Director, European Culinary

As the Director of Culinary for Chipotle Europe you will oversee Chipotle Culinary and its alignment with our Global Culinary Standards which includes oversight of the Chipotle markets in Europe. You will partner with our international Chipotle team, strategic regional suppliers, regional operations team, and our USA based leadership team to deliver a consistent Chipotle experience globally. This is a leadership role involving the fluency in culinary skills, Chipotle's culinary execution, and Chipotle's Food with Integrity (FWI) ethos. This role reports directly into the Vice President for Chipotle Culinary and will partner with the leadership team in Europe to ensure we are championing Chipotle's Food with Integrity (FWI) mission across the globe.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Maintain Global Culinary Standards: Develop and execute a comprehensive Global Culinary Standards strategy aligned with Chipotle's objectives of delivering a consistent culinary experience. This will account for strategic suppliers, regional operations, marketing, food safety, and quality assurance stakeholders. The strategy will include a comprehensive process to calibrate on the Chipotle Core menu standards in addition to the review, approval, and organization of regional menu adjustments to support local and regional preferences, cultural nuances, and legislation.



• Strategic Supplier Partnerships: You will partner closely with the international supply chain team and strategic suppliers to ensure core menu ingredients meets our global culinary FWI standards. This includes liaising with the US teams and suppliers to understand the core ingredients.



• Restaurant Operations Support: Partner with the Operations Services team to drive culinary capability and brand standards internationally. This means leveraging the stage-gate process to support the ops services efforts impacting culinary.



• Teach & Taste Chipotle: As the Director of Culinary International, you will be an expert in Chipotle's FWI mission and our Real food proposition. Our value of Teaching and Tasting is critical and is supported with restaurant visits, food demonstrations, delivering strategic feedback, and providing support to enhance the FWI ethos, skills, knowledge, and performance of restaurant culinary to regional teams.



• Kitchen Innovation and Procurement: Partners with the global business on culinary process and equipment innovation initiatives to bring efficiency to international markets. Oversight of kitchen equipment and technology procurement to support consistency and drive cost efficiencies.



• Cross-functional Collaboration: Operationalize culinary innovation and change via effective collaboration with operations, FSQA, brand marketing, training, finance, and procurement to align culinary initiatives with overall business objectives and ensure seamless integration of culinary strategies.



• Consumer Testing and Validation: Partner with the regional marketing and consumer insights team to develop and implement a consumer testing protocol for Core menu ingredients and recipe adjustments.



• Budgeting and Cost Control: Manage culinary budgets, monitor costs, and identify opportunities for cost-saving initiatives without compromising quality or guest experience.
  
  A Passion for Exceptional People, Exceptional Food, and Cultivating a Better World



• Dynamic leader with proven track record of critical thinking and problem-solving skills, focused on collaboration, accountability, and results.



• Culinary Arts Degree/Certification required.



• 4- year Bachelor's degree required with Master's degree preferred.



• Language skills (English + 1-2 European languages) preferred.



• 10+ years of progressive culinary experience, including international exposure and leadership roles. 5+ years supervisory experience.



• Experience in multi-unit operations in regional European markets preferred.



• Experienced in large scale production and commercialization, core product benchmarking, gap analysis, critical action planning, and reverse engineering of products.



• Strong understanding of food science, food safety, regulations and quality assurance standards



• Highly articulate and able to present to diverse audiences including leadership with proficiency in food tastings, PowerPoint, and other impactful presentation formats.



• Strong business acumen, with experience in budgeting, cost control, and financial analysis



• Travel subject to business needs. Approximately 30-40% travel domestic and international.
  
  Food served fast does not have to be a typical fast-food experience. Chipotle has always done things differently, both in and out of our restaurants. We are changing the face of fast food, starting conversations, and directly supporting efforts to shift the future of farming and food. We hope you will join us as we continue to learn, evolve, and shape what comes next on our mission to make better food accessible to everyone., Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) is cultivating a better world by serving responsibly sourced, classically cooked, real food with wholesome ingredients without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Chipotle has restaurants in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Germany and is the only restaurant company of its size that owns and operates all its restaurants in North America and Europe. With employees passionate about providing a great guest experience, Chipotle is a longtime leader and innovator in the food industry. Chipotle is committed to making its food more accessible to everyone while continuing to be a brand with a demonstrated purpose as it leads the way in digital, technology and sustainable business practices. For more information or to place an order online, visit www.chipotle.com

PAY TRANSPARENCY

A reasonable estimate of the current base salary range for this position is $100,000 - $115,000. You are also eligible for annual cash bonuses and equity awards based upon performance and other factors. Actual compensation offered may vary depending on skill level, experience, and/or education. Chipotle offers a competitive total rewards package, which includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401k, sick leave, vacation time, and much more. Visit https://jobs.chipotle.com/benefits

Chipotle Mexican Grill is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity at all levels. As a people-first company rooted in values, our purpose extends beyond serving nutritious food using real ingredients. It means hiring world-class individuals and fostering a culture that champions diversity, ensures equity, and celebrates inclusion. All qualified applicants, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply.