Job Description

Job Location: Lawrence, KS 66045
Position Type: Full TimeJob Title: Culinary Manager
Department: Multiple Locations
Reports To: Assistant Director, Residential Dining
FLSA Status: Exempt
Pay Rate: The anticipated pay for this position starts at $60,000. The final rate will be determined based on qualifications, experience, education, and years within the job or industry.
Why You’ll Love Working Here
At KU Dining, our mission is to create an unparalleled dining experience for our guests, foster a culture of excellence among our well-trained and empowered staff, and provide inviting spaces that reflect the warmth of the KU community. We strive to set a standard that goes beyond nourishment - creating an environment where every meal becomes a highlight of the KU experience.
We employ both full-time and part-time team members to serve the University of Kansas’ diverse dining needs. While our operations are large and fast-paced, every role and every employee makes a meaningful impact.
At KU Dining, we strive to provide a strong work-life balance and usually do – though certain busy periods may call for additional hours or longer days. Even so, our team members enjoy reliable schedules, meaningful time off, and a collaborative atmosphere. You’ll take pride in creating great food for KU students and have opportunities to grow your skills and career.
What We’re Looking For
We’re looking for a Culinary Manager who is passionate about culinary strategy, innovation, and operational excellence.
The Culinary Manager serves as a cross-functional culinary leader responsible for developing and implementing standardized culinary programs that drive consistency, quality, and performance across all residential dining locations. This role focuses on culinary strategy, program development, and performance optimization, ensuring alignment with organizational standards for food quality, safety, and service execution.
Partnering closely with unit leadership, the Culinary Manager leads menu planning initiatives, analyzes cost drivers, and recommends process improvements that enhance operational efficiency and guest experience. The role integrates culinary planning with workforce and operational strategies to support sustainable, high-performing dining operations.
This position plays a key role in change management by designing and implementing new culinary programs, establishing standardized recipes and procedures, and guiding adoption across multiple dining locations. The Culinary Manager evaluates program effectiveness and adjusts strategies based on performance data, guest feedback, and operational outcomes. While this role does not have direct supervisory responsibility, it provides functional leadership through the development of training frameworks, performance expectations, and culinary standards.
Duties & Responsibilities of All KU Memorial Union Positions
- Adhere to University and KU Memorial Union policies and procedures.
- Support the KU Memorial Unions’ lines of effort, initiatives, and End State as described by the Executive Director, and work to achieve and uphold the department’s mission and core values: community, dignity, empowerment, excellence, innovation, and safety.
- Follow the 7 Team Principles: competence, creating a cohesive team through mutual trust, creating shared understanding, setting clear leader intent, written/verbal communication, disciplined initiative, and risk management.
- Demonstrate a positive, solution-oriented attitude in performing job responsibilities and collaborating with colleagues to foster a respectful and productive work environment.
- Always exhibit professional decorum while representing the KU Memorial Unions and the University, including routine events and meetings that occur outside of the office, around campus, and out in the community.
What You’ll Do
Every day brings something new, but you can expect to:
- Develop and execute a robust culinary strategy for short- and long-term goals that align with departmental and organizational lines of effort and objectives in collaboration with dining leadership, including designation and achievement of specific performance metrics and goals.
- Develop, evaluate, and implement recipes and menu programs for review by the Nutritionist, ensuring alignment with residential dining concepts, customer preferences, and operational scalability.
- Evaluate emerging culinary trends and translate them into scalable, decentralized dining programs.
- Lead the planning and execution of limited-time offerings (LTOs), station takeovers, and culinary initiatives to support engagement, innovation, and program development to achieve long-term business growth.
- Collaborate with the Assistant Director of Residential Dining and Director of Dining to integrate menu planning, workforce planning, and operational forecasting into a cohesive culinary strategy across residential dining.
- Establish and maintain standardized recipes, preparation methods, and presentation guidelines across all residential dining locations.
- Design and implement culinary training programs and materials to support consistent skill development and execution across units.
