MANAGER CULINARY OPERATIONS

Job Summary:  

The Manager of Culinary Operations is responsible for delivering exceptional culinary experiences across the Lindblad Fleet, while upholding the highest standards of quality, consistency, and innovation. This role plays a key part in administrative oversight, including reviewing and approving food orders, compiling and maintaining Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and developing strategic provision plans for upcoming seasons and operational transitions. The manager will collaborate closely with the culinary trainer, purchasing team, onboard culinary staff, and hotel leadership to ensure seamless execution of culinary programs and initiatives.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

This position will work alongside the Director of Culinary Operations to:

• Develop season-specific menu matrices using standard product guides, while incorporating regional culinary trends and innovation.
• Create and communicate strategic ordering plans based on vessel storage capacity and itinerary needs.
• Monitor voyage food costs by vessel to ensure targets are met.
• Review and approve general culinary food orders within established budgets.
• Develop recipe costing and standardized recipes for menu items.
• Support new initiatives directed by hotel leadership, advancing the culinary program through creativity and innovation.
• Ensure onboard teams complete professional evaluations, track performance, and create individual development plans for galley staff.

• Participate in interviews for potential culinary candidates.

• Collaborate with the Culinary Trainer to develop training materials and programs.
• Build season-specific order guides with general par levels, based on menu matrices and market product availability.

• Support the Culinary Trainer during training sessions and operational transitions.
• Provide subject matter expertise and operational guidance for training initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with United States Public Health (USPH) standards across all vessels.
• Contribute to hotel leadership initiatives that strengthen creativity, innovation, and operational excellence.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.
• Serve as a temporary or relief chef, or support other culinary positions, as needed.

GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS

Education & Experience

• Degree in Culinary Arts or equivalent combination of culinary education and professional experience.
• 5+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience, including Executive Chef, Corporate Chef, Culinary Manager, or similar leadership role.
• Experience in cruise, maritime, luxury hospitality, resort, or large-scale food service operations strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience developing menus, recipe costing, food ordering, inventory planning, and provisioning.
• Experience managing culinary budgets, food cost targets, and operational performance metrics.
• Experience leading, coaching, and developing culinary teams.
• Experience implementing food safety programs, HACCP, and United States Public Health (USPH) standards.
• Experience supporting large, geographically dispersed or multi-unit culinary operations preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.

Other Skills & Abilities

• Strong knowledge of culinary operations, provisioning, menu engineering, and inventory management.
• Excellent financial acumen with experience managing food costs, recipe costing, forecasting, and budget performance.
• Ability to analyze operational data and make recommendations to improve quality, efficiency, and profitability.
• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence and collaborate across shipboard and shoreside teams.
• Ability to travel and support vessels as operational needs require.