Director of Culinary Innovation | Multi-Unit Restaurant Group | NYC

Director of Culinary Innovation

Overview

Leads the creative direction and development of the menu and culinary identity across a multi-unit restaurant group. Owns the full innovation process from concept through rollout, ensuring new ideas are both compelling and executable at scale. Partners closely with executive leadership and operations teams to align creativity with business goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive menu development, including concept creation, recipe testing, and seasonal updates
• Lead a structured R&D process to support ongoing menu innovation and limited-time offerings
• Ensure all new dishes are fully documented, costed, and operationally ready for multi-unit execution
• Partner with operations to ensure concepts are practical, scalable, and consistent across locations
• Collaborate with marketing and leadership on menu storytelling, launches, and brand positioning
• Serve as a culinary representative for the brand in external settings, including events and media
• Build and maintain a centralized recipe and documentation system
• Support training and education initiatives tied to menu rollouts and brand standards

Qualifications

• Proven experience in culinary innovation, menu development, or R&D within a multi-unit environment
• Ability to translate creative ideas into structured, scalable recipes and systems
• Experience collaborating cross-functionally with operations and marketing teams
• Strong creativity paired with business and operational awareness
• Ability to manage multiple projects and timelines simultaneously
• Willingness to travel regularly

Additional

• Background in test kitchen or structured R&D environment is a plus
• Spanish language skills preferred
• Experience representing a brand publicly (media, events, etc.) is a plus