Culinary Director Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Culinary Director roles qualify for H-1B visa sponsorship as a specialty occupation requiring a culinary arts or hospitality management degree. Employers file a Labor Condition Application before you can start, and many large hospitality groups have active LCA filing history that you can verify through public DOL disclosure data.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Oak View Group (OVG) is the global leader in premium live entertainment infrastructure and services, with a platform spanning venue development and end-to-end capabilities across venue management, hospitality, and sponsorship sales. Founded in 2015, the company serves a collection of seven world-class owned venues and a client roster of the most iconic arenas, stadiums, convention centers, music festivals, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions, spanning four continents.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The Culinary Director has the primary duty of managing the culinary team, a recognized department of the venue’s F&B operation. The Culinary Director will actively coach, counsel, direct, train, and mentor employees in meeting company quality standards and will independently initiate and authorize all employment actions such as hiring, termination, suspension, discipline, promotion, and transfer. The Culinary Director will actively and independently manage all aspects of employee relations to ensure a positive, harmonious, compliant, and cooperative work environment. The Culinary Director will take full ownership and responsibility for the culinary operations at The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. This extensive role encompasses the restaurant, the food hall, and private events (including offsite commissary kitchen) operation within the museum. The core objective is to achieve both operational and commercial success for these diverse food and beverage spaces and verticals, ensuring that product, service, and the highest quality standards are consistently maintained. This position involves comprehensive oversight of all day-to-day culinary management aspects, with a mandate to guarantee the delivery of the museum's culinary product in terms of quality, consistency, and presentation, all while adhering to the financial constraints of the annual budget. This is a key position for the effective and profitable operation of the business. The Culinary Director must maintain excellent attendance and be available to work a variable event-driven schedule, which includes evenings and weekends. Open availability, professional presentation, outstanding interpersonal skills, and self-direction are required.
This role pays an annual salary of $145,000 - $180,000 and is bonus eligible. Benefits for Full-Time Roles: Health, Dental and Vision Insurance, 401(k) Savings Plan, 401(k) matching, and Paid Time Off (vacation days, sick days, and 11 holidays). This position will remain open until February 5, 2027.
Responsibilities
- Stay fully aware and up-to-date with new culinary trends and proactively diversify food and beverage offerings.
- Champion the sustainability agenda within the museum's culinary operations, aligning with the building's ethos.
- Develop extended relationships with internal museum tenants or partners for their food and beverage catering requirements, understanding their individual needs, and actively participating in tastings for new events opportunities.
- Present to potential private event clients along with the sales team to win high-profile event bids.
- Be fully aware of and contributing to the technology utilized within the museum, such as any relevant apps, to ensure it is maintained, kept up-to-date, and current.
Culinary and Kitchen Management:
- Manage all food ordering and stock rotation, including the preparation of weekly and monthly reporting (inventory, labor, and COGS).
- Construct and maintain an effective operational structure and build strong relationships with logistical partners to ensure timely delivery of products.
- Allocate and manage time efficiently to cover all operational, administrative, and trend-related aspects across all museum outlets. This includes managing outlet concepts (like concessions and retail), kitchen budgets, cost of sales, staffing schedule audits against budget, Profit & Loss (P&L) reporting, and participating in Front of House (FOH) and Event meetings (BEO).
- Introduce reasonable logistical operational delivery solutions to efficiently provide food service to multiple floors or areas within the museum site.
- Implement and collate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and recipes as required for generic kitchen procedures.
- Compile all staffing schedules for kitchen and kitchen porter staff, aligning with budget requirements and utilizing approved systems.
- Undertake regular daily debriefing sessions with key kitchen staff and attend leadership meetings to drive the business forward and maintain a key action list.
Health, Safety, and Food Safety Management:
- Maintain high levels of food hygiene practices and due diligence as designated by legislation, including all HACCP, Health & Safety (H&S), and Food Safety recording and documentation, following any and all local, municipal, and company policies and procedures alongside chosen partners.
- Be an integral part of managing H&S in the workplace, actively participating in monthly H&S meetings and audits.
- Ensure follow-up communication to internal FOH, Back of House (BOH), and general management regarding action plans.
- Provide accurate data records and follow-up of internal data sheets (MSDS) by maintaining an up-to-date compliance diary and compliance center for all kitchens and teams.
