Regional Culinary Director

Key Responsibilities

• Culinary Strategy & Vision: Define and articulate a cohesive culinary identity for the APAC region that inspires chefs and delights users. Translate global strategies into regional operational toolkits, ensuring consistency across a diverse portfolio of food concepts.
• Operational Excellence & Innovation: Oversee multi-site food quality and operational standards. Introduce industry best practices and food trends to the business, leveraging technology to boost productivity and service standards.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Communication: Act as a "great articulator" and strategic partner to Google’s leadership and Sodexo’s regional teams. Lead and facilitate sessions to ensure the culinary strategy aligns with workplace experience goals.
• Team Leadership & Community Building: Coach and mentor a community of senior development chefs and site-level head chefs, fostering a culture of recognition and continuous growth. Animate the internal culinary community through workshops, cook challenges, and digital initiatives.
• Financial & Resource Stewardship: Own regional culinary budgets and drive financial performance through menu engineering, food cost analysis, and waste management (e.g., using Sodexo’s DRIVE system).
• Sustainability & Compliance: Champion ethical sourcing, waste reduction, and health/wellness initiatives. Ensure strict adherence to global food safety (HACCP), hygiene, and Quality, Health, Safety, and Environment (QHSE) standards.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Experience: Minimum of 10 years of experience in senior culinary leadership roles within reputable F&B brands, luxury hospitality, or large-scale contract catering.
• Technical Mastery: High technical culinary skills across multi-concept/multi-cuisine environments, with a proven track record in menu development and recipe creation.
• Articulation & Communication: Exceptional storytelling, presentation, and writing skills. Ability to communicate complex culinary strategies to diverse audiences, from frontline staff to C-suite executives.
• Leadership Style: A "team player" with a collaborative mindset, capable of rallying cross-functional teams (Marketing, HR, Supply Chain) toward a shared vision.
• Regional Expertise: Deep understanding of APAC’s diverse culinary landscape, food trends, and regulatory environments.