Area Chef de Cuisine – Kitchen Operations

Location: San Diego & Orange County

Employment Type: Full-Time

Annual Base Salary: $85,000-$95,000

About the Company

This organization is a modern lifestyle-driven, organic QSR brand focused on clean ingredients, culinary integrity, and operational excellence. Built for scale, the brand combines thoughtful menu development, disciplined kitchen systems, and a people-first culture to deliver consistent, high-quality food across every location. The mission is to be a trusted leader in health-forward dining—executed with precision, consistency, and care.

Position Overview

As the Area Chef de Cuisine, you will oversee back-of-house and kitchen operations across multiple locations in the San Diego and Orange County markets. You will be responsible for ensuring culinary execution, food quality, safety, and consistency while leading kitchen teams and scaling systems that support growth.

This role is ideal for a seasoned multi-unit culinary leader who excels at standardization, training, food cost control, and operational discipline in a fast-paced, production-driven environment.

You’ll Be Responsible For

Culinary Leadership & Execution

• Oversee kitchen operations across all locations, ensuring consistent execution of recipes, plating, and food quality
• Maintain high culinary standards while executing menus at scale in a production-focused environment

Kitchen Team Leadership & Culture

• Build, lead, and develop high-performing kitchen leadership teams, including Chefs de Cuisine, Sous Chefs, and BOH Managers
• Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, cleanliness, and continuous improvement

Food Safety & Compliance

• Ensure strict adherence to food safety standards, sanitation practices, and local health regulations across all locations
• Conduct regular kitchen audits, inspections, and corrective action plans

Standards, Systems & Training

• Develop, implement, and maintain BOH SOPs covering prep, production, line execution, inventory, and cleanliness
• Partner with Training and Operations teams to ensure consistent onboarding and ongoing culinary training
• Drive recipe accuracy, portion control, and prep standards

Operational Execution

• Ensure seamless coordination between prep, production, and service teams
• Drive efficiency, timing, and consistency throughout daily kitchen operations and order fulfillment

Food Cost & Inventory Management

• Own food cost performance, waste reduction, and inventory controls across the market
• Partner with Operations and Finance to analyze P&L performance and implement corrective actions

Tech-Enabled Kitchen Operations

• Leverage kitchen data, production reports, and internal systems to monitor performance and identify opportunities for improvement

Brand & Product Integrity

• Uphold brand standards related to food quality, cleanliness, kitchen organization, and professionalism
• Ensure all culinary execution reflects the company’s commitment to clean, high-quality food

Metrics & Accountability

• Own BOH KPIs including food cost, waste, ticket times, execution accuracy, and labor efficiency
• Use data to coach teams, improve systems, and drive continuous improvement

Qualifications

• 5+ years of culinary leadership experience in multi-unit restaurant or production-driven kitchen environments
• Proven success leading BOH teams and scaling kitchen systems across multiple locations
• Deep understanding of food safety, kitchen operations, and process excellence
• Strong financial acumen, including food cost management, labor planning, and inventory controls
• Experience with delivery-first, fast-casual, or high-volume kitchen operations preferred
• Passion for clean food, operational discipline, and team development
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and coaching skills

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits
• Monthly car allowance
• Cell phone reimbursement
• 401(k) plan with company match
• Career growth within a mission-driven, expanding food brand
• A leadership role with direct impact on culinary standards and kitchen performance
• Collaborative environment at the intersection of food, systems, and modern hospitality
• Equal Employment Opportunity #AA