Menu Design and Development:
- Develop all menu changes in collaboration with the on-site management team, regional executives, and the Global Culinary Director. This includes arranging tastings and specifications for all menus for final approval by key stakeholders.
- Adhere to any and all sustainability principles and initiatives in the selection and use of products for menus.
- Complete and review allocated costs of menu changes and daily specials to ensure smooth implementation of any menu changes following approved processes.
- Format all menus, recipes, and files, including methods and yields, and implement systems that are followed and documented using the company's recipe management tools.
- Maintain and update the recipe database, proactively adjusting pricing and products based on market fluctuations of costs.
- Conduct frequent menu engineering reports to analyze sales patterns of dishes and make appropriate decisions based on the information presented.
- Conduct frequent quality checks of the restaurant, café, and concession offerings to ensure they are in line with the museum's own standards and remain competitive.
- Collaborate closely with the corporate culinary leadership on new dishes, ensuring they align with the museum's concept and overall culinary vision for the business.
Financial Management and Profitability:
- Maintain budgets set for food purchasing, labor costs, and general costs associated with culinary operations.
- Ensure all ingredient prices are regularly checked using the company's recipe management tool, verifying prices are competitive and aligned with market value.
- Ensure all menu items are appropriately and correctly costed.
- Ensure that there is no overordering and food wastage is kept to a minimum.
- Use existing nominated suppliers only, leverage any contracted pricing, and liaise closely with the procurement department on any challenges or required changes to set product baskets.
- Sign off on weekly produced budgets and timesheets and prepare accurate data for monthly payroll for the culinary department.
- Check, monitor, and approve invoices, working closely with the venue's Area Finance Manager.
- Assist with, track, and oversee weekly flash reports pertaining to Food Cost of Sales (COS).
- Maintain adequate and appropriate tracking of culinary department labor budgets to ensure alignment with approved numbers.
- Support across the venue with events, offering culinary staff assistance as needed to help keep costs aligned.
Staff Training and Development:
- Direct, motivate, and manage all kitchen and BOH staff to ensure they are working under the museum's culinary brand and guidelines, as well as the overall building ethos.
- Identify, define, and retain key talent within the kitchen department by ensuring adequate succession planning and career progression in collaboration with Human Resources and the senior management team.
- Ensure provision of Health & Safety and Food Safety training (local and ServSafe), as well as general development, coaching, or counseling for any staff member in accordance with internal policies and SOPs.
- Direct the correct induction process for all new culinary employees on site.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):
- Financial/Cost of Sales (COS): Demonstrate a full understanding of kitchen budgets and the allocation of food and labor percentages, working to be in line with approved numbers and margins.
- Guest Satisfaction/Quality of Food: Achieve set targets for guest feedback and satisfaction from the different operational channels.
- Health & Safety & Sustainability: Achieve set targets pertaining to staff training, Food Safety audits, and local Health Department inspections. Achieve site-level goals for the implementation of sustainability initiatives.
- Staff Engagement/Development/People Management Skills: Achieve set targets in conducting regular team meetings, reviews, survey participation, and maintaining staff retention at desired levels.
- Purchasing: Ensure alignment to internal procurement guidelines.
QUALIFICATIONS
- 5-7+ years of senior kitchen leadership in multi-faceted venues.
- Proven track record of achieving and exceeding set operational targets and work experience within a similar food service management or fast-paced retail environment.
- Advanced administrative and computer skills.
- Strong budget and report writing abilities.
- Bilingual (Spanish) is a plus.
- Ability to write menus that are both creative and profitable.
- ServSafe Certified – Manager Level.
- Strong people management and communication skills.
- Ability to effectively lead a team of more than 40 people.
- Obsessive about planning, time management, and organizational skills.
- Flexibility in work shifts and hours (weekends and holidays).
- Proactive, team-oriented working approach.
- Ability to meet deadlines under pressure.
- Must be punctual and reliable.
- Ability to work independently and also collaborate with others.
- Strong interest in food development and trends.
- Ability to positively influence others' actions, decisions, opinions, or thinking.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Culinary Arts Diploma (e.g., Associate's or Bachelor's degrees in Culinary Arts).
- Hospitality management degree or bachelor's in applied science in hospitality, catering, or event management.
