Director of Culinary - Hilton McLean

Director Of Culinary

Hilton McLean, one of Hilton's flagship properties, is seeking a strategic and innovative Director of Culinary to lead all culinary operations while serving as the key liaison and point of contact for the Hilton Headquarters Test Kitchen located next door. This highly visible executive role offers a rare opportunity to bring planned initiatives to life and ensuring that culinary innovation, activations, and events are executed in alignment with approved corporate direction. As a member of the Hotel Executive Committee, this role partners closely with hotel leadership, sales, operations, and corporate teams to deliver exceptional guest experiences, consistent brand execution, and strong business results. For a culinary leader who is equally passionate about operational execution and influencing the future of Hilton's food and beverage programs, this is a truly unique opportunity to make an impact at both the property and enterprise level.

Responsibilities:

• Direct and oversee all culinary operations, to include, but not limited to, production of all hotel meals, food quality and presentation, compliance with all safety and sanitation standards and regulations, team member productivity and performance, implementation of policies and procedures, cost controls and overall profitability
• Create and implement new menus and individual menu items for outlets based on current food trends and regional tastes in partnership with Director of Food and Beverage
• Interact with guests and clients to monitor and assess satisfaction trends, evaluate and address issues and make improvements accordingly
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, local and company health, safety, sanitation and alcohol awareness standards
• Perform general management duties including, but not limited to, systems management, budget and forecasting, report generation, department management and meeting participation and facilitation
• Monitor and develop team member performance to include, but not limited to, providing supervision and professional development, scheduling, conducting counseling and evaluations and delivering recognition and reward
• Recruit, interview and train team members

Values and Key Attributes:

• Hospitality - We're passionate about delivering exceptional guest experiences.
• Integrity - We do the right thing, all the time.
• Leadership - We're leaders in our industry and in our communities.
• Teamwork - We're team players in everything we do.
• Ownership - We're the owners of our actions and decisions.
• Now - We operate with a sense of urgency and discipline
• Quality
• Productivity
• Dependability
• Customer Focus
• Adaptability

Qualifications & Experience:

• 10 years of progressive culinary leadership experience in full-service, upper-upscale or luxury hotel environments.
• 5 years as an Executive Chef or Director-level culinary role required.
• 5 years of experience operating within a Hotel Executive Committee structure.
• 5 years of strong financial acumen with demonstrated success managing labor, food cost, and profitability.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Culinary degree or equivalent professional training preferred.
• Prior union experience strongly preferred, with the ability to manage under collective bargaining agreements and maintain positive labor relations.

The Benefits:

• Medical Insurance Coverage for you and your family
• Mental health resources including Employee Assistance Program
• Best-in-Class Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Go Hilton travel program: 110 nights of discounted travel
• Parental leave to support new parents
• 401K plan and company match to help save for your retirement
• Employee stock purchase program (ESPP) - purchase Hilton shares at 15% discount
• Debt-free education : Team Members will have access to a wide variety of educational credentials through our partnership with Guild Education, including: college degrees and professional certifications*
• Career growth and development
• Recognition and rewards programs