Culinary Director (New Canaan)
Kinney Lane Foods, New Canaan, CT, United States
Culinary Director
Kinney Lane | Stamford, CT Kinney Lane is a chef-driven prepared meal company serving Fairfield County and Westchester, building a model for how people eat today—bridging the gap between takeout and grocery. What began as a local delivery service has grown into a high-volume operation with a loyal customer base. We’re now entering our next phase of growth—expanding into a larger production facility, grab-and-go retail, and packaged products.
Role Overview The Culinary Director is a senior leadership role responsible for both the culinary direction and the day-to-day production execution of the business. This role sits at the intersection of food and operations. It requires someone who can take an established culinary vision and translate it into a system that runs efficiently, consistently, and at scale—week in and week out. This is a hands-on role for someone who can step into an existing system, understand it deeply, and make it better—more refined, more efficient, and built for growth.
Key Responsibilities Culinary + Menu Ownership Own and execute weekly menu development within an established structure—ensuring menus are cohesive, seasonal, and operationally efficient Maintain a high bar for quality, consistency, and presentation across all offerings Refine recipes and builds to support consistency, speed, and scalability Operations + Production Leadership Own kitchen operations and weekly production output, ensuring the team executes accurately, efficiently, and on schedule Design and refine production systems, workflows, and labor models to support growth Drive continuous improvement in kitchen efficiency, throughput, and organization Partner with fulfillment and logistics to ensure seamless execution from kitchen to delivery Financial + Performance Management Set and manage weekly pricing with a strong understanding of food cost, margins, and overall business performance Track and respond to key metrics including sales, food cost, waste, and labor Make decisions that balance quality with profitability and scalability Team Leadership Lead and manage the culinary team, including scheduling, performance, and accountability Build a strong, high-functioning kitchen culture grounded in consistency, ownership, and teamwork Growth + Innovation Lead and support new product development, including sauces and packaged goods Support expansion into retail/grab-and-go and future production scaling initiatives Qualifications 7+ years of culinary experience, with a strong background in production, prepared foods, or food manufacturing Experience operating in a high-volume environment where consistency and efficiency are critical Strong understanding of food costing, pricing strategy, and margin management Proven ability to build and refine systems, SOPs, and workflows for scale Hands-on leadership style with the ability to step into the kitchen and support execution Highly organized with strong attention to detail and follow-through Collaborative, low ego, and aligned with a team-first culture Interest in CPG, retail, and scaling food operations is a strong plus
What We’re Looking For A positive, solution-oriented operator with experience in a growing business—someone who loves food and knows how to improve systems, lead a team, and get things done.
Kinney Lane | Stamford, CT Kinney Lane is a chef-driven prepared meal company serving Fairfield County and Westchester, building a model for how people eat today—bridging the gap between takeout and grocery. What began as a local delivery service has grown into a high-volume operation with a loyal customer base. We’re now entering our next phase of growth—expanding into a larger production facility, grab-and-go retail, and packaged products.
Role Overview The Culinary Director is a senior leadership role responsible for both the culinary direction and the day-to-day production execution of the business. This role sits at the intersection of food and operations. It requires someone who can take an established culinary vision and translate it into a system that runs efficiently, consistently, and at scale—week in and week out. This is a hands-on role for someone who can step into an existing system, understand it deeply, and make it better—more refined, more efficient, and built for growth.
Key Responsibilities Culinary + Menu Ownership Own and execute weekly menu development within an established structure—ensuring menus are cohesive, seasonal, and operationally efficient Maintain a high bar for quality, consistency, and presentation across all offerings Refine recipes and builds to support consistency, speed, and scalability Operations + Production Leadership Own kitchen operations and weekly production output, ensuring the team executes accurately, efficiently, and on schedule Design and refine production systems, workflows, and labor models to support growth Drive continuous improvement in kitchen efficiency, throughput, and organization Partner with fulfillment and logistics to ensure seamless execution from kitchen to delivery Financial + Performance Management Set and manage weekly pricing with a strong understanding of food cost, margins, and overall business performance Track and respond to key metrics including sales, food cost, waste, and labor Make decisions that balance quality with profitability and scalability Team Leadership Lead and manage the culinary team, including scheduling, performance, and accountability Build a strong, high-functioning kitchen culture grounded in consistency, ownership, and teamwork Growth + Innovation Lead and support new product development, including sauces and packaged goods Support expansion into retail/grab-and-go and future production scaling initiatives Qualifications 7+ years of culinary experience, with a strong background in production, prepared foods, or food manufacturing Experience operating in a high-volume environment where consistency and efficiency are critical Strong understanding of food costing, pricing strategy, and margin management Proven ability to build and refine systems, SOPs, and workflows for scale Hands-on leadership style with the ability to step into the kitchen and support execution Highly organized with strong attention to detail and follow-through Collaborative, low ego, and aligned with a team-first culture Interest in CPG, retail, and scaling food operations is a strong plus
What We’re Looking For A positive, solution-oriented operator with experience in a growing business—someone who loves food and knows how to improve systems, lead a team, and get things done.