SR DIRECTOR OF CULINARY INNOVATION
Salary: 120,000 - 140,000
Other Forms of Compensation: BONUS POTENTIAL AND RELOCATION ASSISTANCE IF OUTSIDE THE ATLANTA MARKET
Pay Grade: 18
Morrison Healthcare is a leading national food and nutrition services company exclusively dedicated to serving more than 600 hospitals and healthcare systems. Morrison's hospital kitchens, restaurants, and cafés feature socially responsible practices and exceptional guest experiences. The company's comprehensive Mindful Choices® wellness and sustainability platform includes the latest in healthful eating and an understanding of behavioral change in food consumption. Morrison's alignment with Partnership for a Healthier America's (PHA) Hospital Healthy Food Initiative positively impacts up to 41 million patients and 500 million hospital meals annually. Morrison has been named one of Modern Healthcare's "Top 100 Best Places to Work in Healthcare" for the past five years, and Training Magazine's Top 125 organizations for the past six consecutive years. The company is a division of Compass Group and has more than 1,200 registered dietitians, 300 executive chefs, and 17,000 professional food service team members.
Job Summary
The Director of Culinary Innovation leads culinary research and development, menu strategy, and retail café programming for Morrison Healthcare. This role is responsible for creating, testing, documenting, training, implementing, and optimizing innovative recipes, food concepts, wellness-focused programs, and promotional offerings that support patient dining, retail, and caregiver experiences across multi-unit healthcare operations.
Salary 120 - 140K + bonus + relocation assistance, must live w/in a commutable distance to Atlanta, GA
Key Responsibilities
- Lead end-to-end culinary R&D for new menu items, platforms, and scalable food programs for patient services, catering, and retail cafés.
- Develop retail café concepts, seasonal menus, LTOs, and promotional calendars to drive participation, revenue, and guest satisfaction.
- Partner with Regional, Division, Supply Chain, Category Management, Marketing, Clinical Nutrition, Retail Strategy, Operations, and Business Development teams.
- Conduct product evaluations, tastings, sensory panels, and pilot tests to validate quality, consistency, cost, and operational fit.
- Create and maintain recipes, production records, menu specifications, nutrition data, allergen controls, and SOPs in menu management systems.
- Support new openings, remodels, program rollouts, and key client initiatives with on-site culinary leadership and training.
- Deliver chef and manager training via live, virtual, and on-site sessions; build toolkits, playbooks, and training materials.
- Monitor culinary, healthcare, wellness, and foodservice trends and translate insights into practical programs and solutions.
- Collaborate on kitchen and servery design, equipment selection, and workflow optimization.
- Ensure all culinary programs comply with Compass, local, state, and federal food safety and regulatory standards.
- Promote sustainability initiatives including waste reduction, responsible sourcing, and efficient production practices.
- Represent Morrison Healthcare as a culinary subject-matter expert at internal meetings, client presentations, and industry events.
Preferred Qualifications
- Degree in Culinary Arts, Food Science, Hospitality Management or equivalent experience.
- 7+ years progressive culinary leadership in multi-unit healthcare, contract foodservice, hospitality, or R&D environments.
- Experience in menu development, culinary innovation, and retail café or restaurant programming.
- Strong financial acumen: food and labor cost control, forecasting, inventory, margin management, and menu engineering.
- Knowledge of clinical nutrition, therapeutic diets, allergen management, and wellness-focused menu design.
- Proven success leading, training, and developing culinary teams across multiple locations.
- Excellent written and verbal communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office and recipe/menu management software.
- Ability to travel extensively to support field operations and key initiatives.
Apply to Morrison Healthcare today!
Morrison Healthcare is a member of Compass Group USA
Click here to Learn More about the Compass Story
Associates at Morrison Healthcare are offered many fantastic benefits.
- Medical
- Dental
- Vision
- Life Insurance/ AD
- Disability Insurance
- Retirement Plan
- Flexible Time Off
- Paid Parental Leave
- Holiday Time Off (varies by site/state)
- Personal Leave
- Associate Shopping Program
- Health and Wellness Programs
- Discount Marketplace
- Identity Theft Protection
- Pet Insurance
- Commuter Benefits
- Employee Assistance Program
- Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
Associates may also be eligible for paid and/or unpaid time off benefits in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. For positions in Washington State, Maryland, or to be performed Remotely, click here for paid time off benefits information.
Compass Group is an equal opportunity employer. At Compass, we are committed to treating all Applicants and Associates fairly based on their abilities, achievements, and experience without regard to race, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by law.
Qualified candidates must be able to perform the essential functions of this position satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation. Disclaimer: this job post is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all essential responsibilities, skills, tasks, or requirements associated with this position. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the position posted, the Company reserves the right to modify or change the essential functions of the job based on business necessity. We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with a criminal history (including relevant driving history), in a manner consistent with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York Fair Chance Act. We encourage applicants with a criminal history (and driving history) to apply.
Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
Morrison Healthcare maintains a drug-free workplace.
Req ID: 1482893
Morrison Healthcare
MICHAEL GREMBA
[[req_classification]]
Nearest Major Market: Atlanta
Job Segment:
Food Service, Chef, Culinary, Kitchen, Merchandising, Hospitality, Retail
