Executive Culinary Director - Operations & Industry Engagement

Lead strategy. Influence industry. Drive organisational excellence.

We are seeking an accomplished senior culinary executive with a distinguished track record leading large-scale hospitality, food service or culinary operations in complex, high-performing environments.

This pivotal leadership role requires an industry-recognised professional who brings both operational credibility and strategic capability. You will provide executive leadership across business performance, quality, compliance, stakeholder engagement and organisational transformation, while ensuring industry relevance and excellence across a nationally significant culinary portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

Lead the strategic direction and operational performance of a large and complex culinary business portfolio.

Drive organisational growth, innovation and continuous improvement initiatives.

Develop and maintain influential relationships with industry leaders, employers, government and key stakeholders.

Champion a culture of accountability, performance and excellence.

Lead business development activities, identifying opportunities for growth, partnerships and industry collaboration.

Oversee quality assurance, auditing, reporting, governance and compliance frameworks.

Ensure alignment with regulatory requirements, including RTO standards and quality benchmarks.

Sponsor and lead strategic projects that enhance capability, performance and customer outcomes.

Mentor and develop senior leaders, building a high-performance culture focused on results.

About You

You are a respected culinary leader with extensive senior-level experience within the hospitality industry and a reputation for delivering exceptional business outcomes.

You will bring:





Significant experience in executive or senior leadership roles within hospitality, culinary, food service or related sectors.

International industry experience and a strong understanding of global hospitality trends and best practice.

A proven ability to lead large, multi-site or complex operations with full accountability for performance and results.

Demonstrated success leading organisational transformation, change management and business improvement initiatives.

Solid commercial acumen, strategic planning and stakeholder management capability.

Experience driving industry engagement, partnerships and business growth.

Expertise in governance, quality assurance, compliance, auditing and performance reporting.

Sound knowledge of vocational education, training and RTO regulatory frameworks.

Exceptional leadership presence, influencing skills and the ability to inspire high-performing teams.

The Opportunity

This is a rare opportunity for an established culinary executive to leverage their industry expertise in a strategic leadership capacity, shaping the future of hospitality while delivering lasting impact across industry, business performance and organisational capability.

If you have the vision, influence and executive leadership experience to drive meaningful outcomes at scale, we invite you to apply.

Please note: Sponsorship is not available for this role, only candidates with full working rights in Australia will be considered

Your application will include the following questions:

- Which of the following statements best describes your right to work in Australia?
- How many years' experience do you have as a Culinary Director?
- Do you have experience working for a registered training organisation (RTO)?
- Have you worked in a role which requires a sound understanding of the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs)?

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