Director of Culinary
1 day ago
Lexington
Director of Culinary Executive Culinary Systems Leader Idle Hour Country Club — Lexington, Kentucky Reports to: Clubhouse Manager, General Manager / COO About Idle Hour- Founded in 1946, Idle Hour Country Club is a private, member-owned club defined by tradition, hospitality, and multi-generational community. As we enter an exciting new chapter — including a major kitchen renovation — we are seeking a senior culinary leader to help architect the next evolution of our dining experience. Position Overview- The Director of Culinary is Idle Hour’s senior culinary authority and systems leader. This is an executive-level leadership role focused on building standards, mentoring culinary leadership, and designing the operating frameworks that deliver timing, quality, and consistency at scale across all culinary venues. This is not a daily line position. It is a leadership, architecture, and continuity role. The Director of Culinary partners closely with the Executive Chef, F&B leadership, and General Manager to ensure culinary excellence is not dependent on any one person — but built into the system itself. Core Responsibilities- Culinary Systems Leadership • Serve as the Club’s senior culinary authority and standards architect, • Design and maintain culinary operating systems that ensure consistency, accountability, and quality across all outlets, • Establish final quality control and substitution governance standards, • Mentor the Executive Chef, Sous Chefs, and culinary leadership team, • Build succession pipelines and leadership bench strength, • Develop training frameworks, standards documentation, and accountability loops, • Design and oversee interim operating models during the renovation phase, • Architect temporary production, menu tiering, labor, and service continuity frameworks, • Partner with the Executive Chef to guide menu architecture, innovation, and seasonal planning, • Ensure recipe standardization, plating consistency, and production timing discipline, • Provide strategic oversight of food cost controls, labor architecture, and waste management, • Partner with Finance on budgeting, purchasing strategies, and inventory governance, • Partner with FOH, Events, and Membership leadership to align pacing, execution, and member recovery, • Monitor Dining Experience Survey feedback and ensure structural corrective action loops, • Support committee and Board communication as a culinary systems leader Success Profile- The ideal candidate is: • A systems thinker who designs operations rather than merely managing shifts, • A leadership multiplier who develops people and protects standards, • Calm, structured, and decisive, • Comfortable in executive-level accountability environments, • Energized by building something lasting Qualifications- • 10+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience in private clubs, luxury hospitality, or fine dining, • Demonstrated success in building culinary systems, mentoring leaders, and driving consistency at scale, • Strong financial acumen in food cost, labor architecture, and purchasing strategy, • Able to step into kitchen leadership when continuity requires, • ACF or comparable certification preferred, • Experience with Jonas or similar systems a plus, • Deep appreciation for tradition, hospitality, and member-first culture Compensation & Benefits- • Competitive salary commensurate with experience, • Annual performance bonus tied to KPIs, • Full benefits package (health, dental, vision, 401(k)), • Relocation assistance negotiable, • Continuing education and professional development support To Apply Interested candidates should submit a résumé and brief cover letter to: Chris Kennedy, CCM General Manager / COO