Executive Culinary Manager

What We’re Seeking

What do you think about food from the guest's first impression of the last bite? Are you as comfortable talking about food cost and labor efficiency as you are developing menus that excite people? Can you build a kitchen culture that performs under pressure and takes pride in what they put out?

We are looking for an Executive Culinary Manager who leads a culinary operation with both creativity and business discipline. Someone who develops their team drives quality and consistency at scale and brings an operator's mindset to every decision. The food here matters. It is part of the experience, not an afterthought.

If you want to lead a culinary program people talk about, bring your standards here.

The Role

The Executive Culinary Manager leads all culinary operations at the venue, ensuring guests receive exceptional, consistent, best-in-class dining experiences. This role requires two critical skill sets: deep culinary expertise and strong people leadership.

The Executive Culinary Manager supervises, trains, coaches, and develops the kitchen team, while also managing the full scope of culinary operations; scheduling, inventory, ordering, food and labor cost management, safety and sanitation, vendor relationships, and menu development.

As a leader of a high-energy, guest-facing venue, this role requires a flexible schedule including evenings, weekends, and holidays, with availability to work extended hours during peak periods, special events, and high-volume seasons.

What You Will Do

Lead the Kitchen Team

• Supervise the culinary team in delivering best-in-class dining experiences across all occasions
• Coach, develop, and drive engagement with kitchen Team members daily
• Delegate effectively and hold team members accountable for standards and execution
• Build a kitchen culture rooted in excellence, care, and continuous improvement

Manage Culinary Operations

• Monitor inventory, order product, and maintain strong vendor relationships
• Maintain food and labor costs according to budget, with a full understanding of COGS
• Ensure proper equipment operation, maintenance, and kitchen safety
• Oversee all safety and sanitation standards and ensure full regulatory compliance

Drive Culinary Excellence

• Select, develop, and standardize recipes to corporate approval to ensure consistent quality
• Establish and maintain presentation techniques and quality standards
• Plan and cost menus for special events and chef-choice occasions
• Utilize culinary innovation to elevate the guest experience

Partner Across the Business

• Communicate and effectively partner with venue leadership, Home Office, and vendors
• Develop and implement action plans in response to performance opportunities
• Demonstrate Topgolf's core values: Fun, One Team, Excellence, Courage, and Caring

Core Competencies for Success

Drives Results | Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstances.

• Pushes the kitchen team to achieve and maintain the highest culinary standards
• Drives a record of accomplishment of success through consistent food quality, cost management, and team performance
• Fosters a sense of urgency and accountability for hitting food cost, labor, and service targets
• Leads the team to persist and maintain performance standards even during peak volume

Additional information

Builds Effective Teams | Building strong-identity teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals.

• Develops and retains a high-performing kitchen team through coaching and mentorship
• Ensures the team has the right skills and leverages individual culinary strengths
• Communicates clear goals, roles, and production standards to all kitchen Team members
• Creates a team culture of pride, craftsmanship, and continuous improvement

Plans and Aligns | Planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals.

• Addresses risks and contingencies as part of the culinary planning and prep process
• Finds the right balance between production planning and adjusting to event or volume changes
• Ensures the kitchen's plans and priorities are coordinated with the broader venue Operations team
• Plans to make sure critical ingredients, staffing, and resources are lined up for service and events

Ensures Accountability | Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments.

• Monitors food cost, labor cost, and waste metrics and adjusts operations accordingly
• Holds self and team accountable for safety, sanitation, and compliance standards
• Accepts responsibility for kitchen performance and acts decisively to drive improvement
• Follows through on commitments to leadership, vendors, and the broader venue team

QUALIFICATIONS - 3+ years of culinary management or supervisory experience in a high-volume restaurant, hotel, or entertainment environment.

• Culinary degree, professional culinary certification, or equivalent training and experience in a high-volume, full-service kitchen and events-driven environment is strongly preferred.
• Must be 21 years of age or older as required by state or local law

Physical Requirements

Let us be real; this is not your typical desk job! Here is what you will need to do to thrive in this role:

• Ability to remain on your feet and in motion for extended periods throughout the shift, including standing, walking, and navigating a fast-paced kitchen environment; this role operates in a high-volume kitchen and requires sustained physical stamina throughout the duration of each shift
• Ability to lift, carry, and move items up to 50 pounds independently and up to 75 pounds with assistance, including food products, equipment, supplies, and delivery transport across multiple levels of the venue
• Ability to navigate stairs, ramps, and multi-level areas of the venue when transporting food, coordinating events, or overseeing service delivery
• Ability to work in varying temperature environments on a frequent basis, including hot kitchen conditions, walk-in coolers, and freezers
• Ability to perform repetitive hand and wrist motions including cutting, stirring, lifting, and operating kitchen equipment throughout the shift
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in a high-energy venue environment that may include moderate to high levels of background noise
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-volume environment while maintaining focus, food safety standards, and quality under pressure

• Sounds like a fit? We cannot wait to meet with you!
• 64,500.00 - 76,300.00 - 88,100.00 USD Annual

Benefits

• Free Play & 1/2 price food!
• Health, dental, vision, 401(k) team member match, free mental well-being platform – and that’s just for starters for those who qualify.
• View team member benefits here.

ADA

The above statements cover what are generally believed to be principal and essential functions of the job. Specific circumstances may allow or require some incumbents assigned to the job to perform a different combination of duties.