Director of Culinary Operations

Job Description – Director of Culinary Job Title: Director of Culinary Location: Denver, CO Reports To: Chief Operating Officer (COO) Company: OliveFinch Collective About OliveFinch Collective: OliveFinch Collective is a Denver-based hospitality group offering chef-driven meals, warm service, and globally inspired flavors across a growing portfolio of cafés, a wholesale bakeshop, catering and events, airport operations, and retail outlets. Since 2013, we've been dedicated to scratch-made food, inclusive teams, and consistent execution of our brand promise: to nourish people with delicious, approachable offerings that celebrate quality and creativity. Position Summary The Director of Culinary is responsible for executing and operationalizing the culinary vision across all OliveFinch Collective concepts-spanning both our streetside locations (neighborhood cafés, full-service bakeshop, catering/events) and our fast-paced airport operations at Denver International Airport (DEN).Reporting to the COO, this leader works closely with the Chef Founder and COO to develop and refine menus that reflect the brand's identity, ensure operational feasibility, and drive financial performance. This is a highly active, hands-on leadership role. Rather than managing strictly from behind a desk, the Director of Culinary spends significant time working directly on the line and shoulder-to-shoulder with kitchen teams in our streetside and airport kitchens-leading by example, training staff, auditing execution, and driving continuous operational improvement. Key Responsibilities Hands-On Kitchen LeadershipOperational Execution In-Kitchen Leadership: Maintain an active, visible, and hands-on presence across all kitchens, regularly working directly alongside BOH staff to coach technique, monitor workflow, and uphold brand quality. Dual-Environment Oversight: Actively bridge execution across both Streetside (cafés, bakeshop, catering) and Airport operations (DEN concourse outlets, grab-and-go markets, automated kiosks), adapting kitchen practices to fit each unique operational environment. Airport Culinary Integration: Tailor recipes, prep systems, and holding procedures to meet strict DEN airport security, logistics dock windows, vendor delivery constraints, and high-volume traveler throughput requirements. Quality AssuranceAudits: Conduct frequent, hands-on kitchen audits across all locations to ensure consistent recipe adherence, portion control, and presentation. Culinary DevelopmentMenu Engineering Concept Evolution: Partner with the COO and Chef Founder on the creation and evolution of seasonal menus, limited-time offerings (LTOs), and product innovations across both streetside and airport concepts. Operational Scalability: Translate creative concepts into executable, standardized kitchen systems that are operationally efficient, scalable, and cost-effective across diverse kitchen footprint sizes. Consistency Across Formats: Maintain consistency and culinary integrity across all offerings-from full-service restaurant plates to retail grab-and-go packaging and catering displays. Kitchen Operations, SafetyVendor Relations BOH System Standards: Oversee back-of-house operations, implementing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for prep planning, order management, inventory control, and waste reduction. Food SafetyCompliance: Ensure strict adherence to food safety, sanitation, and health department regulations across all streetside locations and DEN airport secure zones. VendorSupply Chain Alignment: Partner with suppliers and the DEN Supply Chain team to ensure product quality, ingredient consistency, and raw material cost control. Team DevelopmentCross-Functional Collaboration Hands-On Mentorship: Recruit, mentor, and develop BOH talent-from prep cooks to executive chefs-by demonstrating proper techniques directly in the kitchen. Training Programs: Design and lead interactive, hands-on training programs to support onboardi…

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