Strengthened by our Differences. United to Make a Difference:
At OVG, we understand that to continue positively disrupting the sports and live entertainment industry, we need a diverse team to help us do it. We also believe that inclusivity drives innovation, strengthens our people, improves our service, and raises our excellence. Our success is rooted in creating environments that reflect and celebrate the diverse communities in which we operate and serve, and this is the reason we are committed to amplifying voices from all different backgrounds.
Equal Opportunity Employer:
Oak View Group is committed to equal employment opportunity. We will not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on any legally recognized basis (“protected class”) including, but not limited to veteran status, uniform service member status, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information or any other protected class under federal, state, or local law.
INTRODUCTION
Oak View Group (OVG) is the global leader in premium live entertainment infrastructure and services, with a platform spanning venue development and end-to-end capabilities across venue management, hospitality, and sponsorship sales. Founded in 2015, the company serves a collection of seven world-class owned venues and a client roster of the most iconic arenas, stadiums, convention centers, music festivals, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions, spanning four continents.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The Culinary Director has the primary duty of managing the culinary team, a recognized department of the venue’s F&B operation. The Culinary Director will actively coach, counsel, direct, train, and mentor employees in meeting company quality standards and will independently initiate and authorize all employment actions such as hiring, termination, suspension, discipline, promotion, and transfer. The Culinary Director will actively and independently manage all aspects of employee relations to ensure a positive, harmonious, compliant, and cooperative work environment. The Culinary Director will take full ownership and responsibility for the culinary operations at The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. This extensive role encompasses the restaurant, the food hall, and private events (including offsite commissary kitchen) operation within the museum. The core objective is to achieve both operational and commercial success for these diverse food and beverage spaces and verticals, ensuring that product, service, and the highest quality standards are consistently maintained. This position involves comprehensive oversight of all day-to-day culinary management aspects, with a mandate to guarantee the delivery of the museum's culinary product in terms of quality, consistency, and presentation, all while adhering to the financial constraints of the annual budget. This is a key position for the effective and profitable operation of the business. The Culinary Director must maintain excellent attendance and be available to work a variable event-driven schedule, which includes evenings and weekends. Open availability, professional presentation, outstanding interpersonal skills, and self-direction are required.
This role pays an annual salary of $145,000 - $180,000 and is bonus eligible. Benefits for Full-Time Roles: Health, Dental and Vision Insurance, 401(k) Savings Plan, 401(k) matching, and Paid Time Off (vacation days, sick days, and 11 holidays). This position will remain open until February 5, 2027.
Responsibilities
- Stay fully aware and up-to-date with new culinary trends and proactively diversify food and beverage offerings.
- Champion the sustainability agenda within the museum's culinary operations, aligning with the building's ethos.
- Develop extended relationships with internal museum tenants or partners for their food and beverage catering requirements, understanding their individual needs, and actively participating in tastings for new events opportunities.
- Present to potential private event clients along with the sales team to win high-profile event bids.
- Be fully aware of and contributing to the technology utilized within the museum, such as any relevant apps, to ensure it is maintained, kept up-to-date, and current.
Culinary and Kitchen Management:
- Manage all food ordering and stock rotation, including the preparation of weekly and monthly reporting (inventory, labor, and COGS).
- Construct and maintain an effective operational structure and build strong relationships with logistical partners to ensure timely delivery of products.
- Allocate and manage time efficiently to cover all operational, administrative, and trend-related aspects across all museum outlets. This includes managing outlet concepts (like concessions and retail), kitchen budgets, cost of sales, staffing schedule audits against budget, Profit & Loss (P&L) reporting, and participating in Front of House (FOH) and Event meetings (BEO).
- Introduce reasonable logistical operational delivery solutions to efficiently provide food service to multiple floors or areas within the museum site.
- Implement and collate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and recipes as required for generic kitchen procedures.
- Compile all staffing schedules for kitchen and kitchen porter staff, aligning with budget requirements and utilizing approved systems.
- Undertake regular daily debriefing sessions with key kitchen staff and attend leadership meetings to drive the business forward and maintain a key action list.
Health, Safety, and Food Safety Management:
- Maintain high levels of food hygiene practices and due diligence as designated by legislation, including all HACCP, Health & Safety (H&S), and Food Safety recording and documentation, following any and all local, municipal, and company policies and procedures alongside chosen partners.
- Be an integral part of managing H&S in the workplace, actively participating in monthly H&S meetings and audits.
- Ensure follow-up communication to internal FOH, Back of House (BOH), and general management regarding action plans.
