Culinary Director of Continuous Improvement
Aramark
Chicago, IL
Job Description
Job Title: Culinary Director of Continuous Improvement
Locations: University of Chicago Medicine and Cleveland Clinic
Chicago & Northeastern Ohio areas (Travel Required)
Position Summary:
The Culinary Director fo Continuous Improvment will lead the transformation of food services across our healthcare system in Illinois and Ohio, driving excellence and innovation in patient dining. This visionary leader will blend culinary creativity with evidence-based nutrition, operational efficiency, and regulatory compliance to elevate the food experience in the hospital settings.
Job Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership- Develop and implement a system-wide culinary innovation strategy aligned with patient care, wellness, and sustainability goals.
- Collaborate with clinical nutrition, operations, and executive leadership to integrate culinary excellence into the broader healthcare mission.
- Menu Development & Innovation
- Design seasonal, culturally inclusive, and therapeutic menus that meet diverse dietary needs and enhance patient satisfaction.
- Introduce plant-forward, locally sourced, and trend-responsive offerings across all food service platforms.
- Operational Excellence
- Standardize culinary practices, recipes, and production methods across facilities to ensure consistency and quality.
- Lead initiatives to reduce food waste, improve cost-efficiency, and optimize kitchen workflows.
- Team Development
- Mentor and inspire culinary teams, fostering a culture of creativity, accountability, and continuous improvement.
- Provide training on culinary techniques, food safety, and customer service.
- Innovation & Technology
- Evaluate and implement emerging technologies in food preparation, ordering systems, and kitchen automation.
- Stay abreast of industry trends and translate them into actionable strategies.
Qualifications
- Bachelor?s degree in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, Nutrition, or related field.
- Certified Executive Chef (CEC) or equivalent credential preferred.
- Minimum 10 years of progressive leadership experience in culinary operations, preferably in healthcare or large-scale institutional settings.
- Proven track record of innovation, team leadership, and operational success.
- Strong understanding of therapeutic diets, food safety standards, and regulatory compliance.
- Excellent communication, project management, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
- Willingness to travel regularly between Illinois and Ohio facilities.
About Aramark
Our Mission
Rooted in service and united by our purpose, we strive to do great things for each other, our partners, our communities, and our planet.
At Aramark, we believe that every employee should enjoy equal employment opportunity and be free to participate in all aspects of the company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, pregnancy, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military status, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by applicable law.
About Aramark
The people of Aramark proudly serve millions of guests every day through food and facilities in 15 countries around the world. Rooted in service and united by our purpose, we strive to do great things for each other, our partners, our communities, and our planet. We believe a career should develop your talents, fuel your passions, and empower your professional growth. So, no matter what you're pursuing - a new challenge, a sense of belonging, or just a great place to work - our focus is helping you reach your full potential. Learn more about working here at http://www.aramarkcareers.com or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About the Company
Aramark
We focus on enriching and nourishing the lives of millions all over the world, providing a wide range of services—food, facilities and uniforms—to a diverse group of clients in 19 countries. We serve world champion sports teams, Fortune 500 companies, state-of-the-art healthcare providers and the world’s leading educational institutions. And every day, we dream of ways to do it better through our commitment to innovation and our passion for excellent customer service.
Innovation inspired by you
The better we know the people we serve, the greater the experiences we can develop. Whether it’s food service, facilities or uniforms, our proprietary programs allow us to understand the wants and needs of our audiences.
Armed with that knowledge, our Service Stars spring into action, combining insights and ingenuity to deliver moments that make a difference. These innovations could be game-changing campus transformations. Or a simpler, quicker way for you to access condiments at the ballpark. In any case, our innovations help create experiences that make an impact.
Beyond great service
Another key part of what makes us different is something we call service excellence.
To us, service excellence isn’t just about providing great customer service. It also means using time-tested practices and proven processes to get it right every day, everywhere, in everything that we do. And it's also about striking the perfect balance between doing something well over and over again and being responsive enough to the changing needs of clients and customers. It’s being open to the continuing cycle of innovation. Excellent, but never satisfied. Process-driven, but never locked in place.
We never stop thinking of new, better ways to get it right when our people impact the lives of clients and consumers every day.
Our people make all the difference—we make sure of it
Our commitment to hiring, training and rewarding the right people ensures that our employees are more than just hard workers. They’re Service Stars, and that means they can be counted on to go above and beyond, every single day.
We understand that many times our people are literally the face of your business. That’s why all 270,000 Service Stars receive continual access to professional development and proprietary skills training.
The bottom line is this: when you work with Aramark, you can be confident you’ll be collaborating with the right people with the right skills and the right attitude. That’s true whether it’s for strategic expertise, operational excellence or just serving a morning coffee. That’s our commitment as trusted partners and Service Stars. That’s the Aramark way.