Culinary Director

Culinary Director

Reports To: Executive Director of Services

Classification: Full-Time, Salary, Exempt

Salary: $60,000 - $70,000 per year.

Hours: Monday – Friday, 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM; occasional weekend hours

Position Summary: This person oversees the culinary department, directing the BGCNF Dining Hall, catering services, food truck operations, and youth culinary training programs. This leadership role is responsible for menu creation, financial budgeting, health code compliance, and vendor management across all food service branches. Additionally, the position combines advanced cooking expertise with instructional skills to lead diverse teams, run engaging teen culinary classes, and manage event logistics from planning to execution.

Key Roles (Essential Job Responsibilities)

Leadership

• Develop unique and cuisine-appropriate menus for both BGCNF Dining Hall, Catering and Food Truck including pricing
• Oversee Program Director - Culinary to ensure kitchen, surrounding and food truck areas are in conditions that meet the company standards and health code regulations
• Order all event meal items for delivery or the ability to pick up on call from local food service providers
• Manage a cross functional team that run the three businesses within the department (Dining Hall/ Catering, Culinary Class and Food Truck Operations)
• Ability to order all kitchen cleaning supplies for BGCNF Kitchen from either delivery or will call from local food service provider
• Lead and assist in meal preparation, creation, plating and delivery for events
• Follow-up with customers to ensure they all their expectations are met

Ensure the event complies with insurance, health and safety standards

Food Truck

• Oversee the Food Truck Sous Chef and ensure menu, product ordering and bookings are managed to ensure profit of the operation
• Oversee the truck remains in compliance with State Health guidelines
• Develop a Food Truck menu that can be adjusted based on bookings and location of business operation
• Ensure that the truck is regularly maintained to ensure limit mechanical issues occur

Culinary Training

• Oversee training, directing and supervising kitchen and event staff
• Develop BGCNF Culinary Class content
• Run Culinary Classes as required by funded grant
• Meet all deadlines that grant dictates
• Motivate youth to learn about those various aspects to the Food/Hospitality Industry
• Lead a fun and exciting 1 to 1.5 hours culinary class to teens 3 to 4 times a week during after school and summer programs

Event Management

• Gather information about the customers event objectives, budget and preferences
• Provide advice about menus, decor and entertainment
• Create a schedule of activities for staff to follow during events
• Communicate with vendors and suppliers
• Manage budget
• Troubleshoot problems that arise during the event
• Oversee servers, kitchen staff, cleaning crews and other workers
• Able to partner with Executive Chef to ensure customers' expectations are exceeded

Flexibility to perform additional duties outside the core scope of work as needed.

Qualification Requirements

Experience

• 10 plus years in the hospitality industry with chef experience (instruction experience a plus)
• 3-5 years in event planning and/or catering
• 3-5 years experience in booking events and negotiating
• Food Truck experience is strongly preferred

Knowledge & Skills

• Advanced culinary skills including food preparation, flavor pairings and other cooking best practices
• Restaurant Industry Knowledge
• Advanced knowledge of federal, state and local food handling regulations
• Time management and organization
• Exceptional leadership skills, including motivation and goal setting
• Basic understanding of event management software, word processors and spreadsheets
• Basic accounting and budgetary skills including submitting event quotes and final payments processing
• Organizational and planning abilities
• Creativity and problem-solving skills
• The ability to multitask in fast-paced environments
• The ability to identify potential legal liabilities and take steps to mitigate them
• Good networking and customer service skills
• Time management and organization
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

Supervisory: This position is responsible for supervising other staff.

Work Environment:

This position generally works a set schedule, but may require longer hours outside of this schedule and occasional weekends when necessary. Most work is conducted inside a kitchen or classroom environment, but occasionally requires outdoor events. Travel to other sites and special events is required.

Physical and Mental Requirements:

• Ability to sit, stand and walk for long periods; bending and squatting on occasion
• Ability to lift to 40 lbs. on occasion
• Ability to hear at a normal conversational level
• Ability to maintain a high energy level when necessary
• High degree of emotional intelligence

Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and Drug-Free Workplace. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

This position requires a Level 2 background screening through the Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse as mandated by Florida Statute 435.12.