Vice President, Culinary

Remote | Up to 50% travel | $200,000-$210,000 base + executive bonus

Shape the culinary direction of a $1.3B business. Inspire teams across North America. Define what airport dining can be.

SSP America is seeking a visionary Vice President, Culinary - a strategic enterprise leader who sets the culinary vision across more than 300 locations, elevates food quality and innovation, and drives exceptional experiences at scale across the U.S. and Canada.

What You'll Lead

• Define and execute the culinary strategy for a multi-brand, multi-concept portfolio.
• Champion innovation, menu development, and culinary excellence across North America.
• Partner with Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing, and Executive Leadership to deliver industry-leading culinary experiences.
• Lead and mentor dispersed culinary teams, inspiring creativity and continuous improvement.
• Drive operational consistency, food safety, brand compliance, and financial performance.
• Influence enterprise-level decisions and elevate customer experience across airports.

What You Bring

• Minimum 10 years of progressive culinary leadership with minimum of 5 years at the senior or executive level.
• Experience leading culinary strategy or operations within an enterprise of at least $500M+ in annual revenue; experience in $1B+ environments highly desirable.
• Proven success leading large, multi-unit culinary operations and diverse teams.
• Strong financial acumen with experience in menu engineering, cost control, and scalable processes.
• Experience partnering on kitchen layout and design for new builds or high-volume operations, ensuring efficient workflow and throughput.
• Ability to foster innovation while maintaining operational excellence and brand consistency.
• Executive presence with the ability to influence cross-functional leaders.
• Flexibility to travel within the U.S. and Canada up to 50%.

Why This Role Stands Out

• Enterprise Influence: Lead culinary strategy for a $1.3B business with massive reach.
• Creative Autonomy: Shape menus, concepts, and culinary direction across 300+ units.
• Industry Impact: Help redefine airport dining for millions of travelers each year.
• High Visibility: Report directly to the President, Operational Excellence.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Collaborate with top executives to drive measurable results.

Compensation

Base salary: $200,000-$210,000 + competitive executive bonus structure
This range reflects the scope and impact of the role. Final compensation is determined by experience, leadership depth, and alignment with enterprise-level responsibilities.

Location & Travel

Remote with up to 50% travel across the United States and Canada.

Ready to Shape the Future of Airport Dining?

If you're an innovative culinary leader who blends creativity, operational mastery, and strategic vision - we'd love to talk.

SSP America is an equal opportunity employer. All decisions concerning the employment relationship will be made without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, age, disability, genetic information, or and other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. SSP America will provide reasonable accommodations during the application and interview process upon request as required to comply with applicable laws.