Salary Range: $90,000 to $100,000

Disclaimer: The base salary range represents Compass Group Canada’s pay grade range for this position in the primary work location. Actual hiring salaries will vary depending on factors including but not limited to work experience, and geographic market data for the role. The pay range listed above is not reflective of Compass Group Canada’s total compensation for employees.

Role Summary

The Culinary Director leads the culinary strategy for Simon Fraser University’s food service operations, including a 730-seat Dining Commons, premium catering, and several full culinary brigades. This role owns the culinary experience, ensuring food quality, innovation, efficiency, financial discipline, team development, local supplier support, and compliance with Compass Group Canada and client standards.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Development

Lead, coach, and develop culinary teams across all locations. Build a culture focused on accountability, safety, retention, training, and succession planning. Support performance management and provide in-unit culinary training. Work effectively in a unionized environment.

Culinary Expertise & Guest Experience

Develop menu cycles, recipes, and culinary programs for residential dining, retail, and premium catering in partnership with Compass Group and the client. Bring strong knowledge of global cuisine, current food trends, authentic flavours, and diverse cultural expectations. Present food confidently through tastings, chef tables, sampling events, action stations, and high-profile catered functions. Maintain strong food quality, presentation, food safety, allergen management, and guest satisfaction.

Operational & Financial Management

Oversee culinary execution across multiple kitchens and service formats. Improve efficiencies in production, scheduling, purchasing, inventory, labour use, waste reduction, and equipment care. Ensure adherence to Compass standards, client policies, health and safety, food safety, approved purchasing, and reporting requirements. Support local purchasing and supplier partnerships while balancing quality, cost, compliance, and availability. Partner with operations and finance on budgeting, forecasting, food cost, labour productivity, financial planning, and reporting.

Qualifications

Previous Executive Chef experience in a complex, high-volume environment. Food and beverage management background from cruise ships, luxury hotels, resorts, premium catering, or large hospitality operations preferred. Experience leading multiple culinary brigades. Strong knowledge of global cuisine, menu development, high-end presentation, and large-scale production. Proven ability to manage food cost, labour, purchasing compliance, inventory, efficiencies, and reporting. Red Seal certification required. Certified Chef de Cuisine designation is an asset. As the on-site culinary representative, must maintain a professional chef appearance and wear the approved chef uniform while on campus and during client-facing activities. Microsoft Office proficiency required. Unionized environment experience preferred. International hospitality experience is an asset

Success Profile

The successful candidate is a polished, hands-on culinary leader who can elevate food quality, develop teams, improve efficiencies, manage financial results, and bring innovation to a large university dining environment. They balance creativity with operational discipline and bring a global, high-end hospitality mindset to campus dining.

Educational Benefits

We are thrilled to offer an exciting SFU Tuition Waiver Program exclusively for our associates and their families. This incredible benefit covers eligible family members, including spouses and dependents under 25 years of age, and applies to both undergraduate and graduate programs. Invest in your future with us and give your loved ones the gift of education!

What’s in it for you?

Join an award-winning culture. We have been recognized for being a Great Place to Work, in addition to being selected as a FORTUNE Global 500 Company, Best Workplaces Retail & Hospitality, and FORTUNE World’s Most Admired Companies. The opportunities with us are endless. As the world’s largest food and support services company, we offer an extensive range of learning and career opportunities for all our associates. Health & Safety. The health and safety of our associates, clients and guests has always been our top priority. We have the right processes in place to ensure our teams have the support they need to stay safe, while helping to keep our guests safe. Health Benefits. For our eligible associates, we offer comprehensive health, vision, and dental care coverage. A Focus on Mental Health and Wellness. Our Mental Health and Well-Being initiative was created to share credible resources with our associates and the communities we serve on a variety of topics, including mental, physical, spiritual, and financial wellbeing. We also have an Employment Assistance Program which provides our associates with access to 24/7 support, resources, and information. We are as diverse as our guests. We believe diverse and inclusive environments support innovation and collaboration, and benefit our associates, clients, and customers. We are committed to Listen, Learn, and Act and our Diversity Inclusion Action Councils (DIAC) are associate led groups that seek to foster inclusion through cultural awareness, engagement and appreciation of diversity. We are Stronger, Together!

Compass Group Canada is committed to nurturing a diverse workforce representative of the communities within which we operate. We encourage and are pleased to consider all qualified candidates, without regard to race, colour, citizenship, religion, sex, marital / family status, sexual orientation, gender identity, aboriginal status, age, disability or persons who may require an accommodation, to apply.

For accommodation requests during the hiring process, please contact ukg.recruitment@compass-canada.com for further information.