Culinary Training Manager

• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Training & development
• Vision insurance
• 401(k) matching
• Competitive salary
• Dental insurance
• Employee discounts

Taste Buds Kitchen is seeking an energetic, hospitality-driven Culinary Training Manager to serve as our brand's national culinary authority and training leader. Based at our Chester, MD headquarters, you will own the end-to-end training journey for incoming franchise owners, lead seasonal recipe testing, and ensure operational culinary excellence across our national studio network.

This premier individual contributor role blends kitchen leadership, adult education, and instructional content creation. You will take new franchise partners and their culinary staff from initial onboarding through comprehensive culinary certification—empowering them to run joyful, safe, and profitable studios.

• Lead On-Site Cohorts: Facilitate multi-day culinary certification cohorts for new franchise owners and lead instructors at HQ, covering event pacing, kitchen safety, and brand standards.
• Lead Seasonal Training Clinics: Spearhead network-wide prep and operational training clinics for peak revenue drivers—including Summer Camp readiness, holiday Gingerbread House 101, and seasonal class launches.
• Instructional
  
  Coaching:
  
  Coach non-culinary owners and experienced chefs alike to master our scratch-cooking techniques, kitchen systems, and hospitality-first teaching style.
• Launch Continuity & Readiness: Help establish and lead structured virtual check-ins and kitchen readiness evaluations for newly opening studios; serve as secondary backup for grand openings (0–2 trips/year).
• Cohort Support: Coordinate occasional per diem kitchen assistants for training support, prep and dishwashing during peak training weeks.

• Menu Testing & Refinement: Test, scale, and standardize seasonal scratch recipes across youth, family, and adult classes—ensuring ease of execution, allergen adaptability, and profitability.
• Marketing
  
  Collaboration:
  
  Partner with Marketing to operationalize buzz-worthy seasonal menus and limited-time event packages that drive bookings.
• Brand Standards & Test Kitchen: Maintain our digital recipe and event guides, tray guides, allergen substitutions, and visual event resources. Oversee the corporate Test Kitchen inventory, equipment, and prep logistics.

• Video Production: Film instructional recipe videos and setup demonstrations for our digital training library to ensure network consistency.
• LMS & Curriculum Development: Maintain digital training manuals, checklists, and assessments in our operations platform (Operandio). Partner with internal SMEs as needed to format and assemble non-culinary operational modules.
• HQ Workshops: Host occasional signature workshops and corporate Discovery Day events at HQ to test new concepts and connect with prospective owners.

• 2–4 Years of
  
  Experience:
  
  Combined background in professional culinary operations, culinary instruction, restaurant training, or hospitality education. Practical industry experience required.
• Kitchen Intuition & Food Passion: High comfort level in commercial or scratch-cooking environments. A formal Culinary Arts degree is welcome, but equivalent boots-on-the-ground kitchen experience and serious culinary instincts are just as valued.
• Recipe Competence: Solid instincts for recipe scaling, timing, seasonal adjustments, and allergen protocols (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, nut-free).
• Facilitation & Stage Presence: Dynamic public speaker with warmth, energy, and the ability to command a room, engage adult…