Culinary Manager

Company: CookUnity
Location: Chicago
Posted on: January 19, 2026

Job Description:

About CookUnity: Food has lost its soul to modern convenience. And with it, it has lost the power to nourish, inspire, and connect us. So in 2018, CookUnity was founded as the first-of-its-kind platform that connects the world with the source of truly great food: chefs. Today, CookUnity delivers 50 million meals a year from the industry's best chefs to homes all over the country. Fresh. Ready-to-eat. And crafted with the passion that nourishes body and soul. Unwilling to stop there, CookUnity is expanding beyond delivery to become an ever-innovating marketplace focused on our singular mission: empower Chefs to nourish the world. If that mission has you hungry in more ways than one, you've found the right job posting. The Role The Culinary Manager will partner directly with the Market Director and Operations Manager, playing a key role in growing the business and holding the team accountable. The Culinary Manager is responsible for providing operational oversight and strong leadership to a growing team of associates and supervisors. This individual will have their hands in multiple aspects of the facility, managing the optimization and execution of the Marketplace and Kitchen operations. Success for this role is to become a partner, an ally, to our chef community making sure they have everything they need to execute an optimal menu strategy and execution. Partnering with the Chef Success team, this role will collaborate with recipe consistency development, being responsible for food safety and quality assurance across the whole food production process. Responsibilities Deliver strategic operational leadership across all aspects of Kitchen and Marketplace operations, with a hands-on approach Manage, coach, and motivate a team of associates and supervisors, providing them with the necessary equipment, training, and quality direction Lead growth and development of direct team including performance management and professional development Maintain weekly and monthly financial reporting (forecasting, labor, food cost, and revenue) Partner with Supply Chain for an accurate ordering of materials, supplies, and ingredients based on demand Maintain relationships with Local and National purveyors Oversee the Marketplace team to ensure all ingredients are properly sourced and received daily, and perform weekly inventory counts Maintain a work environment that guarantees and promotes food team safety, ensuring compliance with Food Safety and Sustainability policies at all times Collaborate with Chef's onboarding and implementation of new menu items, as well as ensuring recipe accuracy during food production Qualifications 4 years of leadership experience in Food Manufacturing and/or High Volume Commercial Kitchen In-depth knowledge of kitchen health and safety regulations FoodServe Manager License Proficiency with Google apps (Gmail, drive, spreadsheets, etc.) Experience working with and sourcing local, sustainable organic ingredients Ability to lead a team in a fast-paced environment with a high level of ambiguity and change Outstanding communication and organizational skills. Being able to speak conversational Spanish is strongly preferred Benefits Health Insurance coverage PTO policy and paid sick days We grow, you grow: Stock Options Plan granted on Day 1. Eligible for bi-annual performance bonus Family leave fully paid Compassionate Leave: 3-5 days each time the need arises A generous amount of CookUnity credits to enjoy our amazing meals, added to your account, monthly ? Wellness perks: access to fitness subsidies to build a healthy lifestyle ? Personalized Spanish coach Awesome opportunity to join a company that is looking to change how we eat and how chefs work! ???5- year Sabbatical: After 5 years with CookUnity, you get a 4-week paid sabbatical ENG1P Compensation All final pay rates will be determined by candidates experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data. Pay Range for this position $62,562—$77,500 USD If you're interested in this role, please submit your application, and if we think you might be a fit, we'll get in touch with you. Thank you for your time! CookUnity is an Equal Opportunity Employer . We are dedicated to creating a community of inclusion and an environment free from discrimination or harassment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship status, protected veteran status, genetic information, or physical or mental disability. A quick note for all candidates We've recently seen an increase in recruitment scams across the industry, and we want to make sure you (and your data) stay safe while applying to CookUnity. We also want you to know that we take this seriously — sometimes, as part of our process, we may ask for a brief “proof of humanity” to confirm that we're connecting with a real person, not an impersonator. Here are a few tips to help you protect yourself and know what to expect from us: Apply only through our official channels. All open roles are listed on our official careers page: careers.cookunity.com Our recruiters are real people — and easy to verify. You can always find them on LinkedIn with verified profiles. If you're unsure, feel free to reach out to us on our official LinkedIn Company Page . We only communicate through official CookUnity channels. That means emails ending in @cookunity.com and interviews held through official company platforms (Google Meet or Zoom) — never WhatsApp, Telegram, or SMS. We'll never ask for payment or personal financial details. If anyone does, please don't share any information and let us know right away. If something ever feels off or you're unsure about a message, we'd much rather you double-check with us. You can always contact us directly through any of our social media channels. We appreciate your interest in joining CookUnity — and we care about keeping your experience (and safety) as genuine as possible.

Keywords: CookUnity, Joliet , Culinary Manager, Hospitality & Tourism , Chicago, Illinois