Blue Shock Executive Search, established in 2003, excels in recruiting top-tier candidates across the restaurant, hospitality, and food service-related sectors. As industry leaders, we forge connections between exceptional talent and leading employers in Canada and the US.
Regional Culinary Operations Leader
Greater Vancouver Area, BC
Base Salary: $100,000–$125,000
Bonus Opportunity: Up to $34,000
Lead Culinary Excellence Across Multiple Restaurants
Are you a culinary leader who knows how to take great food, strong systems, and talented teams and make them perform consistently across multiple restaurants?
Blue Shock Executive Search is partnering on an exciting opportunity for an experienced Regional Culinary Operations Leader to oversee culinary performance across a portfolio of restaurants in British Columbia.
This is a highly operational leadership role for someone who understands that great culinary leadership goes well beyond the food. You’ll develop Chefs, strengthen kitchen operations, influence financial performance, lead major culinary initiatives, and ensure restaurant teams have the tools, standards, and leadership they need to deliver an exceptional guest experience.
You’ll think strategically, but you’ll also be comfortable rolling up your sleeves and working alongside restaurant teams to turn strategy into execution.
What You’ll Own
Culinary Leadership & Multi-Unit Operations
- Lead culinary performance and execution across multiple restaurant locations.
- Champion high standards for food quality, food safety, recipe execution, consistency, and the overall guest experience.
- Partner closely with restaurant and senior operations leaders to identify opportunities and improve performance.
- Coach Chefs and kitchen leaders, helping them build stronger teams and deliver consistent results.
- Lead the rollout of new menus, culinary programs, equipment, systems, and operational initiatives.
- Identify smarter, more efficient ways of operating without compromising quality or hospitality.
- Help take culinary initiatives from idea through implementation at the restaurant level.
Financial & Operational Performance
- Influence key performance drivers including food cost, labour, waste, productivity, and profitability.
- Use restaurant performance data to identify opportunities and develop practical solutions with operations teams.
- Balance culinary excellence with strong business fundamentals.
- Support revenue growth through menu innovation, consistent execution, and initiatives designed around the guest experience.
Build the Next Generation of Culinary Leaders
- Recruit, coach, mentor, and develop high-performing culinary teams.
- Strengthen the capabilities of Chefs and kitchen leaders across the organization.
- Build meaningful development and succession plans for future culinary leaders.
- Create a culture where accountability, learning, hospitality, and operational excellence go hand in hand.
- Help leaders grow their careers while building deeper culinary talent across the business.
What You Bring
We’re looking for a proven restaurant leader who combines culinary credibility, operational discipline, financial acumen, and exceptional people leadership.
- 2+ years of multi-location culinary leadership experience within full-service, upscale casual, or a comparable restaurant environment.
- 10+ years of progressive culinary and people leadership experience, including at least four years successfully leading a restaurant kitchen as a Chef.
- Strong experience managing food cost, labour, budgets, inventory, waste, and restaurant profitability.
- Experience supporting franchised restaurant operations, including brand standards, training, and operational alignment.
- Exposure to menu development, product testing, and culinary innovation.
- Experience with restaurant openings, conversions, or significant operational launches.
- A track record of taking projects from concept through rollout and restaurant-level execution.
- Strong working knowledge of restaurant technology, including scheduling, inventory, kitchen display, production, and operational reporting systems.
- An ability to coach and influence leaders across multiple restaurants.
- A genuine passion for hospitality, culinary excellence, and creating memorable guest experiences.
Above all, you know how to lead through other leaders. You can walk into a kitchen, understand what’s working and what isn't, earn credibility with the team, and help that restaurant get better.
Relocation within Canada may be considered for the right candidate.
Candidates must currently reside in Canada to be considered. Applications from candidates currently living outside Canada will not be progressed to an interview.
