strong ability to partner across Service Delivery, Procurement/Strategic Sourcing, Finance, and Marketing to deliver consistent, cost-effective programs at scale.
• Operational Feasibility & Execution: Ability to evaluate and validate that culinary and product concepts are executable within real-world operational and supply chain constraints.
• Innovation & Adaptability: Strong creative and analytical skills to drive continuous improvement and introduce new concepts while operating within a complex, multi-channel environment (onboard, lounges, cafes/retail).

The salary/hourly range is $122,200.00 – $158,436.00. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, etc. Depending on an employee’s assigned worksite or location, Amtrak may consider a geo-pay differential to be applied to the employee’s base salary. Amtrak may offer additional incentive and pay programs to recognize and reward our employees, including a short-term incentive bonus based upon factors such as individual and company performance that is commensurate with the level of the position.

Learn more about our benefits offerings here.

Requisition ID: 167056

Work Arrangement: 06-Onsite 4/5 Days Click here for more information about work arrangements at Amtrak.
Relocation Offered: No
Travel Requirements: Up to 25%

You power our progress through your performance.

We want your work at Amtrak to be more than a job. We want your career at Amtrak to be a fulfilling experience where you find challenging work, rewarding opportunities, respect among colleagues, and attractive compensation. Amtrak maintains a culture that values high performance and recognizes individual employee contributions.

Amtrak is committed to a safe workplace free of drugs and alcohol. All Amtrak positions requires a pre-employment background check that includes prior employment verification, a criminal history check and a pre-employment drug screen.

Candidates who test positive for marijuana will be disqualified, regardless of any state or local statute, ordinance, regulation, or other law that legalizes or decriminalizes the use or possession of marijuana, whether for medical, recreational, or other use. Amtrak's pre-employment drug testing program is administered in accordance with DOT regulations and applicable law.

In accordance with DOT regulations (49 CFR § 40.25), Amtrak is required to obtain prior drug and alcohol testing records for applicants/employees intending to perform safety-sensitive duties for covered Department of Transportation positions. If an applicant/employee refuses to provide written consent for Amtrak to obtain these records, the individual will not be permitted to perform safety-sensitive functions.

In accordance with federal law governing security checks of covered individuals for providers of public transportation (Title 6 U.S.C. §1143), Amtrak is required to screen applicants for any permanent or interim disqualifying criminal offenses.

Note that any education requirement listed above may be deemed satisfied if you have an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Amtrak is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race/color, to include traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to, hair texture and hairstyles such as braids, locks and twists, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions, such as lactation), national origin/ethnicity, disability (intellectual, mental and physical), veteran status, marital status, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, genetic information, citizenship or any other personal characteristics protected by law.