Director of Culinary Innovation and Strategy- Charlotte, NC

The Director of Culinary Innovation & Strategy provides leadership and direction for Canteen's culinary vision, innovation pipeline, and food program strategy. This role is responsible for developing and implementing culinary initiatives that enhance the customer experience, drive business growth, and differentiate Canteen's fresh food, catering, and unattended retail offerings.

Partnering closely with Operations, Sales, Marketing, Procurement, and Culinary teams, this leader serves as the bridge between corporate strategy and field execution, ensuring consistency, innovation, and operational excellence across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

Culinary Strategy & Innovation

• Partner with senior leadership to develop and execute a best-in-class culinary strategy.
• Lead culinary innovation efforts by identifying emerging consumer preferences, food trends, and industry best practices.
• Drive the development of innovative menu solutions, fresh food programs, and catering offerings.
• Evaluate competitive market trends and make recommendations that strengthen Canteen's market position.

Program Development & Standardization

• Establish and maintain culinary standards, recipes, product specifications, and operational guidelines.
• Lead the development and optimization of order guides across multiple business lines.
• Standardize culinary programs and best practices to ensure consistency and scalability.
• Support expansion of fresh food programs, including hot and cold food solutions.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Serve as the primary liaison between corporate leadership and field culinary teams.
• Partner with Operations, Procurement, Foodbuy, Marketing, and Sales teams to align culinary initiatives with business objectives.
• Support client presentations, sales pursuits, and retention efforts through culinary expertise.
• Build strong relationships with field leaders and executive stakeholders across the organization.

Training & Field Support

• Develop culinary training programs, onboarding materials, and tools that support field execution.
• Create frameworks that improve culinary capabilities and operational consistency.
• Support field teams with program implementation, execution, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Technology & Business Growth

• Identify and evaluate technology solutions that enhance culinary operations and customer experiences.
• Partner with Marketing and Innovation teams to launch new products, programs, and platforms.
• Lead culinary-focused promotional and manufacturer partnership initiatives.
• Utilize data and customer feedback to assess program performance and drive improvements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Culinary degree preferred or equivalent combination of education and professional culinary experience.
• Five or more years of progressive culinary, foodservice, hospitality, or food innovation experience.
• Current ServSafe certification preferred.
• Strong knowledge of culinary operations, food safety, menu development, and food trends.
• Experience leading culinary strategy, product innovation, or food program development.
• Strong presentation, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and digital collaboration tools.
• Highly organized with strong project management and multitasking abilities.
• Self-motivated, innovative, and capable of influencing cross-functional teams.
• Ability to travel regularly to support field operations, client meetings, and business initiatives.
• Reliable transportation required.