Job Overview
Employment Type
Full-time
Benefits
competitive compensation
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Paid Time Off
Career development opportunities
Travel opportunities
inclusive work environment
Job Description
Royal Caribbean Group is a globally recognized leader in the cruise industry, known for its commitment to delivering exceptional guest experiences through innovation, quality, and outstanding service. As one of the world’s largest and most innovative cruise companies, Royal Caribbean Group operates a fleet of highly acclaimed ships offering unique and immersive vacation options for travelers worldwide. The company is headquartered at Royal Caribbean Headquarters 1050 and prides itself on its employee-centric culture, providing competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and abundant opportunities for career growth across a variety of disciplines. With a foundation built on adventure and excellence, Royal Caribbean Group continues to set new standards in cruising while fostering a culture that encourages exploration and professional development.
This exciting career opportunity is with the Celebrity Food & Beverage team at Royal Caribbean Group, focused on culinary excellence onboard its luxurious cruise ships. The full-time Lead, Chef Development & Operations position, reporting directly to the Director of Culinary Development, offers a unique blend of leadership, creativity, and operational responsibility within a highly dynamic environment. The role is based onsite at the Royal Caribbean Headquarters and involves multi-faceted culinary leadership to support and elevate the onboard culinary operations across the fleet.
In this role, the Lead, Chef Development & Operations is responsible for ensuring the highest levels of guest satisfaction by upholding and advancing company culinary standards, innovating culinary concepts, and efficiently managing food costs. This leader spearheads the development and implementation of culinary strategies and serves as a pivotal point for culinary innovation, product development, and quality control. The position combines creative ideation, technical expertise, and operational oversight, including managing waste reduction programs, recipe standardization, and menu development that aligns with the brand's stellar reputation.
The individual will lead culinary concept development and prototype testing, collaborate across departments such as procurement and operations, and work closely with fleet chefs to scale new recipes for broad deployment. A critical aspect of the role involves managing numerous development projects while solving complex culinary challenges swiftly and efficiently. The role also encompasses the training of shipboard culinary teams on new processes and concepts, coordinating culinary demonstrations and activations for marketing events, and overseeing the upkeep and innovation of culinary equipment and shipboard capital.
The position demands a forward-thinking culinary professional with strong business acumen, excellent organizational and interpersonal skills, and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment. Travel up to 25% of the time is required, including visits to ships and other office locations, to facilitate seamless communication and project management. This role also offers the chance to contribute to continuous improvement projects and participate in food industry events to stay abreast of trends and technologies.
Overall, this is a highly rewarding opportunity for a seasoned culinary leader looking to make a significant impact in the cruise industry by combining passion for food innovation, operational excellence, and team leadership at one of the world’s most respected cruise brands. Royal Caribbean Group is dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and provides equal employment opportunities without discrimination or harassment. The company offers a robust compensation and benefits package, excellent career development prospects, and a supportive environment for career advancement. Candidates interested in combining their culinary expertise with a spirit of adventure are encouraged to apply.
This exciting career opportunity is with the Celebrity Food & Beverage team at Royal Caribbean Group, focused on culinary excellence onboard its luxurious cruise ships. The full-time Lead, Chef Development & Operations position, reporting directly to the Director of Culinary Development, offers a unique blend of leadership, creativity, and operational responsibility within a highly dynamic environment. The role is based onsite at the Royal Caribbean Headquarters and involves multi-faceted culinary leadership to support and elevate the onboard culinary operations across the fleet.
In this role, the Lead, Chef Development & Operations is responsible for ensuring the highest levels of guest satisfaction by upholding and advancing company culinary standards, innovating culinary concepts, and efficiently managing food costs. This leader spearheads the development and implementation of culinary strategies and serves as a pivotal point for culinary innovation, product development, and quality control. The position combines creative ideation, technical expertise, and operational oversight, including managing waste reduction programs, recipe standardization, and menu development that aligns with the brand's stellar reputation.
The individual will lead culinary concept development and prototype testing, collaborate across departments such as procurement and operations, and work closely with fleet chefs to scale new recipes for broad deployment. A critical aspect of the role involves managing numerous development projects while solving complex culinary challenges swiftly and efficiently. The role also encompasses the training of shipboard culinary teams on new processes and concepts, coordinating culinary demonstrations and activations for marketing events, and overseeing the upkeep and innovation of culinary equipment and shipboard capital.
The position demands a forward-thinking culinary professional with strong business acumen, excellent organizational and interpersonal skills, and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment. Travel up to 25% of the time is required, including visits to ships and other office locations, to facilitate seamless communication and project management. This role also offers the chance to contribute to continuous improvement projects and participate in food industry events to stay abreast of trends and technologies.
Overall, this is a highly rewarding opportunity for a seasoned culinary leader looking to make a significant impact in the cruise industry by combining passion for food innovation, operational excellence, and team leadership at one of the world’s most respected cruise brands. Royal Caribbean Group is dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and provides equal employment opportunities without discrimination or harassment. The company offers a robust compensation and benefits package, excellent career development prospects, and a supportive environment for career advancement. Candidates interested in combining their culinary expertise with a spirit of adventure are encouraged to apply.
Job Requirements
- 10 years of culinary management experience
- 2 years of multi-unit culinary management experience preferred
- Bachelor’s degree in culinary arts or related field preferred but not required
- Prepared to travel up to 25 percent of the time
- Ability to write reports clearly and concisely
- Strong organizational skills
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously
- Ability to solve technical culinary problems quickly and efficiently
- Must be able to work onsite at Royal Caribbean Headquarters
Job Qualifications
- 10 years of culinary management experience preferably in a high volume, 4- or 5-star resort, cruise line, hotel or restaurant
- 2 years multi-unit culinary management experience preferred
- Bachelor’s degree in culinary arts or related education and/or certification preferred but not necessary
- Strong organizational and interpersonal skills
- Excellent business acumen
- Ability to write clear, concise reports outlining solutions and recommendations
- Analytical thinking a plus
- Ability to communicate effectively at all levels
- Ability to lead and develop high caliber culinary teams
Job Duties
- Manage all culinary creation, culinary concept development and ideation
- Responsible for waste management programs including data upkeep, tracking and waste reduction solutions
- Lead identification, design, development, creation, and testing of product prototypes
- Collaborate with fleet chefs to create scalable recipes for product launches and support
- Lead development of raw materials with procurement and finished goods
- Manage scale-up trials and training on new processes with ship leadership
- Work closely with culinary directors on new products and troubleshoot ingredient performance
- Manage multiple development projects simultaneously
- Solve technical problems efficiently
- Assist in pipeline prioritization and technical assessment of innovation projects
- Collaborate with product development, food and beverage leaders, and operations on innovation
- Develop menu items to eliminate slow moving inventory
- Conduct Gold Standard evaluations and identify non-conformities
- Write detailed recipes, SOPs, and perform costing analysis
- Manage day-to-day Test Kitchen activities including food tastings and products
- Responsible for culinary photography, media and video
- Provide onboarding culinary training for new concepts and SOPs
- Manage culinary capital, shipboard equipment and related budgets
- Attend designated food and equipment shows
- Lead culinary taskforce assignments as needed
- Manage global culinary demonstrations and activations for marketing events
- Travel as requested and serve as point of contact for new equipment innovation
- Perform other duties as assigned
Job Criteria
Experience
Mid Level (3-7 years)
Job Location
Your Profile Is Visible To Hiring Managers Across OysterLink.
We'll match you with best jobs
Get job offers faster
Search For More Opportunities:
How Candidates Get Hired Faster
Apply to 2–3 similar roles
Complete profile & get best matches
Check new opportunities daily
