Director of Culinary

Director Of Culinary

At Starbird Chicken, we are redefining what fast food can be — serving fresh, crave-worthy food through bold culinary creativity, operational excellence, and genuine hospitality. Innovation sits at the center of our brand identity. We believe our food should constantly evolve, surprise, and lead the category while remaining approachable, highly executable, and deeply guest-focused.

As Starbird enters its next phase of national growth and expansion, culinary innovation will continue to be the heartbeat of the brand. We are seeking an exceptional culinary leader who can elevate and protect Starbird's food vision while building a scalable innovation engine capable of supporting rapid growth across multiple markets.

The Director of Culinary is a senior leader responsible for shaping and advancing Starbird's culinary identity across all channels and future growth platforms. This role owns the full innovation pipeline—from concept to commercialization—driving menu development, product standards, and scalable execution. The ideal candidate brings strong fast-casual/QSR innovation experience, sharp culinary instincts, operational know-how, and the ability to collaborate effectively with Supply Chain, Marketing, and external innovation partners, guiding teams through rapid growth.

Culinary innovation is the heart of the brand

A chance to shape a nationally growing concept

Entrepreneurial, collaborative leadership culture

Critical focus on product strategy, brand positioning, and guest experience

Differentiating flavors and exploratory disposition

Fast-paced environment driven by curiosity and innovation

Lead long-term culinary strategy, roadmap, and menu evolution

Build a strong innovation pipeline (core menu, LTOs, new categories, growth platforms)

Serve as the brand's culinary voice

Translate trends, insights, and operational needs into differentiated menu innovation

Set and uphold culinary standards, flavor profiles, and product specs

Lead concepting, bench development, testing, rollout, and lifecycle management

Drive sensory evaluation, refinement, and operational feasibility

Partner with supply chain on sourcing and commercialization

Improve existing items for quality, consistency, and profitability

Ensure alignment with creative ingredients and brand standards

Design innovation for multi-unit execution

Partner with Operations/Training on SOPs, prep, rollout plans, and standards

Support openings, field testing, and culinary audits

Balance creativity with labor efficiency, speed, equipment capacity, and economics

Create scalable processes and stage-gate systems

Maintain recipe databases and documentation

Align with Marketing on storytelling, campaigns, and LTO calendars

Collaborate with Finance on costing, margins, and menu architecture

Partner with QA/Food Safety on compliance, allergens, and nutrition

Work with Supply Chain and Operations on specs and execution

Present strategies and business cases to executive leadership

Build and mentor a high-performing culinary innovation/R&D team

Foster a culture of creativity, accountability, and excellence

Lead with professionalism, humility, and hospitality

Culinary degree or equivalent training preferred

7+ years of progressive culinary leadership in fast casual/QSR/multi-unit brands

5+ years leading teams and external partners

Proven success with menu innovation and national rollouts

Deep operational and commercialization knowledge

Exceptional palate and commitment to ingredient quality

Strong financial/operational acumen (costing, yields, profitability)

Experience building and leading culinary or innovation teams

Strong communication and executive presence

Entrepreneurial, agile, highly collaborative style

Comfortable in fast-growth, high-change environments

Proficiency with Microsoft Office and recipe/inventory systems

Active Food Handler Certification; ServSafe Manager preferred

Ability to travel up to 25%