- Provide coaching and performance guidance to culinary staff and unit leadership to improve food quality, consistency, and operational effectiveness.
- Partner with General Managers and unit leaders to assess operational performance, identify gaps, and recommend solutions to improve service delivery and efficiency.
- Collaborate with the Assistant Director of Residential Dining to develop cost-effective menu strategies and analyze inventory and food cost drivers, including waste, portioning, and product utilization for improved financial outcomes.
- Advise leadership on financial strategies that support sustainability, operational efficiency, and program innovation. Contribute to the development and oversight of culinary-related budgets, including menu design and performance, and labor considerations.
- Develop, implement, and monitor compliance-related risks associated with culinary programs and processes as it relates to food safety, sanitation, and health standards across all dining locations. Establish quality assurance processes and conduct evaluations to ensure consistency in food preparation, presentation, and overall guest experience.
- Develop and support onboarding and training frameworks to ensure successful integration and ongoing development of culinary staff.
- Support talent acquisition strategies by participating in the recruitment, selection, and onboarding of back-of-house staff in alignment with operational needs.
What’s Required to Be Considered
- Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in culinary arts or related field; or equivalent combination of professional culinary certification (e.g., ACF) and 3–5 years of progressive culinary experience in high-volume food service operations.
- Minimum of 3–5 years of progressive culinary experience in high-volume food production, including demonstrated knowledge of:
- - Classical and batch cooking techniques
- - Ingredient utilization and product standards
- - Food preparation methods and kitchen operations
- Demonstrated proficiency in standard business and operational systems, including Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook) and food service management systems (e.g., FSS or similar platforms).
- Experience establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with multiple vendors, including ordering, product evaluation, and issue resolution.
- Working knowledge of food safety, sanitation, and regulatory compliance, including proper food handling, storage, labeling, and product rotation (FIFO).
- Ability to train, coach, and evaluate culinary staff on job performance, with a focus on efficiency, consistency, and service quality.
- Demonstrated experience supporting dynamic, high-volume food service environments, with the ability to maintain quality and service standards during peak operations.
- Knowledge of applicable health, sanitation, and safety regulations, including Kansas food code requirements for food production and storage.
The Ideal Candidate
- Experience in a high-volume college or institution food service operation.
- Experience working in a casino culinary setting, dealing with diverse customer demands.
- Familiarity with chain restaurant operations, ensuring consistency across multiple locations.
Physical Requirements
This position requires regular standing, bending, and lifting up to 50 pounds. Must be able to work on your feet for extended periods and follow all food safety and sanitation standards.
The Culinary Manager role requires the ability to perform work in a fast-paced, high-volume dining environment. This includes standing and walking for extended periods of time, frequently up to 8–10 hours per shift. The position requires the ability to regularly lift, carry, push, and pull items weighing up to 50 pounds. Frequent bending, stooping, reaching, and grasping are required to perform kitchen and operational tasks. Manual dexterity is necessary to safely operate kitchen equipment, utensils, and standard office technology. Visual acuity is required to monitor food quality, cleanliness, and adherence to safety standards. The role involves regular exposure to varying temperatures (hot and cold environments), industrial kitchen equipment, moderate to high noise levels, and cleaning chemicals. An individual in this position may be exposed to Bloodborne Pathogens.
Working Environment
The Culinary Manager operates across multiple residential dining locations, each with unique kitchen layouts, equipment, and service models. This role requires frequent movement between sites to support operations, training, and program implementation. Work is performed in dynamic, high-volume kitchen environments serving a diverse campus community of students, staff, faculty, and guests.
The position involves regular exposure to hot and cold temperatures, humidity, commercial kitchen equipment, moderate to high noise levels, and cleaning chemicals. The role requires adherence to strict food safety, sanitation, and operational standards across all locations. Work schedules may include evenings, weekends, holidays, and extended hours to support peak service periods, special events, and campus programs.
This position functions in a highly collaborative environment, partnering with culinary staff, unit leadership, and campus stakeholders to deliver consistent, high-quality food and service across all dining operations.