- Provide accurate data records and follow-up of internal data sheets (MSDS) by maintaining an up-to-date compliance diary and compliance center for all kitchens and teams.
Menu Design and Development:
- Develop all menu changes in collaboration with the on-site management team, regional executives, and the Global Culinary Director. This includes arranging tastings and specifications for all menus for final approval by key stakeholders.
- Adhere to any and all sustainability principles and initiatives in the selection and use of products for menus.
- Complete and review allocated costs of menu changes and daily specials to ensure smooth implementation of any menu changes following approved processes.
- Format all menus, recipes, and files, including methods and yields, and implement systems that are followed and documented using the company's recipe management tools.
- Maintain and update the recipe database, proactively adjusting pricing and products based on market fluctuations of costs.
- Conduct frequent menu engineering reports to analyze sales patterns of dishes and make appropriate decisions based on the information presented.
- Conduct frequent quality checks of the restaurant, café, and concession offerings to ensure they are in line with the museum's own standards and remain competitive.
- Collaborate closely with the corporate culinary leadership on new dishes, ensuring they align with the museum's concept and overall culinary vision for the business.
Financial Management and Profitability:
- Maintain budgets set for food purchasing, labor costs, and general costs associated with culinary operations.
- Ensure all ingredient prices are regularly checked using the company's recipe management tool, verifying prices are competitive and aligned with market value.
- Ensure all menu items are appropriately and correctly costed.
- Ensure that there is no overordering and food wastage is kept to a minimum.
- Use existing nominated suppliers only, leverage any contracted pricing, and liaise closely with the procurement department on any challenges or required changes to set product baskets.
- Sign off on weekly produced budgets and timesheets and prepare accurate data for monthly payroll for the culinary department.
- Check, monitor, and approve invoices, working closely with the venue's Area Finance Manager.
- Assist with, track, and oversee weekly flash reports pertaining to Food Cost of Sales (COS).
- Maintain adequate and appropriate tracking of culinary department labor budgets to ensure alignment with approved numbers.
- Support across the venue with events, offering culinary staff assistance as needed to help keep costs aligned.
Staff Training and Development:
- Direct, motivate, and manage all kitchen and BOH staff to ensure they are working under the museum's culinary brand and guidelines, as well as the overall building ethos.
- Identify, define, and retain key talent within the kitchen department by ensuring adequate succession planning and career progression in collaboration with Human Resources and the senior management team.
- Ensure provision of Health & Safety and Food Safety training (local and ServSafe), as well as general development, coaching, or counseling for any staff member in accordance with internal policies and SOPs.
- Direct the correct induction process for all new culinary employees on site.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):
- Financial/Cost of Sales (COS): Demonstrate a full understanding of kitchen budgets and the allocation of food and labor percentages, working to be in line with approved numbers and margins.
- Guest Satisfaction/Quality of Food: Achieve set targets for guest feedback and satisfaction from the different operational channels.
- Health & Safety & Sustainability: Achieve set targets pertaining to staff training, Food Safety audits, and local Health Department inspections. Achieve site-level goals for the implementation of sustainability initiatives.
- Staff Engagement/Development/People Management Skills: Achieve set targets in conducting regular team meetings, reviews, survey participation, and maintaining staff retention at desired levels.
- Purchasing: Ensure alignment to internal procurement guidelines.
QUALIFICATIONS
- 5-7+ years of senior kitchen leadership in multi-faceted venues.
- Proven track record of achieving and exceeding set operational targets and work experience within a similar food service management or fast-paced retail environment.
- Advanced administrative and computer skills.
- Strong budget and report writing abilities.
- Bilingual (Spanish) is a plus.
- Ability to write menus that are both creative and profitable.
- ServSafe Certified – Manager Level.
- Strong people management and communication skills.
- Ability to effectively lead a team of more than 40 people.
- Obsessive about planning, time management, and organizational skills.
- Flexibility in work shifts and hours (weekends and holidays).
- Proactive, team-oriented working approach.
- Ability to meet deadlines under pressure.
- Must be punctual and reliable.
- Ability to work independently and also collaborate with others.
- Strong interest in food development and trends.
- Ability to positively influence others' actions, decisions, opinions, or thinking.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Culinary Arts Diploma (e.g., Associate's or Bachelor's degrees in Culinary Arts).
