Director of Culinary

Director of Culinary

Who You Are

You are food obsessed.

You lead with passion, purpose, and pride. You believe exceptional culinary programs are built by strong teams who succeed together. You understand that food is never just food. It is connection. It is culture. It is experience.

You are a hands-on hospitality leader who thrives in dynamic environments where standards are high, expectations are elevated, and execution matters. You balance creativity with discipline, inspire teams through presence and mentorship, and understand how operational excellence creates the foundation for memorable guest experiences.

You are not looking for just a job. You are looking for impact. You want the opportunity to elevate the craft, develop people, build strong systems, and help shape the future of hospitality at one of the premier private club environments in the country.

At Guckenheimer, we believe great hospitality strengthens culture, builds relationships, and creates experiences people remember. Every detail matters. Every plate tells a story.

Position Overview

The Culinary Director serves as a key leader within the National Polo Center hospitality operation and is responsible for leading, organizing, and supporting culinary excellence across all dining outlets, brunch operations, tournament activity, member events, and large-scale hospitality experiences.

In close partnership with the Executive General Manager, Executive Chef, club leadership, and operational teams, this role helps bring the culinary and hospitality vision of the National Polo Center to life while ensuring strong operational readiness, consistency, financial discipline, and execution across all culinary operations.

This role goes beyond food. It is about creating meaningful hospitality experiences that foster connection, elevate the member experience, and reflect the unique culture and energy of the National Polo Center.

The Culinary Director is a highly visible and hands-on leader who builds strong teams, develops culinary talent, reinforces accountability, and creates an organized and execution-focused operating environment. Success in this role requires equal strength in leadership, hospitality, operational discipline, planning, collaboration, and culinary excellence.

Across all club kitchens and culinary operations, the Culinary Director ensures alignment with Guckenheimer standards, food safety requirements, operational expectations, financial acumen, and member experience goals.

How Success Is Measured

Success in this role is defined by a relentless commitment to hospitality, culinary excellence, operational execution, and business performance.

• Sustained member satisfaction and retention driven by exceptional dining experiences
• Strong execution during tournaments, brunches, seasonal programming, and high-volume/high profile events
• Consistent culinary quality, presentation, and hospitality standards across all outlets
• Strong financial performance through disciplined labor, purchasing, and food cost management
• Operational readiness, organization, and successful event execution
• Development of a strong culinary leadership bench and positive kitchen culture
• Compliance with food safety, procurement, audit, and operational standards
• High levels of collaboration, professionalism, and accountability with cross-functional teams

Key Responsibilities

Culinary Operations & Kitchen Leadership

• Lead and support daily culinary operations across all club dining outlets, catering operations, and event venues
• Oversee kitchen organization, cleanliness, production flow, prep management, and operational readiness
• Ensure culinary teams are properly staffed, organized, and prepared for successful service execution
• Reinforce recipe adherence, food presentation standards, culinary consistency, and operational excellence
• Maintain strong communication and coordination between outlets, production teams, and event operations
• Support seasonal menu execution, brunch operations, member dining programs, and tournament hospitality initiatives
• Maintain a strong and visible presence within kitchens and service operations while coaching teams in real time

Your Qualifications:

• Experience leading kitchens in restaurants or corporate dining environments.
• Culinary degree or certification preferred; ServSafe certified (or ability to become certified).
• Strong leadership skills, passion for food, and excellent communication.
• Proven ability to manage operations efficiently and effectively in a high-volume environment.

Weekend & Event Readiness

• Lead culinary preparation efforts for high-volume weekends, polo tournaments, Sunday brunches, member events, and large-scale hospitality experiences
• Ensure staffing plans, prep schedules, ordering timelines, production systems, and operational setups are coordinated in advance
• Monitor readiness levels across kitchens, event operations, and support teams to ensure smooth execution during peak periods
• Support operational adjustments and problem solving during live events while maintaining professionalism and composure
• Ensure culinary operations consistently deliver organized, polished, and hospitality-driven execution during high-pressure service periods

Leadership & Team Development

• Inspire and lead a high-performing culinary team through professionalism, accountability, collaboration, and respect for the craft
• Recruit, coach, develop, and retain culinary talent while building a strong leadership bench and succession pipeline
• Support onboarding, training, scheduling coordination, and ongoing development of culinary team members
• Foster a culture where teams feel supported, challenged, empowered, and proud of the work they produce
• Reinforce calm, organized, and solutions-oriented leadership during demanding operational periods
• Facilitate regular culinary leadership meetings that encourage alignment, communication, innovation, and continuous improvement

Financial & Operational Performance

• Support labor management, scheduling efficiency, productivity, purchasing coordination, inventory management, and food cost performance
• Ensure recipes, production levels, event preparation, and ordering systems align with operational and financial goals
• Support operational forecasting, reporting, and culinary systems management where applicable
• Identify opportunities that improve consistency, efficiency, guest satisfaction, and financial performance
• Drive compliance with procurement standards, operational KPIs, audit expectations, and purchasing guidelines while balancing creativity with disciplined cost stewardship

Food Safety, Compliance & Standards

Safety is foundational to excellence. A culture of hospitality must begin with trust.

• Maintain high standards in food safety, sanitation, HACCP compliance, allergen awareness, workplace safety, and HSEQ expectations
• Ensure kitchens remain organized, clean, compliant, and inspection-ready at all times
• Reinforce labeling standards, storage procedures, product rotation, recipe integrity, and production consistency
• Execute allergen control procedures with precision and care
• Ensure all required certifications, including ServSafe and applicable food safety training requirements, remain current and properly executed across culinary teams
• Support implementation and reinforcement of culinary SOPs, operational standards, and food safety protocols across all kitchen operations

Collaboration & Communication

• Partner closely with the Executive General Manager, Executive Chef, FOH leadership, event teams, and club leadership to ensure aligned execution across all operations
• Maintain strong collaboration with corporate culinary leadership and operational partners to share best practices and drive continuous improvement
• Support strong relationships between culinary operations, hospitality teams, member experience initiatives, and club programming

Core Competencies

Leadership & Influence

Communicates with clarity and confidence, builds trust, aligns teams, and inspires accountability and collaboration.

Hospitality & Member Focus

Understands luxury hospitality expectations and consistently delivers thoughtful, elevated, and member-centric experiences.

Culinary Excellence

Protects the integrity of the craft while driving consistency, creativity, presentation standards, and operational scalability.

Operational Discipline

Demonstrates strong organization, preparation, planning, and execution across high-volume and event-driven operations.

Financial & Business Acumen

Balances creativity and hospitality with sound operational judgment, financial stewardship, and disciplined decision-making.

Adaptability & Composure

Thrives in fast-paced environments and maintains professionalism under pressure.

Inclusive Leadership

Values diverse perspectives and fosters a culture of respect, collaboration, growth, and belonging.

Integrity

Leads with transparency, accountability, professionalism, and respect.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods, up to eight hours per day

·        Must be capable of lifting up to 25 lbs. without assistance.

• Ability to work extended hours during tournament seasons, weekends, holidays, and high-volume event periods
• Thrive in a fast-paced hospitality and event-driven environment with time-sensitive demands
• Maintain professional appearance and leadership presence standards
• This is a hands-on leadership role rooted in the rhythm, energy, organization, and pride of the kitchen and hospitality operation.

HSEQ Compliance: All employees must adhere to Health, Safety, Environment, and Quality (HSEQ) policies and procedures to ensure a safe and compliant work environment. This includes following safety protocols, maintaining environmental responsibility, and upholding quality standards in all tasks. Employees are expected to actively participate in HSEQ training and report any potential hazards or compliance concerns.  

ISS offers full time employees a variety of benefits including medical, dental, life and disability insurance, as well as a comprehensive leave program based on employment status. The annual salary range for this position is $120000  - $120000 . Final compensation will be determined based on experience and skills and may vary from the range listed above.

As a global organization, ISS Group is committed to making the international community more resilient and just for all people. We encourage diversity and inclusion in their broadest terms, including ethnicity, race, age, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, language, culture, and educational background. We look to lead our industry by example and to positively influence the market wherever we operate.