- Hospitality management degree or bachelor's in applied science in hospitality, catering, or event management.
Strengthened by our Differences. United to Make a Difference:
At OVG, we understand that to continue positively disrupting the sports and live entertainment industry, we need a diverse team to help us do it. We also believe that inclusivity drives innovation, strengthens our people, improves our service, and raises our excellence. Our success is rooted in creating environments that reflect and celebrate the diverse communities in which we operate and serve, and this is the reason we are committed to amplifying voices from all different backgrounds.
Equal Opportunity Employer:
Oak View Group is committed to equal employment opportunity. We will not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on any legally recognized basis (“protected class”) including, but not limited to veteran status, uniform service member status, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information or any other protected class under federal, state, or local law.
See all Culinary Director Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Culinary Director roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Culinary Director Jobs
Document your degree's direct field alignment
H-1B eligibility for Culinary Directors hinges on a degree in culinary arts, food science, or hospitality management tied directly to the role. A general business degree won't satisfy USCIS specialty occupation requirements, so gather transcripts and course descriptions that show field-specific coursework.
Use OFLC Wage Search before salary negotiations
Your employer must pay at least the prevailing wage certified on the LCA. Pull the OFLC Wage Search for your specific metro area and job title before you receive an offer so you can confirm any number they put forward meets DOL requirements.
Target hotel groups with multi-property LCA histories
Large hospitality operators and hotel management companies file LCAs across multiple properties, making them structurally more comfortable with the sponsorship process than independent restaurants. Search Migrate Mate for Culinary Director roles with verified LCA sponsorship history to identify these employers quickly.
Get your foreign culinary credentials evaluated early
If your degree is from outside the U.S., have it evaluated by a NACES-accredited agency before you apply. USCIS expects the evaluation to confirm equivalency to a U.S. bachelor's degree in a directly related field, and delays in obtaining this document can stall your petition.
Ask employers about cap-exempt filing options
Some culinary director positions at university dining programs, nonprofit hospitality foundations, or affiliated research institutions qualify as cap-exempt H-1B roles, bypassing the annual lottery entirely. Confirm whether a prospective employer has any institutional affiliation that would make your petition cap-exempt before the annual registration window opens.
Clarify PERM timing if green card sponsorship is on the table
Some hospitality groups will sponsor a Culinary Director for both H-1B status and an EB-3 green card through PERM labor certification. PERM requires the employer to prove no qualified U.S. worker is available, so confirm the employer has completed or is willing to run a full recruitment process before accepting the offer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Culinary Director role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
Yes, provided the employer's job description requires at minimum a bachelor's degree in culinary arts, food science, or hospitality management as a standard for entry. USCIS scrutinizes Culinary Director petitions where the employer's internal requirements are inconsistent, so the job posting and the LCA must both specify a directly related degree as a genuine requirement, not a preference.
Which visa types are realistic for a foreign Culinary Director seeking U.S. sponsorship?
H-1B is the primary path if your role meets specialty occupation standards. TN visa status is available to Canadian and Mexican nationals only if the position maps to an eligible USMCA profession, which Culinary Director roles generally do not. O-1A is an option if you have nationally recognized awards, published work, or judging experience that demonstrates extraordinary ability in the culinary field. A green card via EB-3 is possible once you secure an employer willing to run PERM labor certification.
What degree does a Culinary Director need to get H-1B sponsorship approved?
USCIS expects a bachelor's degree or higher in culinary arts, food science, nutrition, hospitality management, or a closely related field. A three-year international culinary degree may satisfy the requirement if a credential evaluation confirms U.S. bachelor's equivalency. Extensive culinary experience alone does not substitute for the degree requirement under the H-1B specialty occupation definition.
How do I find employers who actively sponsor Culinary Director roles?
Migrate Mate lists U.S. employers with verified LCA sponsorship history for culinary and food service leadership roles, so you can identify hospitality groups and food companies that have already navigated the filing process. This is a faster starting point than applying speculatively to employers who have never sponsored a visa.
Can a Culinary Director change employers after getting H-1B approval?
Yes. Under H-1B portability, you can start working for a new employer once that employer files a new H-1B petition on your behalf, as long as you're currently in valid H-1B status. The new employer must file their own LCA and I-129 petition with USCIS. You don't need to wait for the new petition to be approved before starting work with the new employer.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Culinary Director jobs?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.